Global Connections. Regional Roots. April 2018
To Create and Inspire Champions of Sustainable Forestry
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From Sara Wu, Interim Executive Director
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After a record 2017 wildfire season, and with fire on everyone’s mind, the World Forestry Center in conjunction with our partners at the US Forest Service, The Nature Conservancy, Oregon Forest Resources Institute, the City Club of Portland, and North40, hosted "Era of Megafires" featuring Dr. Paul Hessburg. Hessburg, a landscape ecologist with the Forest Service’s Pacific Northwest Research Station in Wenatchee, Washington, along with a panel of Oregon-based experts, spoke about living with the threat of wildfires and actions being taken at the local level to manage fire impacts.
A panel after Hessburg’s presentation provided additional insight and conversation on the topic. Panelists included:
Kristen Arid
, the cross agency manager for the health promotion and chronic disease prevention section in the Oregon Public Health Division. Kristen’s family owns a ninety-acre tree farm outside of Eugene, Oregon.
John Stromberg
, third-term Mayor of Ashland, Oregon. Mayor Stromberg has been a leader of the Ashland Forest Resiliency Project.
The City and partners developed a community-based alternative for restoration and fire risk reduction in the Ashland Municipal Watershed that the Forest Service and partners are now implementing.
Ryan Haugo
, Senior Forest Ecologist for The Nature Conservancy (TNC) in Oregon, he is also an affiliate assistant professor at the University of Washington’s School of Environmental and Forest Science. I
n his current role, Ryan leads the TNC’s efforts across Oregon to develop and communicate a rigorous and responsive evidence base to drive conservation actions.
Moderating the session was
Lisa Gaines
, the director of the Institute for Natural Resources (INR), headquartered at Oregon State University. She has worked for more than twenty-five years with universities, government agencies, and NGOs to develop and manage multi-institutional natural resource and international development projects and programs. Lisa currently serves on the Oregon Geospatial Information Council, Oregon Sustainability Board, and American Institute for Biological Sciences. She is also a Senior Fellow with the American Leadership Forum of Oregon.
Over 300 attended this multimedia learning experience designed to educate audiences across the West. It was an honor to receive the wisdom of Hessburg’s thirty-four years of wildfire research. His passion is to raise public awareness, expand the conversation, and provide tools for homeowners to create a safe environment for themselves and their community. If you missed the talk, a video of the event will be available online on
The City Club’s Facebook page
. You can also watch Hessburg’s
TEDxBend lecture, “Living (Dangerously) in an Era of Megafires,”
from May 2017.
In our continuing efforts to promote wildfire awareness, please join the World Forestry Center on Tuesday, June 5 for
FIREWISE
,
a free educational community event in the Discovery Museum. Kris Babbs, president and CEO of Keep Oregon Green, and Kevin McLaughlin, forest officer of the Oregon Department of Forestry, will provide us tips on fire safety and talk about the Firewise USA program. We hope to see you there!
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James M. Peña, Regional Forester, Pacific Northwest Region 6, Forest Service
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From left to right: Ryan Haugo, Kristen Arid, John Stromberg, Paul Hessburg, and
Lisa Gaines
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Forestry Leadership Hall Spotlight
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In 1971, the World Forestry Center began a tradition of honoring those pioneers who have contributed significantly to the advancement of forestry.
This month we are honored to spotlight Sol G. Simpson (1844-1906), Mark E. Reed (1866-1933), William G. Reed (1908-1989), and Green Diamond Resource Company.
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For more than a century, Green Diamond's owners have been committed to sharing the bounty nature has provided, while ensuring that future generations will have the same opportunity. Over the years, the company's owners, managers and employees have significantly influenced the development of the forest products industry and, in many cases, revolutionized forest management practices.
Innovation has been central to the company ever since Canadian logger Sol Simpson founded Simpson Logging Company back in 1890. Sol was the first to substitute horses for oxen to do the heavy work in the woods and he was one of the first to use a "Walking Dudley," a new-fangled log-pulling machine.
Sol's early mix of innovation, willingness to take risks and a commitment to the long-term view of timberland ownership, has served the company well over the years and still shapes the company today. It is what led Simpson to be one of the first in the industry to begin replanting its timberlands - long before there was any law requiring it. It's also the reason the company is known for its dedication to research and development as a means of securing a sustainable future in the industry, and for its pro-active environmental policy that integrates environmental concerns as company concerns.
