ASTORIA, Ore. — A giant 208-foot tall and estimated 200-year-old grand fir tree in Clatsop State Forest was inducted into the Oregon Heritage Tree Program in a ceremony April 12. The Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) and the Travel Information Council and its volunteer Oregon Heritage Tree Committee held the ceremony at the base of the tree which is part of ODF’s Northrup Creek Horse Camp Big Tree Trail at Northrup Creek Horse Camp. The grand fir became the 84th Oregon Heritage Tree.
“A heritage designation recognizes trees with statewide or national significance,” said Craig Leech, Chair of the Oregon Heritage Tree Committee. “The Oregon Heritage Tree Program is the first state-sponsored heritage tree program in the country. It was established in 1995 to increase public awareness of the important contribution of trees to Oregon’s history and the significant role they play in the quality of our daily lives.”
ODF created the Big Tree Trail in 2012 when they identified numerous large conifer and deciduous trees near one another.
“Inducting the Big Tree Trail as an Oregon Heritage Tree helps honor this special trail of trees that are believed to be among the top five largest in the state,” said Dan Goody, ODF’s District Forester for the Astoria District. “Visiting an Oregon Heritage Tree is a chance to learn localized Oregon history and honor the vital role Oregon’s forests plays in our lives. In addition to viewing a sample of exceptional trees, The Big Tree Trail’s connection to the creation of Oregon’s modern forestry program makes it particularly notable.”
The Northrup Creek Horse Camp Big Tree Trail is located inside what used to be The Northrup Creek Grazing Experiment. The Experiment started in 1936 to study the seeding, fertilizing, grazing, and management of logged-off and burned-over timberlands and the effects of grazing on reforestation. The goal was to make burnt-up land profitable again. The project was overseen by the John Jacob Astor Experiment Station outside of Astoria and continued until the early 1950s.
The Experiment ultimately “failed” as it determined grazing was not the solution for burned over timber lands. However, in 1939 Governor Charles Sprague gave a stump speech in the area at the time he was actively promoting the State Forest Acquisition Act. The legislation included conservation requirements for loggers to re-seed the forest by leaving seed trees and reforestation efforts for burned areas, particularly those affected by the repeated Tillamook burns of 1933, 1939, and 1945.
Former Clatsop County Judge Guy Boyington, one of the original framers of the state forest arrangement, envisioned that the foreclosed lands could be made productive if forest land management was available. Clatsop County became the first county to participate.
You can visit the Big Tree Trail inside the Northrup Creek Horse Camp, located between Jewell and Birkenfeld four miles north of Highway 202. The trail is just under one mile and is open year-round for hiking. Hikers must start at the gate during the seasonal closure of the camp, which adds two miles. The horse camp will open May 17. The address is 87644 Northrup Creek Road, Clatskanie, Oregon.
For more information regarding the Heritage Tree program visit www.oregontic.com/oregon-heritage-trees.
For more information on recreation opportunities in Oregon’s state forests visit Oregon Department of Forestry : Recreation : Recreation : State of Oregon
BURNS, Ore. — The Oregon Department of Forestry recently hosted the 2024 Rangeland Fire Protection Association Summit in Burns, Oregon. The annual summit provides a forum for the 28 Rangeland Fire Protection Associations (RFPAs) to meet with each other and partners in the spirit of helping each other be more effective at fighting wildfire on Oregon’s range.
RFPAs are an integral part of the complete and coordinated wildfire protection system in Oregon. Oregon’s 28 rangeland associations across eastern Oregon provide initial attack response to wildfires on nearly 17.5 million acres of public and private ownership. Association members have a unique interest in suppressing wildfires since the lands they protect impact their livelihoods and those of their neighbors.
During the summit the rangeland associations share information such as current membership, planned prevention and mitigation strategies, and lessons learned from the previous year’s wildfires.
“The summit is an invaluable resource for association members and partners to advance wildfire suppression capability on Oregon’s rangeland, cropland, sage grouse habitat, and livestock forage that are crucial to the local economy,” said Allison Rayburn, ODF’s Rangeland Fire Coordinator.
