OFRI eNews: December 2018
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Showcasing the best of Oregon in our nation's Capitol
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Earlier this month, I was among a group of Oregonians who traveled to Washington, D.C., for the events leading up to and including the lighting of the 2018
U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree
. I was honored to be among a group that showcased the best of Oregon.
This year’s tree was harvested from Oregon’s own
Willamette National Forest
. It was an approximately 75-foot noble fir that made a 3,000-mile reverse journey on the Oregon Trail.
The tree itself was representative of the best of Oregon’s abundant forests, but that was really just one piece of the story. During the many events that celebrated the tree in Washington, I came to appreciate everything and everyone from Oregon who played roles from small to large to put Oregon’s best foot forward on the national stage.
The 2018 U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree will be on display on the West Lawn of Capitol Hill until New Year’s Eve. During that time it will serve as a stunning showcase of Oregon’s natural beauty, our forests and the enthusiastic spirit of the Oregonians who made this gift to the nation possible.
For the forest,
Erin Isselmann
Executive Director
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New publication focuses on fisher and marten
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A new OFRI publication discusses fisher and Humboldt marten, including their biology, the latest research on these forest-dwelling carnivores, and recommendations for forest managers and landowners on how to manage forests where these species live.
The 16-page
Wildlife in Managed Forests: Fisher and Humboldt Marten
booklet gives an overview of fisher and Humboldt marten biology and habitat needs. It also summarizes current research that’s helping us gain a better understanding of these species. The publication highlights important scientific findings and management practices that can help forest landowners balance promoting healthy fisher and marten populations with timber production. This includes steps such as retaining large trees and downed wood within timber harvest units to serve as habitat.
Wildlife in Managed Forests: Fisher and Humboldt Marten
is the latest publication in OFRI’s
Wildlife in Managed Forests
series. Previous publications in the series have focused on other kinds of forest wildlife such as American beaver, songbirds, fish and deer. The educational booklets synthesize scientific research to help inform forest landowners, managers and others about ways to conserve habitat for wildlife living in Oregon’s forests.
Print and electronic versions of
Wildlife in Managed Forests: Fisher and Humboldt Marten
are available to order or download for free through OFRI’s website,
OregonForests.org
.
Photo courtesy of Kerry Rennie
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Christmas in the Garden runs until Dec. 31
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The Oregon Garden’s annual Christmas in the Garden festival continues through the end of this month, with the OFRI-managed
Rediscovery Forest
once again at the center of the festivities.
This year’s festival features holiday decorations using more than 1 million lights throughout the 15-acre forest, located inside
The Oregon Garden
in Silverton. The forest will also host a European-style Christmas market, along with other holiday-themed activities, including ice skating, snowless tubing and holiday choir music.
OFRI is a co-sponsor of Christmas in the Garden. For more information about hours and ticket prices, visit the event website,
christmasinthegarden.com
.
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OFRI part of China trade mission
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OFRI Director of Forestry Mike Cloughesy represented the Institute on a recent trade mission to China led by the Oregon-China Sister State Relations Council.
During a week-long trip in early November, Cloughesy traveled with the trade mission to Shanghai and Oregon’s Chinese sister province of
Fujian
, located in the southeast part of the country on the Pacific Coast. The trade mission was led by Oregon State Rep. David Brock Smith of Port Orford, who specially requested OFRI’s participation in the mission, along with Clackamas County Commissioner Ken Humberston. Other delegates included Dr. Jim Johnson of the Oregon State University College of Forestry and representatives from the Port of Portland and the Oregon tourism industry.
The timing of the trade mission coincided with the China International Import Expo in Shanghai, which featured an Oregon booth and a
Softwood Export Council
(SEC) booth. OFRI’s participation in the trade mission was covered by the Institute’s membership in the SEC.
While on the trade mission, Cloughesy participated in the China-U.S. Seminar on Green Development, Investment and Culture, including showing a Mandarin-language version of OFRI’s
Forest to Frame
video and giving a presentation discussing sustainable forestry practices and mass timber innovation in Oregon. He also attended a seminar and news conference with the Fujian Provincial United Chamber of Commerce, along with several banquets with Chinese business and government leaders.
Cloughesy says he was struck by how much construction, especially multistory apartment buildings, he saw during his travels in China.
“I have a new appreciation for our friends from across the Pacific who build huge cities with giant apartment buildings, have a great respect for trees and love wood,” he says. “There just has to be a way they could build these buildings out of Oregon mass timber.
”
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Mass timber summit planned
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The
TallWood Design Institute
and
Business Oregon
are hosting a summit next month in Salem that will explore the opportunities that growing domestic production and use of mass timber can create for communities across Oregon.
The Oregon Mass Timber Development Summit, scheduled for Jan. 15 at the Salem Convention Center, is designed for public officials, economic development personnel, investors and manufacturers to learn about and discuss tools, strategies and potential partners available to them to support mass timber sector development in Oregon counties and municipalities. The program for the full-day summit includes panel discussions on topics such as the current state of Oregon’s mass timber sector, opportunities for Oregon and key supply-chain needs for a successful mass timber sector.
Additional funding for the summit comes from the Pacific Northwest Manufacturing Partnership, with technical assistance from OFRI, Oregon State University and Clackamas County.
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Blog: It's time to mark your calendars
The New Year is coming soon, and with it come two mass timber events in Salem and Portland – you might want to mark your calendars to attend. Learn more about them in a new blog post from OFRI Director of Forest Products Timm Locke.
Read the blog
.
Blog: Hello from China
In his latest blog post, OFRI Director of Forestry Mike Cloughesy reflects on his recent trip to China on a trade mission that visited Oregon’s Chinese sister province.
Read the blog.
Opinion: Thinking of my home, our state, my Oregon
“Oregon is the perfect parent of this year’s People’s Tree,” wrote Paul Barnum, former OFRI executive director, in an opinion column that appeared in
The Oregonian
on Dec. 5. The column highlights why the lighting of this year’s U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree holds special significance for Oregonians.
Read the column
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WoodsCamp offered in Oregon
The American Forest Foundation’s WoodsCamp online platform for private forest landowners is now available in Oregon. WoodsCamp collects and analyzes data such as forest cover, soil content, wildlife habitats and wildfire threats from each state. By combining this data with responses from landowners about their goals and values for their forests, WoodsCamp matches them with potential management opportunities available in each region.
Learn more.
$50K donation benefits education fund
A $50,000 donation from the estate of the late Barte Starker, former vice president of Corvallis-based Starker Forests, will support the Oregon Community Foundation’s Oregon Natural Resources Education Fund. The grant fund provides funding to establish, expand, improve and maintain forest-related natural resources education opportunities in Oregon high schools.
Learn more
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Oregon Forest Resources Institute
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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 © 2018, Oregon Forest Resources Institute. All Rights Reserved.
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