Sol Simpson's success was facilitated by the savvy of Mark E. Reed. Reed's financial and political good sense won Simpson's respect, and Reed was soon managing the company. Reed married Sol's daughter, Irene, in 1901 and his commitment to the Simpson family and business and the Mason County community were merged.
Mark Reed’s death in 1933 was a difficult blow for the Simpson community. Mark’s two surviving sons, Frank and Bill Reed, gave a sense of confidence to the company’s future. Bill Reed began re-exploring his grandfather’s perspective on the valuation of the forestland and the Simpson leaders began to acquire cutover lands. Bill Reed was committed to the idea that research and development was crucial in guiding innovation and growth even for a family company, and a new facility was constructed exclusively for research. After guiding Simpson since 1946, Bill Reed resigned as active chairman of Simpson Timber in 1971. An effective cross-generational team was established during Bill Reed’s career and prepared the next generation of family leaders: Gary Reed and Furman Moseley. The decade of the 1990s was a time of unprecedented change in the pulp and paper and forest products industries. Simpson began to refocus on its core business of forestland stewardship. Furman Moseley retired as president, Gary Reed handed the chairmanship of Simpson Investment Company over to Colin Moseley, and in 1997 Ray Tennison became president. New leadership brought a new focus on Simpson’s businesses while extending the tradition of integrity that has spanned five generations of family ownership.
In 2002 the decision was made to separate the management of the manufacturing segments of Simpson Timber Company from the timberland assets and call the new entity Green Diamond Resource Company. Today Sol Simpson’s direct descendants still oversee the management of Green Diamond Resource Company’s timberland and remain committed to sound stewardship, providing a safe and healthy workplace, and supporting the communities in which it operates. The company is headquartered in Seattle and Douglas Reed, great-great grandson of Sol Simpson, is currently president of the company.
Thank you to author, Robert Spector, for your book, “Family Trees, Simpson’s Centennial Story.”
Purchase the book here
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Sol Simpson showed the efficiency of 10-horse teams verses using the traditional oxen teams.
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Simpson Logging Company was one of the most enthusiastic supporters of the "Tree Farm" movement because the Company's vision of the future included way to developing ways to protect and scientifically regrow and manager its timberlands.
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Colin Moseley,
great-great grandson of Sol Simpson, chairman of Green Diamond Resource Company.
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Douglas Reed, great-great grandson of Sol Simpson, president of Green Diamond Resource Company.
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We invite you to visit the Forestry Leadership Hall located on the second floor of the Discovery Museum. For more information
click here
.
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World Forest Institute News and Updates
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2015 World Forest Institute Fellows
Where Are They Now?
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After completing her fellowship, Stuty enrolled in a PhD program in the School of Public Policy at Oregon State University. Currently, Stuty is collecting data in Nepal for her PhD thesis. Her topic is stakeholder perspectives on collaboration for a national forestry program. For this she was conducting an in-depth case study of a
Multi Stakeholder Forestry Program
in Nepal that aimed to improve forestry governance through collaborative policy and decision-making processes. The program, however, terminated early and Stuty is investigating the reasons why. Stuty’s broad interest lies in environmental governance. Currently, her focus is in collaborative approaches to environmental policy-making and whether it can foster development in low-income countries.
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Stuty Maskey – Fellow from Nepal
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Robert Mijol – Fellow from Malaysia
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After Robert finished his WFI Fellowship Program, he resumed working for the Sabah Forestry Department where he was promoted to Manager for
Ulu Segama-Malua Sustainable Forest Management Project
. His new responsibilities include coordinating stakeholders, evaluating forest re-certification, leading fieldwork (mostly on forest rehabilitation for orangutan habitat), and protecting forests from illegal logging, agricultural encroachment, and wildlife poachers. He spends most of his time off the grid caring for the beautiful tropical rainforest of Sabah.
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Conferences and Convening
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FIREWISE
Educational Community Event
June 5 from 5:30-7:30 pm
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Join us in the Discovery Museum on Tuesday, June 5, from 5:30-7:30 pm
Kris Babbs from Keep Oregon Green, and Kevin McLaughlin from the Oregon Department of Forestry will give a short presentation about the importance of raising awareness around fire prevention and safety.
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This is a free event, but please RSVP!
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or contact Merrit Thompson, Development & Community Relations Manager at 503.488.2122 or mthompson@worldforestry.org
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Thank you to our sponsors:
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For more information about the World Forestry Center, please contact Wendy Mitchell, Development and Community Relations Director,
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