An important part of the summit is the presentation of the Outstanding Neighbor Award, given to association members who are instrumental in supporting and growing their association. This year’s Outstanding Neighbor Award was presented to John O’Keeffe, president of the Warner Valley RFPA. O’Keeffe has represented local land interests and worked on ecological issues locally as a member of Oregon’s Wildfire Programs Advisory Council and the Oregon Cattleman’s Association, and nationally as a member of the Public Lands Council and National Wildland Fire Mitigation Management Commission.
“The people in this room are what makes this work. We want to have another generation, and another generation after that on the landscape and advocacy in far-away places is a large part of making that happen. I’ve been fortunate to have the local support to participate,” said O’Keeffe.
The history of RFPAs in Oregon started with legislation enacted in 1963 that allowed the formation of associations. In 1964, the Ironside RFPA was formed in northern Malheur County. For many years they were the lone association in the state. However, in 1998, a new era of RFPA interest emerged. Between 1998 and 2001, five additional RFPAs were formed and new associations have continued to form since then. There are currently 28 associations with over 1,200 volunteers. Association partner agencies include ODF, Bureau of Land Management, Oregon’s Office of the State Fire Marshal, Oregon State University Extension Service, county emergency managers, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and Natural Resources Conservation Service.
SALEM, Ore. — The Regional Forest Practice Committee for eastern Oregon will meet at 10 a.m. on Friday, April 19 in the Screen Shop, at the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, 3561 Klindt Dr., The Dalles. To join virtually, please use the Zoom video conference information found on the agenda. To provide public comment, please email forestresources.committees@odf.oregon.gov.
The committee’s agenda includes:
- ODF updates and member training requirements
- Updates and informing post-disturbance harvest rulemaking
- HCP update
- Planning and priority for guidance development
- Forest Practice Technical Guidance comment review
The public may attend in-person or online via Zoom. Public comments will be accepted. Requests for an interpreter for the hearing impaired or other accommodations for persons with disabilities should be made at least 72 hours before the meeting by emailing forestresources.committees@odf.oregon.gov.
Regional Forest Practices Committees are panels of citizens – mandated under Oregon law – that advise the Oregon Board of Forestry on current forestry issues and forest management approaches. In 1971, the legislature enacted Oregon’s Forest Practices Act which includes three Regional Forest Practices Committees, serving the Eastern, Northwest, and Southwest regions of the state. Under Oregon law, a majority of the committees’ members must be private forest landowners and logging or forest operations companies.
Oregon’s forests are among the state’s most valued resources, providing a balanced mix of environmental, economic, and social benefits. View more information on the RFPC webpage.
SALEM, Ore. — The Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) and the Travel Information Council and its volunteer Oregon Heritage Tree Committee will hold a Hertiage Tree Dedication Ceremony highlighting a giant grand fir tree that will become 84th Oregon Heritage Tree. The event will be held 11 a.m. Friday at Clatsop State Forest’s Northrup Creek Horse Camp. A heritage designation recognizes trees with statewide or national significance. The giant grand fir is 19.8 feet in circumference, 208 feet tall, and approximately 200 years old.
The tree is part of the Department of Forestry’s Big Tree Trail.
“ODF created the Big Tree Trail in 2012 when they identified numerous large conifer and deciduous trees in close proximity to one another. Inducting the Big Tree Trail as an Oregon Heritage Tree helps honor this special trail of trees that are believed to be among the top five largest in the state,” said Brad Catton, ODF’s Astoria District Operations Coordinator.
The Oregon Department of Forestry’s Northrup Creek Horse Camp is located at 87644 Northrup Creek Road, Clatskanie, Oregon, 97016.
The Oregon Heritage Tree Program is the first state-sponsored heritage tree program in the country. It was established in 1995 to increase public awareness of the important contribution of trees to Oregon’s history and the significant role they play in the quality of our daily life. The program is administered by the Oregon Travel Information Council and a committee of dedicated volunteers from across the state. For more information regarding the Heritage Tree program visit www.oregontic.com/oregon-heritage-trees.
For more information on recreation opportunities in Oregon’s state forests visit Oregon Department of Forestry : Recreation : Recreation : State of Oregon
SALEM, Ore. — The Oregon Board of Forestry will meet April 24 for a planning retreat. The annual retreat offers the board and department leadership a chance to facilitate a final discussion about their shared strategic plan, the Vision for Oregon’s Forests and review the latest developments for the State Forests Trust of Oregon.
