Leadership Summit to study fire impact
Oregon's fire season was one of the costliest in recent memory - and not just in terms of fire suppression, acres burned or natural systems damaged. Thick smoke blanketed our state for days, forcing cancellations of cultural and social events, school closures, canceled athletic events, and lost revenue to fishing and river guides. Wildfire blocked access to Oregon tourism destinations, forcing travelers to alter or cancel plans and wreaking financial havoc on Oregon's lodging and restaurant businesses. Does 2017 represent the "new normal"?
At the Oregon Leadership Summit on Dec. 4, I will host an afternoon panel that will examine these issues and seek constructive ways to manage fire risk. The panel is just one of several at the 15th such event, which brings policymakers and business leaders together to discuss the future of the state. Titled "Is Oregon Future Ready?" the summit takes place at the Oregon Convention Center, and registration is available online.
For the forest,
Paul Barnum
Executive Director
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Symposium focuses on forest carnivores
Martens must eat about a quarter of their body weight daily, meaning the furry, forest-dwelling carnivores are almost always starving.
"This makes martens particularly angry all the time, because they have to hunt constantly," U.S. Forest Service wildlife biologist Katie Moriarty explained to a crowd of more than 150 people gathered for "Forest Carnivores and Their Habitats: A Focus on Fisher, Marten and Fox." OFRI hosted the full-day symposium last month at the Linn County Fair & Expo Center in Albany.
To prove her point, Moriarty played a video of a marten growling savagely before being offered a piece of bacon. The marten in the video was silent for a couple seconds while gobbling down the meat before its piercing yowls started up again.
Moriarty, who has led research examining populations of marten living in the forested dunes of the central Oregon coast, was among a series of speakers at the educational event geared to forest landowners and wildlife biologists. It focused on marten, fisher and Sierra Nevada red fox because these carnivores found in Oregon forests could be listed under the Endangered Species Act.
Medium-sized forest carnivores play a key role in the ecosystems they inhabit, but relatively little is known about their population sizes, abundances, locations or favored habitat types. Symposium speakers from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and Oregon State University, among other institutions, discussed new research being conducted throughout Oregon that is looking to answer these questions.
"While there is still much to learn about forest carnivores, the aim of this symposium was to increase landowner knowledge of the biology and habitat requirements of fisher, marten and fox as well as ways to manage forests to protect these species," says Julie Woodward, OFRI senior manager of forestry education.
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New video celebrates Habitat build
After some less-than-ideal living situations, Springfield resident Nayeli Navarrete Bravo and her daughter, Alitza, recently became homeowners thanks to a partnership between Habitat for Humanity and the Oregon forest products industry. A new OFRI-produced video tells their story.
The Build a House. Frame a Future. video highlights the forest sector's contributions to the Springfield/Eugene Habitat for Humanity project sponsored by the American Forest Resource Council. AFRC is a trade association that represents lumber manufacturers and forest landowners in five Western states, many of whom donated locally produced wood products, volunteer hours and cash donations to help build a new home in east Springfield for Nayeli and Alitza. The year-long project was completed this past summer.
To create a video about the project, OFRI documented the construction process and support of the forest products industry, from the groundbreaking through the dedication ceremony. This included filming at a Springfield plywood mill run by Swanson Group, a major donor to the project.
"Donors and volunteers are key to building Habitat homes," says Don Griffin, Springfield/Eugene Habitat for Humanity executive director. "Nayeli's success is possible because of AFRC and the generous contributions of its members."
AFRC is now sponsoring a second Habitat for Humanity house in Olympia, Wash. The project broke ground last month and is scheduled to be completed next year.
Watch the Build a House. Frame a Future. video here.
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Vegetation management conference planned
An upcoming conference for foresters and forest landowners will focus on forest vegetation management and best practices for herbicide application.
The theme of the inaugural Pacific Northwest Forest Vegetation Management Conference is "Evolution of Science and Emerging Technology of Herbicide Application." It is scheduled for Nov. 29-30 at the Holiday Inn Portland South,
25425 SW 95th Ave., Wilsonville.
Hosted by the Western Forestry and Conservation Association, the conference will offer presentations and panel discussions with academics, practicing foresters, applicators and chemical company representatives. There will also be vendor displays and networking opportunities.
OFRI is a co-sponsor of the conference and is underwriting reduced registration fees for
Oregon Small Woodlands Association and Oregon Tree Farm System members.
Conference registration is available online.
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OSU wood adhesive inventor recognized
Oregon State University College of Forestry professor Kaichang Li has won a national award for developing a new adhesive inspired by the rock-holding power of mussels that has changed how a large portion of hardwood plywood is made.
