Putting the focus on K-12 education
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The Oregon Forest Resources Institute (OFRI) is dedicated to advancing public understanding of forests, forest management and forest products. One of the primary audiences for our educational efforts is K-12 students and teachers. That’s because what the youngest Oregonians learn about one of our state’s greatest resources is vitally important. And just as important is what their parents learn through their children’s experience, especially as the demographics of our state change and many of today’s Oregonians are
new to the state
.
Full disclosure on my part: I am not a native Oregonian. I was born and raised in Rhode Island, and moved to Oregon in 1996. But as the mother of two native Oregonians, I have firsthand experience with what my children learned about Oregon’s forests, and what I learned from them. For both my daughters, the highlight of sixth grade was attending
Outdoor School
. It wasn’t just the opportunity to spend time away from home with their friends; they both came back with knowledge about Oregon’s abundant natural resources and a desire to share what they had learned.
A key part of my daughters’ enthusiasm came from their sixth-grade science teacher. That is just one of the reasons I’m proud that OFRI not only supports training for teachers, but also classroom and field programs for students, and grade-specific publications for K-12 teachers and students. You can find a complete list of resources for K-12 forest education in Oregon
here
.
By supporting K-12 forest education, the hope is that we’ll help young Oregonians better understand how forest stewardship meets the social, environmental and economic needs of both present and future generations.
For the forest,
Erin Isselmann
Executive Director
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Mass Timber Conference returns
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This year’s conference, produced by the
Forest Business Network
and
WoodWorks
, is scheduled for March 19-21 at the
Oregon Convention Center
. With a special focus on using mass timber products to construct mid- to high-rise buildings, the conference is expected to attract between 1,400 and 1,600 professionals from around the world representing the forest, manufacturing, design, development and construction industries. The
agenda
includes more than 70 expert presentations in four focused tracks and multiple general sessions, an exhibit hall with more than 70 exhibitors, and ample networking breaks and receptions.
Three supplemental conference
tours
will visit mass timber buildings and manufacturers in Oregon and Washington, including one sponsored by OFRI with stops at
Freres Lumber
’s mass plywood panel (MPP) manufacturing facility in Lyons and the
Oregon Forest Science Complex
project at Oregon State University in Corvallis.
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New controlled burn rules take effect
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Revised state rules aimed to protect air quality in areas of Oregon susceptible to smoke from controlled forest burns have gone into effect in time for this spring’s burning season.
The rules were adopted by the Oregon Board of Forestry in January and approved by the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, following a multi-year review process. They call on communities at risk for exposure to controlled-burn smoke to voluntarily develop response plans to protect vulnerable populations such as children, the elderly and people with heart and respiratory conditions.
The revised rules continue to meet federal air quality standards, but now tie the definition of a smoke intrusion to specific levels of smoke particulates considered unhealthy for vulnerable populations during certain time periods. They replace the former definition, which was zero visible smoke.
“The rule revisions provide greater flexibility for those wanting to use controlled burns to improve the health of fire-adapted forestland,” says Oregon Department of Forestry Smoke Management Program Manager Nick Yonker. “And they should increase opportunities for landowners to reduce wildfire risk near communities by thinning overcrowded forests and burning woody debris.”
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Operators of the Year honored
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Three Oregon loggers, representing the northwest, eastern and southern regions of the state, have been recognized for exceptional work by the Oregon Department of Forestry.
The Oregon Board of Forestry honored
2018 Operators of the Year
Brad Clemens of B & M Timber LLC in Burns, Jay Browning of J.M. Browning Logging Inc. in Astoria, and Dave Wilkerson of Dave Wilkerson Logging LLC in Eagle Point at a March 9 meeting in Salem. The annual awards recognize those who, while harvesting timber or doing other forestry work, protect natural resources at a level that goes above and beyond the requirements of Oregon’s
forest protection laws
.
“These operators have shown how they can harvest needed wood products in Oregon forests while protecting natural resources,” says Deputy State Forester Lena Tucker. “We’re pleased to honor the excellent care and diligence they demonstrate, often in challenging circumstances.”