No public comment or testimony will be accepted during the retreat. The public can attend in-person in the Tillamook Room, Building C, at the Oregon Department of Forestry headquarters, located at 2600 State St. in Salem or observe via a livestream on the department’s YouTube page.
During this informal annual retreat, board members will focus on:
- New Vision for Oregon’s Forests content
- Goals, strategy and feedback review
- State Forests Trust of Oregon update
View the agenda and retreat details.
Accommodations for people with disabilities, and special materials, services, or assistance can be arranged by calling ODF’s Public Affairs Office at least 72 hours in advance of the meeting at 503-945-7200 or by email at forestryinformation@odf.oregon.gov.
The Oregon Board of Forestry consists of seven citizens nominated by the Governor and confirmed by the Oregon Senate. Responsibilities include appointing the State Forester, setting management direction for state-owned forests, adopting rules governing timber harvest and other practices on private forestland, and promoting sustainable management of Oregon’s 30 million-acre forestland base. Read more information about the board.
SALEM, Ore. – The Regional Forest Practice Committee for northwest Oregon will meet at 10 a.m. on Monday, April 15 in the Tillamook Room, Building C, at the Oregon Department of Forestry’s Salem headquarters, 2600 State St., Salem, OR 97310. To join virtually, please use the Zoom video conference information found on the agenda. To provide public comment, please email forestresources.committees@odf.oregon.gov.
The committee’s agenda includes:
- ODF updates and member training requirements
- Updates and informing post-disturbance harvest rulemaking
- HCP update
- FERNS update
- Stream model update
- Planning and priority for guidance development
- Forest Practice Technical Guidance comment review
The public may attend in-person or online via Zoom. Public comments will be accepted. Requests for an interpreter for the hearing impaired or other accommodations for persons with disabilities should be made at least 72 hours before the meeting by emailing forestresources.committees@odf.oregon.gov.
Regional Forest Practices Committees are panels of citizens – mandated under Oregon law – that advise the Oregon Board of Forestry on current forestry issues and forest management approaches. In 1971, the legislature enacted Oregon’s Forest Practices Act which includes three Regional Forest Practices Committees, serving the Eastern, Northwest, and Southwest regions of the state. Under Oregon law, a majority of the committees’ members must be private forest landowners and logging or forest operations companies.
Oregon’s forests are among the state’s most valued resources, providing a balanced mix of environmental, economic, and social benefits. View more information on the RFPC webpage.
PENDLETON, Ore. – The Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) has named Pendleton as Oregon’s Tree City of the Year. It’s an unusual honor given that the town in northeast Oregon is surrounded by rolling grasslands and was largely treeless except along the Umatilla River when Pendleton was laid out in 1868. Early city residents wasted no time planting trees to buffer the winds and offer shade from the area’s hot summers.
That tree-planting tradition has continued to this day. In partnership with the Umatilla National Forest and the volunteer-led Tree Commission, the city annually distributes free trees to residents during an Arbor Day celebration, giving away 250 last year and nearly 700 over the past 4 years.
A city of more than 16,000 people, Pendleton has maintained its status as a Tree City USA for the past seven years and in 2023 received a national Arbor Day Foundation Growth Award.
ODF Community Assistance Forester Brittany Oxford said Pendleton earned Tree City of the Year honors not only for planting trees but for their active response to drought, invasive species, plantings to offset the gradual decline of the oldest trees in city parks, and commitment to address herbicide damage to trees.
“The Tree Commission and city staff work on tree-related projects with many partners, from OSU Extension to the Forest Service and the Girl Scouts,” said Oxford. “That track record of being a good collaborator helped them win a federal grant of $2 million for their urban forestry program.”
Parks director Liam Hughes said the City will use the funds in three key areas:
· Tree planting and maintenance
· Workforce development
· Planning and community outreach
“We want to increase access to nature and green spaces by maintaining and expanding tree canopy coverage citywide” said Kaci Radcliffe, chair of the Tree Commission. “The grant money will also help us facilitate long-term planning, youth and early career experiences, and foster community outreach.”
