Legislators tour Deschutes National Forest
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Earlier this month I had the honor of being part of a forest tour the OFRI board of directors hosted in Bend for state legislators, policymakers, media and other interested parties. It highlighted collaborative efforts to restore the fire resiliency and health of fire-dependent federal forests in central and eastern Oregon.
Approximately 50 people attended the Oct. 11 tour, including Sen. Jeff Merkley. Tour attendees visited various sites in the
Deschutes National Forest
to examine forest restoration work led by the
Deschutes Collaborative Forest Project
, a forest collaborative group representing a diverse range of views and values for federal forests. Stops included an untreated stand at Meissner Sno-Park, a treated area of the
West Bend Project
and the popular recreation area of Phil’s Trailhead.
Co-sponsored by the Deschutes Collaborative Forest Project and Deschutes National Forest, the tour featured several panels showcasing different aspects of forest restoration. Speakers included Sen. Merkley, plus representatives from The Nature Conservancy, Deschutes National Forest, the Oregon Department of Forestry and the
Governor’s Council on Wildfire Response
, as well as several Oregon forest products companies.
Along with state legislators, tour attendees included Deschutes County commissioners and reporters from the Bend Bulletin newspaper and the television stations
KTVZ
and
KBNZ
.
All in all it was a successful tour, and we’ve received a lot of positive feedback. Hopefully it helped further expose the importance of using active forest management to restore federal forests to a healthier, more fire-resilient state, lessening the danger of catastrophic fires that put lives and homes at risk.
For the forest,
Erin Isselmann
Executive Director
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Lectures highlight emerging voices in forestry
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The three-part series, co-sponsored by OFRI, highlights new leaders working at the forefront of social, economic and environmental change. It will take place from 1 to 5 p.m. in Cheatham Hall at the World Forestry Center, 4033 SW Canyon Road, Portland.
During the lecture series’ first act, titled “Wildfire Moneyball: Analytics for the New Normal,” Christopher Dunn, a research associate with the Oregon State University College of Forestry, will discuss his work studying fire effects and ecosystem response to mixed-severity fires. The second act, “Women in Fire,” will feature Amanda Rau, a burn boss and fire manager with The Nature Conservatory, and Anjel Tomayko, a federal lands forester with the Department of Natural Resources in Washington state. The series will conclude with SAF CEO Terry Baker, Weyerhaeuser Director of Corporate Sustainability Ara Erickson, and Portland State University Assistant Professor of Geology Andrés Holz discussing the future of forestry in a third act titled “Forestry 2040: Action Required.”
Breaks in the program will allow time for participants to mingle and socialize while enjoying craft beer, wine and food. Tickets are $10 with advance registration.
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OFRI releases 2018-19 Annual Report
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OFRI’s 2018-19 Annual Report
highlights the Institute’s efforts to engage Oregonians with the vast forests that cover nearly half our state.
“Engaging Oregonians” is the theme of the new eight-page report summarizing OFRI’s accomplishments over the past year. This includes sponsoring the 2018 U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree, which came from Oregon’s
Willamette National Forest
, and developing a curriculum for third and fourth grade students to learn about the
U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree
program and the importance of Christmas trees in Oregon.
The annual report touches on key achievements in 2018-19 across OFRI’s educational programs for
forest landowners
, the
public
, and
K-12 teachers and students
. Among the highlights were co-sponsoring the
Society of American Foresters
2018 National Convention and producing a video called
Forest Proud Oregon
that debuted at the convention, updating an economic report detailing the impact of the forest sector on Oregon’s economy, and organizing a tour for high school teachers to learn about the significance of mass timber construction.
To learn more about OFRI’s work over the past year to advance public understanding of forests, forest management and forest products, read the full report:
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OFRI helps open new Outdoor School
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A new OFRI-developed
Outdoor School
offering the opportunity for students to learn about forestry and natural resources from professionals who work in those fields held its first classes earlier this month.
OFRI Environmental Educator Rikki Heath and Director of K-12 Programs Norie Dimeo-Ediger worked together with
Salem Environmental Education
Board President Jon Yoder to establish the Plants, Animals, Water, Soil (or PAWS) Outdoor School. The program was developed to fill the need for a non-residential, integrated three-day Outdoor School. The school is hosted by the Salem-Keizer Outdoor School Coalition, whose members include
Marion County Environmental Services
, the Salem and Keizer public works departments, the
Oregon State University Extension Service
and
4-H
.