Clemens of B & M Timber was awarded the eastern Oregon Operator of the Year award for minimizing soil disturbance during a winter timber harvest in a narrow valley. Browning of J.M. Browning Logging earned the northwest Oregon Operator of the Year award for protecting streams and improving future fish habitat. Wilkerson of Dave Wilkerson Logging received the southern Oregon Operator of the Year award for safely harvesting a highly visible tract of forestland at the entrance to the town of Butte Falls.
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Student event highlights forest careers
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Aimed to expose students to a variety of career opportunities in forestry, the Feb. 22 event offered the chance to tour 15 static displays of logging equipment. It also featured hands-on stations to learn about wildfire firefighting, forestry and reforestation, and heavy equipment mechanics and operation, as well as a high school forestry skills demonstration.
Professionals representing a wide spectrum of forest-related careers, including foresters, loggers, firefighters and mill workers, discussed their jobs with students and helped guide them through the logging conference. An exhibit hall gave students the chance to interact with representatives from 18 forest-sector companies and organizations, including OFRI.
In addition to staffing a booth with educational materials about forest careers, OFRI provided bus transportation reimbursement for students to travel to the event.
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Freres Lumber named among most innovative companies
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Oregon-based
Freres Lumber Co
. has been named among the most innovative companies in the world for 2019 by the business magazine
Fast Company
, for developing
mass plywood panel
(MPP), a new building product that’s made using wood veneer.
Fast Company
recognized
Freres Lumber, a family-owned company headquartered in Lyons that’s been in business since 1922, for receiving patents and certification that allow its MPP product to be used for building construction in similar applications as cross-laminated timber.
“We are honored to receive this prestigious award, and to be recognized for the innovation and application of our invention of mass plywood panel,” says Freres Lumber President Rob Freres.
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OFRI budget hearing scheduled
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The OFRI
board of directors
will hold a public hearing for the Institute’s proposed fiscal year 2019-20 budget at 9 a.m. on April 10, during the board’s regularly scheduled meeting in Corvallis.
Prior to the public hearing, the proposed budget will be available for review March 27 through April 9 at two locations: the offices of the Oregon State Forester, Oregon Department of Forestry, 2600 State St., Salem; and at the OFRI office, 317 SW Sixth Ave., Suite 400, Portland.
The hearing and board meeting will be held in the University Club Room at the Hilton Garden Inn, 2500 SW Western Blvd. Following the hearing, the board is scheduled to adopt the 2019-20 budget.
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Blog: Tree Schools offer “tree-mendous” learning opportunities
OFRI Director of Forestry Mike Cloughesy explains in a new blog post why Tree School, a festival of learning for people who love forests that is hosted by the Oregon State University Extension Program, is a great opportunity for forest landowners.
Read the blog.
Blog:
All forest habitats are important
In a guest blog post, OFRI contract wildlife biologist Fran Cafferata Coe shares her impressions of a new research study that examines the Northwest Forest Plan for managing federal forests 25 years after it first went into effect.
Read the blog
.
Lecture on tribal forestry
Don Ivy, tribal council chief of the Coquille Indian Tribe, and Darin Jarnaghan, the tribe’s natural resources director, will give a free public lecture on tribal forestry at 3:30 p.m. on April 10 at the LaSells Stewart Center on the Oregon State University campus in Corvallis. It will be the last lecture in the OSU College of Forestry’s 2019 Starker Lecture Series.
Learn more.
Forest center reopens
The Tillamook Forest Center has opened for its 2019 season. The interpretive and educational center located in the heart of the Tillamook State Forest will host a range of exhibits and public events this year, including a series of called “Fresh Brewed Forestry” that will feature talks by Oregon Department of Forestry scientists.
Learn more
.
Sudden oak death report released
Funding $30 million in treatments to slow the spread of the tree disease sudden oak death over the next 20 years could offset the loss of 1,200 jobs by 2028 and $580 million in wages from 2028 to 2038, according to an economic assessment commissioned by the Oregon Department of Forestry. The report, which was prepared by Portland-based Highland Economics | Mason, Bruce & Girard was released last month.
Read the full report
.
Wildfire expert to speak
Leading wildfire writer John Maclean will speak at a free OFRI-sponsored event on May 2 at the World Forestry Center in Portland. Maclean, who is the author of the book
Fire on the Mountain
, will team with Oregon’s former state forester and historian Doug Decker to discuss the complex relationship between fire, forests and people.
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 © 2019, Oregon Forest Resources Institute. All Rights Reserved.
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