Last year’s Tree City of the Year was Talent in southwest Oregon.
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SALEM, Ore. — The Compliance Monitoring Program Committee will hold a virtual meeting Thursday, April 11, from 9 to 11 a.m. To join virtually, please use the Zoom video conference information found on the agenda.
The committee’s agenda includes:
- Mount Hood Environmental presentation – Pilot study development
The meeting is open to the public to attend online via Zoom. Requests for an interpreter for the hearing impaired or other accommodations for persons with disabilities should be made at least 48 hours before the meeting by emailing marta.l.friasbedolla@odf.oregon.gov.
The CMP Committee assists efforts to monitor compliance with Forest Practices Rules. The committee advises ODF regarding monitoring projects and procedures. View more information on the CMPC webpage.
Salem, Ore. -- The Oregon Department of Forestry is inviting public comment on planned projects, timber sales and other management activities in state-owned forests in fiscal year 2025.
From April 3 through 5 p.m. May 17, Oregonians can weigh in on draft Annual Operations Plans (AOPs) for state forests on the Astoria, Forest Grove, Klamath Falls, North Cascade, Tillamook, West Oregon, and Western Lane Districts. These plans lay out on-the-ground activities expected to take place in the coming fiscal year.
State forests by law must provide economic, environmental, and social benefits to Oregonians. To achieve that legal mandate, these lands are managed to create healthy productive forests, high-quality habitat for native fish and wildlife, clean water, timber, revenues to rural communities, and recreation and education opportunities. Overall management policies and management goals are established in long-range Forest Management Plans and Implementation Plans. Annual Operations Plans describe activities to achieve the objectives and goals laid out in the longer-range plans. Common topics in an Annual Operations Plan include:
Timber harvest operations
Recreation improvement and maintenance projects
Forest road construction, maintenance, and improvements
Reforestation/replanting and young stand management activities
Habitat improvement for native species
Invasive species management
ODF is seeking input on the draft AOP documents that can be found below. The most useful input speaks to these specific activities and whether they are consistent with longer-range plans, offers suggestions to improve efficiency or effectiveness, corrects errors, provides additional information, and is solution-oriented, understanding that state forests are working forests and by law must provide a variety of economic, environmental, and social benefits. Activities that affect fish and wildlife habitat are reviewed by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, while operations that may affect threatened and endangered fish and wildlife habitat are shared with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
The draft AOP documents can be viewed on the State Forests website, under the “Annual Operations Plan” dropdown. ODF is offering several convenient avenues to comment on AOPs:
Online comments can be submitted received through ODF’s comments page
Comments can be emailed to: odf.sfcomments@odf.oregon.gov
Comments can also be mailed to ODF Public Affairs, 2600 State St., Salem, OR 97310
Correction: Independent Research and Science Team will not be joining the committee.
SALEM, Ore. — The Adaptive Management Program Committee and the Independent Research and Science Team will meet at 9 a.m. on Monday, April 8 in the Clatsop Room, Building C, at the Oregon Department of Forestry headquarters, located at 2600 State St. in Salem. To join virtually, please use the Zoom video conference information found on the agenda.
The committee’s agenda includes three potential substantial decision items:
- Initiating development of an Effectiveness Monitoring Plan
- Address questions from the IRST regarding roads questions package
- Process for initiating research questions
The meeting is open to the public to attend in person and online via Zoom. Public comments will be accepted near the start of the meeting. Requests for an interpreter for the hearing impaired or other accommodations for persons with disabilities should be made at least 48 hours before the meeting by emailing adaptivemanagementprogram@odf.oregon.gov.
The 13-member committee The Adaptive Management Program Committee helps determine if forest practices are meeting their goals to protect natural resources through a science-based and transparent process. The committee sets the research agenda that the Independent Research and Science Team (IRST) implements. View more information on the AMPC webpage.
SALEM, Ore.— The Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) is holding a public comment period beginning April 1 for proposed rule changes related to post-disturbance timber harvest. Post-disturbance harvest refers to the removal of forest products after catastrophic events such as wildfire, wind, ice, insect or disease damage and is commonly referred to as salvage logging.
