Regional Forest Practice Committee For Northwest Oregon Meets May 12 - 05/05/26

SALEM, Ore. — The Regional Forest Practice Committee for northwest Oregon will meet at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, May 12 in the Santiam Room, Building D, ODF Headquarters, 2600 State Street, Salem. To join virtually, please use the Teams video conference information found on the agenda. To provide public comment, please email forestresources.committees@odf.oregon.gov.

The committee’s agenda includes:

• Agency updates
• Abandoned roads inventory
• Forest Practices Technical Guidance update
• Fish survey protocol
• Perennial stream model development
• Committee discussion topics

The public may attend in-person or online via Teams. Public comments will be accepted. Accommodations for people with disabilities, and special materials, services, or assistance can be arranged by calling at least 48 hours in advance of the meeting at 503-945-7200 or by email at forestresources.committees@odf.oregon.gov.

Regional Forest Practices Committees are panels of citizens – mandated under Oregon law – that advise the Oregon Board of Forestry and may assist the Board of Forestry in developing appropriate forest practice rules. The committees are comprised of citizens qualified by education or experience in natural resource management. 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.

Oregon’s Trees Face Harm From Another Hot, Dry Summer (Photo) - 05/04/26

SALEM, Ore. – Oregon trees are in for another difficult year due to climate change. Conditions this spring are already similar to those in 2015, when we experienced peak high temperatures and drought. That’s on top of a winter that tied 1934 for the warmest since accurate records were kept beginning in 1896, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Trees in Oregon have been experiencing chronic stress from hot droughts for at least a couple of decades. Although there have been a few breaks, the compounding of frequent, or long-duration warm and dry conditions have taken their toll on many trees. These conditions include:

• higher than average temperatures
• inconsistent precipitation, or more precipitation falling as rain than snow
• earlier snow melt.

Oregon Department of Forestry Forest Entomologist Christine Buhl said, “A warm or dry spring is particularly harmful for trees as this is their most active growing period. This stress reduces growth, weakens defenses against opportunistic insects and diseases, and can outright kill tissues or whole trees.”

Buhl said warmer conditions can also make conditions more favorable to tree pests. 

“Warm winters reduce pest deaths from cold, increasing their growth or number of pests. It also extends the range of less cold-tolerant pests, and lengthens their feeding periods,” she said.

Buhl has this guidance for landowners:

1. Plant species and seedlots (stock adapted to a specific area) only within their current and climate-projected range.
2. Avoid planting seedlings during dry seasons and keep roots moist and out of direct sun when planting for best establishment.
3. Reduce competition for moisture by controlling weeds and reducing stand density to the carrying capacity for the tree species, site quality, and climate.
4. If currently adapted species or seedlots are struggling, shift toward a nearby, more drought-tolerant seedlot, or in extreme cases a more drought-tolerant species
5. Native understory vegetation and mulch can help retain soil moisture.
6. Avoid root compaction from heavy equipment when the soil is wet.
7. Avoid fertilizing if the site is drought-stressed. Fertilizer increases biomass and therefore water requirements.

Find more information on trees and drought at https://www.oregon.gov/odf/documents/forestbenefits/drought.pdf

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May Is Wildfire Awareness Month (Photo) - 04/27/26

SALEM, Ore. –After an uncharacteristically warm winter, Oregon is experiencing various levels of drought and a record-low snowpack. May and June rainfall, or lack thereof, determines whether the state faces an early start to fire season. If the spring drying trend persists, the combination of these conditions sets the stage for extremely active and challenging wildfires this summer. Keep Oregon Green, in partnership with federal, state, tribal and local fire and emergency response agencies will be spreading the word about the steps we all can take to prevent the start of careless, unwanted wildfires this summer. Emergency response agencies encourage all Oregonians to take steps now to create defensible space around homes and outbuildings and become familiar with evacuation procedures.

Each year, over 70% of Oregon’s wildfires are started by people. Many are a result of escaped campfires and debris burn piles or overheated equipment and vehicles casting sparks or catching fire. During the 2025 fire season, the Oregon Department of Forestry reported that people were directly responsible for sparking 740 wildfires that burned over 20,000 acres. Any spark can gain traction in dry vegetation, spread quickly and impact lives, personal property, and the many benefits provided by Oregon’s scenic natural areas.

