ALBANY, Ore. (AP) — A judge signaled he plans to certify Linn County’s timber lawsuit against the state as a class action, meaning it would include other counties.

The county filed the lawsuit earlier this year, asserting insufficient logging had cost it and more than a dozen other timber-rich counties more than $1.4 billion.

The complaint says the counties turned over ownership of forestlands to the state in the early 20th century with the expectation that timber revenues would be maximized. But a forest management plan adopted more than a decade ago emphasized improvements to fish and wildlife habitat and other conservation measures.

Linn County Judge Daniel Murphy said Tuesday the lawsuit meets the requirements for a class action. But he won’t formally decide the issue until the lawsuit survives further motions to dismiss.