This rulemaking is required by Senate Bill 1501 (2022) that was part of the legislation that enacted the Private Forest Accord.
On Feb. 23, 2024, the Board of Forestry directed ODF to complete an analysis of the estimated economic impact of the draft rules and file a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking. The public comment period on the proposed rules will be open from April 1 to May 1 and a rules hearing will be held on April 22 at 1 p.m. The Notice of Proposed Rulemaking includes important details including but not limited to the rule text, how to submit comments, and how to participate in the virtual rule hearing. The analysis of the estimated economic impact will be available on the ODF website before the close of the public comment period.
More information on this rulemaking effort and ongoing updates can be found on the Proposed laws & rules page of the ODF website.
Salem, Ore.—The Oregon Department of Forestry is soliciting applications to join the Smoke Management Advisory Committee. The committee is currently seeking applications to fill one vacancy to represent the public.
Created in 1989, the Smoke Management Advisory Committee (SMAC) provides advice and assistance to the Oregon Department of Forestry Smoke Management Program. The membership of the committee consists of an industrial forestland owner representative, a non-industrial forestland owner representative, a public representative, a Forest Service representative, and a Bureau of Land Management representative. Each representative serves for two-year terms that are renewable after the two-year period.
“This is an opportunity for the public to get involved and make sure that their voice and concerns are heard when it comes to prescribed fire smoke management in Oregon.” Said Stacy McCarter, Mitigation Program Manager.
Committee members gather for public meetings in Salem twice a year to discuss and provide advice to the Smoke Management Program regarding current prescribed burning and smoke intrusion trends, program fund balance, implementation plan items, and other current issues and projects of the program.
To apply, complete an online questionnaire at https://www.oregon.gov/odf/board/Documents/smac/smac-public-nomination-form-2024.pdf and submit to Stacy McCarter at ODF by email stacy.mccarter@odf.oregon.gov by May 1, 2024.
For specific questions about the committee, please contact Stacy McCarter at 503-701-0236 or stacy.mccarter@odf.oregon.gov. Additional SMAC background information can be found at https://www.oregon.gov/odf/board/Pages/smac.aspx.
SALEM, Ore. – The Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) is poised to provide increased service on tree-related matters to Oregon’s urban residents thanks to five new hires. Using funding from the Oregon State Legislature, and the USDA Forest Service through the federal Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), ODF has been able to hire a grants administrator and four new community assistance foresters – up from just one for the whole state.
Scott Altenhoff, Manager of ODF’s Urban and Community Assistance Forestry program, said he’s looking forward to how much more the added staff will allow the agency to do.
“With 241 cities and towns in Oregon spread over 90,000 square miles and only one urban forester, we were limited in how much support we could provide to any one community,” said Altenhoff. “With more staff, I’m excited we can engage with more communities to help them plan and manage their urban trees in accordance with best practices and the latest scientific research.”
Until now, Brittany Oxford had been the agency’s lone Community Assistance Forester. She has been joined since March 18 by Evan Elderbrock, Lilah Gonen, Alison Herrell and Jennifer Killian.
Killian left her position as urban forester for the City of Corvallis to join ODF. She has deep background in municipal forestry in her home state of Wisconsin, where she worked on that state’s emerald ash borer team. Prior to her work for Corvallis, she was Volunteer Program Coordinator for the non-profit tree planting organization Friends of Trees. She holds a master's degree from Oregon State University focused on long-term strategic urban forestry management. She is a member of the Pacific Northwest chapter of International Society of Arboriculture and a past board member of Oregon Community Trees, serving as chair of its 2019 conference.
Herrell is a Board-Certified Master Arborist and a Qualified Tree Risk Assessor. She has worked in various environmental posts for the past 15 years. She spent several seasons early in her career as a field technician for non-profits doing restoration and conservation work, including an AmeriCorps position with The Nature Conservancy. After completing her master’s degree in Environmental Science from Indiana University, she worked for six years in Chicago with a commercial and residential tree care company. There, she worked as a groundsperson, plant healthcare technician, tree climber, and consulting arborist for. She then transitioned to a technical trainer role in Portland focusing on plant diagnostics, educating arborists about responsible integrated pest management practices, and planning for invasive pests. A part-time instructor at Portland Community College, she is in line to be the next president of the Pacific Northwest Chapter of the International Society of Arboriculture.