Before heading outdoors this summer, be sure to contact the agency or landowner who manages the land at your destination for an update on current fire restrictions or bans. Everyone should be familiar with these restrictions before building open fires or using equipment that could ignite a wildfire.

One Spark Changes Everything

Keep Oregon Green has been fighting wildfire with publicity since 1941. This season, the Association is unveiling a new campaign theme: ‘One Spark Changes Everything’. It highlights how everyday choices can either spark a negative or positive outcome. The campaign calls on the public to recognize risky outdoor behaviors that can lead to wildfires and predict the effects of their actions. Campaign artwork, PSAs, and additional wildfire safety tips can be found at keeporegongreen.org and various social media platforms.

Coming soon: More Wildfire Awareness Month tips

During May, a new wildfire prevention topic will be shared each week to help homeowners and outdoor enthusiasts learn how to prevent their outdoor activities from sparking the next wildfire. For more information, visit the websites for Keep Oregon Green at www.keeporegongreen.org, the Oregon Department of Forestry at www.oregon.gov/odf, and the Oregon State Fire Marshal at https://www.oregon.gov/osfm/education/pages/prevent-wildfires.aspx.

Follow Oregon wildfire news and prevention updates on social media: @keeporegongreen, @ORDeptForestry and @OSFM

Compliance Monitoring Program Committee Meets April 30 - 04/23/26

SALEM, Ore. — The Compliance Monitoring Program Committee will hold a virtual meeting Thursday, April 30, from 9 to 10:30 a.m. To join virtually, please use the Teams video conference information found on the agenda.

The committee’s agenda includes:

• Roads and steep slopes pilot study updates
• Story map overview  

The meeting is open to the public to attend online via Teams. 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 Frias-Bedolla.

The CMP Committee assists in efforts to monitor compliance with Forest Practices Rules. The committee advises ODF regarding monitoring projects and procedures. View more information on the CMPC webpage.

New Technology Helps Improve Threatened Species Surveys In State Forests (Photo) - 04/15/26

Tillamook State Forest, Ore.—Oregon’s state forests are home to a wide variety of wildlife including two threatened bird species, the northern spotted owl and the marbled murrelet.  As part of the Oregon Department of Forestry’s (ODF) compliance with the federal and state endangered species acts, ODF surveys where these species are and develops a plan to protect and enhance their habitat.

“Right now, we use call-back surveys to determine where spotted owls are,” said Mike Davis, an ODF state forest biologist. “As the name implies, we go out in the forest and broadcast owl calls and wait for them to respond, following a protocol accepted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS).” The USFWS administers the Endangered Species Act and monitors compliance with it.

Most of the field call-back survey work is done by contract biologists and has some limitations.

“For owls, the surveys are conducted at night and typically for just that one night at each location,” said Davis. “There are safety concerns too: driving dark gravel forest roads, hiking into the mature forest stands where owls typically are without any trails, and traversing steep, rugged terrain. Then standing or hiking for hours, oftentimes in the rain.  It is not easy work nor a fun experience some nights.”

Another recent concern that limits the effectiveness of call-back surveys is the encroachment of the invasive barred owl into traditional spotted owl areas.

“The barred owls are basically bullying the northern spotted owls out of their preferred habitat,” said Davis. “We are seeing spotted owls at atypical higher elevations now and calling back less and less because that call alerts barred owls to their location.”

This makes the call-back protocols less effective and had ODF looking for better methods to survey the birds.

“In 2022 we started experimenting with Autonomous Recording Units (ARUs),” said Davis. 

ARUs are devices that automatically record environmental sounds such as bird calls, frog choruses, or other wildlife vocalizations over extended periods without the need to have a human present.

“ARUs have many advantages,” said Davis. “They can be left out in the field several weeks or more, set up and retrieved from the field anytime, record multiple species, and can be analyzed back in the office.”

The units are designed similar to a trail camera, but instead of a camera they have a microphone. They also run on batteries and have removable memory cards.

 “We bring the cards back to our office and run specialized software that processes the audio recordings,” said Davis. “It converts the sound waves into spectrograms, which are visual representations of frequency over time. Each species’ calls produce distinct patterns on these images, allowing software to identify and differentiate vocalizations.”

ODF is optimistic ARUs could save on survey costs too.

“We spend roughly $2 million a year on northern spotted owl surveys and another $500,000 on marbled murrelets,” said Corey Grinnell, Biological Support Unit Manager for ODF’s State Forest Division. “ARUs with rechargeable batteries, memory cards and the software costs are coming in the $600-$700 range per device.”

