A proposal by Oregon Sens. Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley to cede 32,000 acres of timberland to two Native American tribes set off a firestorm Tuesday, which the senators sought to dampen by assuring 18 counties the land transfer won’t hurt them. The federal land would come from the 2.4 million acres of Oregon & California Railroad lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management. The counties, including Douglas County, rely on revenue from O&C timber harvests to fund public services. Wyden and Merkley’s plan intends to compensate the Cow Creek Umpqua Tribe and the Confederated Tribes of the Coos, …