Elderbrock and Gonen are moving into permanent positions with ODF after serving as specialists outreaching to local communities on emerald ash borer preparation and management.
Elderbrock grew up in Wisconsin but now lives in Eugene. After earning a bachelor’s degree in Geology from Macalester College in Minnesota, he worked briefly for the Minnesota Geological Survey. He then spent four years as a field ecology instructor in Maine and California. He later earned a master’s degree in Environment Studies from the University of Oregon (UO. That’s also where he completed his doctorate in Landscape Architecture in 2023.
Lilah Gonen has bachelor’s degrees in Forestry and Geography from the University of California, Berkeley, and a master’s in Botany and Plant Pathology from Oregon State University. Before joining ODF, Gonnen did invasive insect surveying and eradication work with the Oregon Dept. of Agriculture, and urban forestry and wetland restoration work with the City of Gresham. Gonnen specializes in forest pathology and invasive species management, including sudden oak death, Swiss needle cast, Japanese beetle, emerald ash borer, and various weeds.
“I’m eager to have such a well-qualified team to assist communities better manage their tree resources, including helping them inventory the trees they have and inputting the data into the TreePlotter Inventory System,” said Altenhoff.
Thanks to a federal grant, Altenhoff said ODF is able to offer the tree inventory software free to Oregon cities and towns. “The advantage is that everyone can compare their trees to every other community in Oregon using the software. This will help us get a better understanding of what trees are doing well where, and which are struggling. This improves our ability to make region-specific recommendations on what to plant. It also helps cities and towns see more precisely what their risk from tree pests and diseases is.”
Altenhoff said he sees increased opportunities for partnering with communities on important initiatives, especially with $26.6 million in new federal funds coming to Oregon from the Inflation Reduction Act and Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
“Later this spring we expect to call for applications from community-based organizations, something our new grants administrator Hilary Olivos-Rood will be handling.”
Olivos-Rood moves into her new position after five years serving as the agency's administrator for the Board of Forestry and rulemaking coordinator. She also sits on ODF’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Council. Before her time with ODF, she worked in Risk Management at the Department of Administrative Services. She holds a bachelor's degree in communication studies with a minor in civic engagement.
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EUGENE, Ore. – Oregon Community Trees (OCT) is inviting students and organizations to submit abstracts on case studies or research to present as a poster presentation at this year’s Oregon Urban Forestry conference. The conference is being held on Thursday, June 27 in Eugene at Venue 252. This year’s theme is “More Housing, More Trees: Giving Oregonians Both.”
OCT is organizing the conference, which is co-sponsored by the Oregon Dept. of Forestry and the USDA Forest Service. Presentations can be about successes in preserving large, healthy shade trees or room to plant them on residential or commercial properties that were developed or redeveloped with an increased density level. Also sought are presentations about methods of tree preservation during construction, ideas for redesigning streets and right-of-way planting strips to make room for larger trees, and similar concepts.
Posters are limited to 30” x 40”. All selected posters will be displayed at the conference. To be considered for selection you must be able to attend the conference and be on hand to answer questions from people visiting the poster display area during breaks, the lunch hour, and the social hour following the conference. Discount tickets for students are available for $80 (includes lunch). Some scholarships are available for those who can submit a statement of financial need.
Submissions should be sent via 2024 UCF Conference Poster Application Form no later than Friday, May 17th by 5:00 p.m.
Please reach out to Samantha Wolf at sammwolf@gmail.com for any questions or concerns.
Posters can be set up the day before the conference on Wednesday, June 26 from noon to 4:30 p.m. All poster presenters are expected to register for the conference. Poster presenters can go online at oregoncommunitytrees.org to register and get information about the Conference and the Poster Presentations.
You must be registered by the early registration deadline of May 25th, 2024.
SALEM, Ore. — The Certified Burn Manager Advisory Committee will meet virtually on Monday, April 8, 2024, from 9 a.m. to noon. To join, please use the Zoom video conference information found on the agenda.