Li was among the recipients of the 2017 Golden Goose Award from the American Association for the Advancement of Science. The award honors Li's work to create a new soy-based glue after he wondered how mussels stick to rough surfaces underwater. His innovation has since been embraced by 60 percent of the plywood and veneer industry as an alternative to formaldehyde-based adhesives, whose emissions have been linked to increased risk of cancer.
The Golden Goose Award honors scientists whose federally funded work may have been considered silly, odd or obscure when first conducted, but has resulted in significant benefits to society.
In 2003, with the support of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Li began working with Greensboro, N.C.-based Columbia Forest Products, which has two mills in Oregon, to adapt his adhesive to hardwood plywood manufacturing. By 2006, the company had converted all its plants to use Li's invention instead of formaldehyde-based adhesives.
"Kaichang Li's work in partnership with Columbia Forest Products is a wonderful demonstration of the power of innovation and public-private collaboration to address real-world challenges and create new opportunities," says U.S. Rep. Suzanne Bonamici. "We all benefit when federal researchers, university scientists and private companies follow their curiosity and collaborate in solving problems."
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Order your "Planted" sign today
Gearing up for the winter tree-planting season? It's the perfect time to order a "Planted" sign from OFRI.
Each year, Oregon forest landowners plant approximately 40 million seedlings to replace harvested trees. To help educate the public about this effort to ensure Oregon has abundant forests for generations to come, OFRI distributes free signs to landowners with the word "Planted" and the year seedlings were planted, to display on units that are visible to passing motorists.
One or two 60-inch-by-17-inch signs are provided for every replanted site that faces a highway or road. The signs are customized with the year of planting, pre-drilled and shipped with nuts and bolts. Landowners simply need to provide two 6-foot-tall steel posts for mounting each sign.
Information about ordering Planted signs is available here.
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The Oregon Legislature created the Oregon Forest Resources Institute in 1991 to advance public understanding of forests, forest management and forest products and to encourage sound forestry through landowner education. A 13-member board of directors governs OFRI. It is funded by a portion of the forest products harvest tax.
Copyright © 2017, Oregon Forest Resources Institute. All Rights Reserved.
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On the blog
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Christmas in the Garden opens
Nov. 24
The Rediscovery Forest inside The Oregon Garden will soon be glowing with thousands of twinkling lights during Christmas in the Garden.
The annual holiday festival features decorations using more than 600,000 lights. It opens Nov. 24 and runs through Dec. 31 at The Oregon Garden, 879 W. Main St., Silverton. Much of the festivities will be centered in the Rediscovery Forest, a 15-acre forest in the garden that OFRI actively manages for educational purposes.
OFRI is a co-sponsor of this year's Christmas in the Garden, which will include a traditional German Christmas market, photos with Santa, live music, ice skating and snowless tubing.
More information about event hours and ticket prices is available on The Oregon Garden website.
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The Future of Tall exhibit now open
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The World Forestry Center's newest exhibit offers a glimpse into the design process and performance testing for Framework, a planned 12-story building in Portland that will be the tallest mass timber high-rise in the country.
The Future of Tall
is now on view at the World Forestry Center's Discovery Museum, 4033 S.W. Canyon Road, Portland. Using visual display panels, videos and hands-on pieces, it introduces visitors to the growing movement in tall wood building and mass timber construction.
The Portland-based firm LEVER Architecture, which designed the Framework building, created The Future of Tall with support and funding from OFRI.
More information about the exhibit is available on the World Forestry Center website.
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"Talk in the Woods" podcast debuts
A new podcast explores issues related to the North American forest sector and the broader community involved in managing and protecting the continent's forests.
The North American Forest Partnership (NAFP), an organization with more than 100 members representing all segments of the North American forest community, has launched the "Talk in the Woods" podcast. Hosted by NAFP Executive Director Will Novy-Hildesley, the new podcast features conversations with experts, innovators, leaders, authors and other people who are passionate about forests and their future. The discussions cover ways in which forests make our lives better, how forests are managed differently, and the diverse group of people engaged with and working in forests across North America.
The "Talk in the Woods" podcast can be listened to on NAFP's website or through iTunes.
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Forest education guide updated
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The 2017-19 edition of OFRI's K-12 Forest Education Opportunities guide is now available to order.
The 16-page booklet offers a comprehensive directory of forest-related education programs and field trip destinations across Oregon. It also includes information about OFRI-developed curriculum materials and print, digital and video resources aimed to help teach K-12 students about Oregon's forests.
K-12 Forest Education Opportunities
can be ordered or downloaded from LearnForests.org.
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Get Out:
Lower Rogue River Trail
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