On Oct. 2-4, the coalition offered its first Outdoor School experience to 116 students from Keizer Elementary School. They rotated through three different field sites: Minto-Brown Island Park, The Oregon Garden and the Oregon 4-H Center. Lessons taught by professionals required students to collect and record data, make observations and use evidence to create conclusions. The students also participated in team-building activities and were given time to reflect on the day’s events.
At The Oregon Garden, OFRI hosted a lesson where students learned to identify common Oregon conifer trees, and also about some current and traditional uses of those trees. They also learned about carbon sequestration and how trees store carbon in their wood, including calculating how much carbon was being stored in the OFRI-managed
Rediscovery Forest
.
The Keizer Elementary students were the first to attend the PAWS Outdoor School this fall, and three more schools are scheduled to participate in the program this spring, says Heath, OFRI’s environmental educator.
“I’m excited that students are learning from professionals in the field, receiving engaging lessons and creating lasting memories they wouldn’t receive in a classroom,” she says.
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The ForestReport.org updated
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TheForestReport.org
, an OFRI website detailing the economic contributions of Oregon’s forest sector, has been updated with the latest data – all optimized for easy viewing on mobile devices and sharing on social media.
In addition to accessing charts and statistics related to various aspects of Oregon’s forest economy, visitors to TheForestReport.org can download the full 105-page
2019 Forest Report
as well as a 12-page
summary
.
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New student workbook focuses on wildlife
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A new educational publication developed by OFRI for middle school students highlights the diverse array of wildlife that lives in Oregon’s forests, and the science behind conserving wildlife habitats.
OFRI is offering the 24-page
Life in the Forest
workbook for free to schools, to help students understand the importance of forests as habitat to different wildlife species. It features current wildlife research and presents real data collected by Oregon scientists, for students to analyze.
As a companion to Life in the Forest, OFRI is also offering a digital
instruction guide
that includes background information, additional resources and
online activities
to help teachers go deeper into the material included in the student publication.
Both publications are aligned with current science education standards.
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OFRI co-hosts event for home-schoolers
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More than 800 people participated in this year’s
Home School Day
, an annual event hosted by OFRI and
The Oregon Garden
each September that turns the 80-acre botanical garden in Silverton into an outdoor classroom for home-school students.
During the event students were invited to rotate through self-paced stations exploring all aspects of garden biology and natural resources, offered by organizations that included
Talk About Trees
, the U.S. Forest Service,
Agriculture in the Classroom
and the Oregon Department of Forestry. At each station, students participated in a hands-on activity while getting to interact with natural resources professionals.
One parent said of the event, “I liked the diversity of the organizations represented, and the hands-on and engaging activities made this day memorable.”
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Blog: Prescribed burning 101
In her latest post on the OFRI blog, Executive Director Erin Isselmann explains what prescribed burns are, how they’re planned and executed, and why they’re an important tool for forest managers and landowners.
Read the blog
.
Blog: Water, wildlife and eDNA
OFRI contract wildlife biologist Fran Cafferata Coe shares her experience attending a conference where she learned about surveying for wildlife using eDNA, biological material that animals have shed into the environment.
Read the blog
.
Forest Products Week is Oct. 20-26
Congress has designated the third week of October, Oct. 20-26, as the 2019 National Forest Products Week in recognition of the value of forest products derived from responsibly managed U.S. forests. This year, the American Wood Council has also partnered with the U.S. Forest Service to declare Oct. 22 “Timber Innovation Day” and will host a hearing on Capitol Hill in honor of mass timber innovations that make it possible to build tall wood buildings.
Learn more
.
OTFS hosting annual meeting
The Oregon Tree Farm System will host its annual meeting on Oct. 26 at The Oregon Garden in Silverton. OFRI is a co-sponsor of the event, which will feature a workshop on managing for wildlife on tree farms and a tour of The Oregon Garden’s Oregon white oak grove. The annual meeting will also include a luncheon honoring the 2019 Tree Farmers of the Year.
Learn more
.
Educator conference planned
High school natural resources teachers are invited to attend a professional development conference OFRI is hosting Dec. 11-12 at The Oregon Garden in Silverton. The conference will focus on the social, economic and ecological aspects of Oregon’s natural resources.
Registration
.
Manufacturing awards honor Freres, Seneca
Lyons-based Freres Lumber Co. and Eugene-based Seneca have been honored in the Portland Business Journal’s Makers & Manufacturing Awards, which recognize the region’s top manufacturing companies. Freres and Seneca will each receive the Family-Owned Award during an awards ceremony Nov. 8 at the Sentinel Hotel in Portland.
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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