The committee’s agenda includes:
- Welcome and introductions
- CBM website updates
- CBM rule revisions
- Training providers and curriculum development
- Instructor guide
- Field certification books
- Updates
- Past and future course deliveries
- Legislation
- ODF prescribed fire policy development
The meeting is open to the public to attend virtually. There will be a period for public comment. Requests for an interpreter for the hearing impaired or other accommodations for persons with disabilities should be made at least 48 hours before the meeting by contacting Shelby Berry at 503-949-5181.
SALEM, Ore. – Oregon Community Trees (OCT) is helping boost Oregon Arbor Month celebrations in six Oregon communities this year thanks to grants the non-profit organization is giving out this spring. Holding a public celebration of Arbor Day is a condition for maintaining Tree City USA status from the national Arbor Day Foundation.
OCT Board member Morgan Holen coordinates the grant giving. She said Tree City USA communities receiving grants from OCT this year are:
- Coburg
- Dallas
- Lake Oswego
- Pendleton
- Redmond
- Rogue River
“We’re happy to be funding Arbor Day events in every part of the state from the Willamette Valley to eastern and southern Oregon,” said Holen. “These events build awareness of the importance of trees to communities and engage residents in direct, memorable ways that build support for urban forests.”
Holen said grants range from $350 to $720. The smallest grant goes to buy commemorative T-shirts for Coburg elementary school tree planters. The largest goes to Lake Oswego to buy 12 Oregon white oak trees to be planted in the Woodmont Natural Area. The planting will help replace trees lost in the wake of the January 2024 wind and ice storm.
This is the first year the City of Dallas is receiving a grant. OCT is fully funding the City’s request to offer free to the public two, 2-hour sessions of “forest bathing” – stress-reduction led by a Certified Forest Therapy Guide in a forest setting in Delbert Hunter Arboretum.
Rogue River will use its grant to buy a Japanese snowbell tree, shovels, rakes, a reusable canopy and children’s art contest supplies and take‐home gifts for a tree-planting ceremony at the city arboretum in Palmerton Park.
Pendleton is using its grant to purchase larger and more diverse species of trees seedling than ever to distribute at its annual Arbor Day tree seedling giveaway. The City estimates around 500 participants will attend their event.
The City of Redmond is also receiving an OCT grant for the first time. Redmond will hold a fuels-reduction work party in the Dry Canyon City Park, and will use OCT funds to buy T-shirts with a juniper-themed educational design for Heart of Oregon volunteer youth during the event.
About Oregon Community Trees
Oregon Community Trees is a not-for-profit 501(c)3 whose mission is to promote healthy urban and community forests through leadership, education, awareness, and advocacy. OCT serves as the Oregon Dept. of Forestry’s advisory board on urban forestry issues.
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PORTLAND, Ore. – The non-profit organization Oregon Community Trees (OCT) is honoring Portland residents Ryan Gilpin and Bruce Nelson and the City of Wilsonville for their work on behalf of urban trees. Gilpin and Nelson are receiving awards for their individual contributions to urban forestry, and Wilsonville is getting the award in the Organizations category.
“Every year Oregon Community Trees recognizes individuals and organizations that are doing outstanding work to help our urban forests,” said OCT President Tyler Roth. “This year’s recipients’ are especially deserving for the depth and breadth of their commitment to educating people about urban trees and promoting policies and actions to keep those trees healthy and well cared for.”
Gilpin, who lives in North Portland’s St. Johns neighborhood, is being recognized for a wide variety of tree-related activities. Gilpin is an advocate for tree cover to provide food and habitat for wildlife, and leads tree and bird walks in Portland.
Gilpin also helps educate community members on tree identification. Currently, Gilpin is advocating to protect a grove of madrone trees in Kelly Point Park in North Portland by having them become heritage trees.
A long-time volunteer at Columbia Slough Watershed Council, Gilpin leads birding and tree walks in both English and Spanish. His goal is to create community awareness around the importance of trees for more equitable communities in Portland. He is self-employed, owning Nidus Consulting, from which he consults on ecological and arboricultural matters.
Bruce Nelson has been involved with tree care and educating the public about trees for more than 30 years. He worked for Collier Arbor Care from 1986 to 1998, becoming a certified arborist in the mid-1990s. Later in that decade he began volunteering with Friends of Trees, working as a planting crew leader and eventually being called on to train future crew leaders.
Nelson founded Rigler School Arboretum in NE Portland’s Cully neighborhood, where he lives. There, Nelson has guided the planting of more than 70 different trees from a wide range of species, both native and non-native. Nelson also organizes volunteers to help him mulch, weed, water, and prune trees while he monitors tree health and growth. He also creates educational signage in English and Spanish to expand students’ and visitors’ knowledge about the trees.
While he was an instructor at Clackamas Community College, Nelson helped start the college’s Arboriculture program in 2014.
As a member of the Portland Urban Forestry Commission (UFC) from 2018 to the present, Nelson advises the Urban Forestry division, City bureaus and the Portland City Council on policy pertaining to the urban forest.
He is a founding member of Trees for Life Oregon (TFLO), a group advocating for preservation of large, healthy urban trees and the space for more of them. For TFLO he conducted a study of major north/south streets in East Portland to identify the size and species of street trees and assess their health. His study showed most of the arterials in this area lacked mature, shade trees.
Wilsonville recognized for tree stewardship and engaging residents
In the Organization category, OCT is recognizing the City of Wilsonville for the great job they have done engaging residents in planning, planting and stewarding their urban forest, and for how they’ve stepped up to deal with invasive pests, ice storms, and other challenges.
“Wilsonville’s Parks and Recreation program leads the way in creating and sustaining a thriving urban forest, overcoming many obstacles,” commented OCT’s Roth.
One example he cited was the February 2021 ice storm that destroyed hundreds of park trees in Wilsonville. “The City’s Parks and Recreation team acted quickly, purchasing new park trees to replace those lost to the storm. Within a year, the Parks and Recreation team had bought and planted 128 new replacement trees,” Roth said.
A more recent challenge has been discovering the invasive Mediterranean oak borer (MOB) attacking many of the city’s iconic Oregon white oaks. New to North America, this pest introduces a fungus which can cause a vascular wilt that can kill a tree. Once they suspected Wilsonville had the pest, staff quickly reached out to the Department of Agriculture (ODA) and the Department of Forestry (ODF) to confirm what they were facing and how to deal with it. After consulting with ODA and ODF, they created a plan to dispose of infected wood, attempt treatments, and educate the public as to signs and symptoms of MOB infestation.
Roth said another issue facing Wilsonville, like many other Oregon communities, is invasive species smothering native vegetation. The Parks and Recreation team is tackling the problem by grazing goats and mechanical methods to clear blackberries and other invasive weeds. Through this effort, they were able reforest three acres, with over 20 community volunteers planting 1,200 new trees. In 2023, the Parks team bought 1,000 more tree saplings to reforest another three acres.
Guiding Wilsonville’s efforts has been a new Urban Forest Master Plan. It prioritizes tree plantings in areas of the city with low canopy. Accompanying the Plan is a new tree manual to teach proper planting and maintenance by staff and volunteers.
Wilsonville actively engages the community in their programs as volunteers. Examples include a daffodil planting event, an annual Arbor Day celebration, Wilsonville Environmental Resource Keepers (WERK) Day community volunteer day, and disc golf course management.
Volunteers also turn out for tree plantings. Over the last three years, Wilsonville has planted hundreds of new park trees, reforested over six acres, and created a reforestation plan for years to come. With community input they created an arboretum at Murase Plaza Park that highlights trees with historical ties. Over the next 10-20 years, the community will select through a survey one new tree each year to add to the arboretum. It is already home to a Moon tree, a young Douglas-fir clone of a tree grown from a seed that traveled to the moon on Apollo 14. In February of this year, Wilsonville added a Hiroshima peace tree, which was grown from the seed of a ginkgo tree that survived the atom bombing of that Japanese city in 1945.
About Oregon Community Trees
Oregon Community Trees is a not-for-profit 501(c)3 whose mission is to promote healthy urban and community forests through leadership, education, awareness, and advocacy. OCT serves as the Oregon Dept. of Forestry’s advisory board on urban forestry issues.
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