ODF currently has 23 ARUs but plans to deploy more and move away from sole reliance on call-back surveys.

“We are waiting for the USFWS to approve a final protocol for using ARUs,” said Grinnell.  “Once that happens, we can integrate them more into our management plans.”

Another big change for the biologists will be state forests moving to a new Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) that is expected to be approved by the USFWS and NOAA Fisheries later this year after a several years-long development and approval process. The HCP will give ODF 70 years of certainty in how ODF manages for 17 terrestrial and aquatic species, including northern spotted owls and marbled murrelets, as it manages state forests.

“The entire point of the HCP is to keep this working forest working,” said Grinnell.

The HCP combined with improving technology has the potential to give managers better data to better manage the forests. State forests by law must provide social, economic, and environmental benefits to Oregonians.

“Our goal is to create healthy productive forests, high-quality habitat for native fish and wildlife, clear cool water, benefits and revenues to rural communities and timber related economies, as well as recreation and educational opportunities,” said Grinnell. “To do that we embrace cutting edge technology to improve our data in the most cost-effective way.  “ARUs are one tool to do that. We are always on the lookout for better, faster, cheaper ways to get biological data to help us make the best management decisions.”

For more on Oregon’s state forests see: Oregon Department of Forestry : State forests : Forest resources : State of Oregon

Fairview Has Become Oregon's Newest Tree City USA (Photo) - 04/14/26

FAIRVIEW, Ore. –The Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) announced this month that the City of Fairview has become Oregon’s newest Tree City USA community. ODF administers the Tree City USA program in Oregon, which is sponsored by the national Arbor Day Foundation.

The program recognizes cities that manage public trees according to best practices and work to improve their urban canopy. To qualify, towns must meet four core standards: maintaining a tree board or department, establishing a tree care ordinance, spending at least $2 per capita on urban forestry activities, and celebrating Arbor Day. Over 3,600 communities nationwide are recognized, including 69 in Oregon.

Located in eastern Multnomah County just east of Gresham, Fairview has about 11,000 residents. Incorporated in 1908, the community has transitioned from farming to mainly residential and commercial. Almost one in four residents speaks a language other than English at home. About one resident in eight is foreign born.

Fairview Mayor Keith Kudrna said of earning the designation, “The City Council is excited to put the Tree City USA designation into action by supporting the care and planting of our public trees, including street trees. We see this less as a recognition than a commitment to enhance our city’s tree infrastructure for the long-term benefit of our community.”

ODF Community Assistance Forester Allison O’Sullivan said Fairview’s city staff have worked diligently to meet the qualifications to become a Tree City USA.

“They have a very active Community Development Department and supportive City Council, who understand the importance of looking after and expanding their tree canopy to ensure a healthy, thriving community and to work towards resiliency in the face of a hotter, drier climate and new pests and diseases,” said O’Sullivan.

She cited these examples:

The City of Fairview’s Tree Technical Work Group is working in collaboration with ODF’s Urban and Community Forestry (UCF) team to review and update Fairview’s tree lists and tree ordinance.

This effort is being led by Sarah Selden, Fairview’s Community Development Director, in an effort to make the tree lists more accessible and the tree ordinance more aligned with urban forestry best management practices, such as growing a diverse urban forest.

“Any community can apply to become a Tree City USA, and any school or college can apply to receive Tree Campus Higher Education recognition, programs hosted by the Arbor Day Foundation nationally and administered by the Oregon Department of Forestry locally,” said O’Sullivan. “They can email me at allison.osullivan@odf.oregon.gov and I can answer any questions they might have and walk them through the process.”

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ADVISORY ONLY--NOT FOR PUBLICATION: 2025 Media Access To Natural Disasters Training Now Available - 04/13/26

The auto-generated credential functionality for the annual training required for journalists to gain unescorted access to natural disaster scenes is now live. The free, one-hour online training course is provided by the Oregon Department of Forestry.

If you haven’t renewed your training credentials for this calendar year, complete the training at https://odftraining.thinkific.com/courses/media-access-2026. After you pass the quiz at the end of the course, the system will automatically generate a completion certificate that serves as your proof of training.

Journalists are encouraged to print two copies of their credentials—one to display in their vehicle and another to keep in their wallet—and to save an electronic copy to their phone or computer, just in case.

House Bill 4087 (2022) granted journalists access to certain natural disaster scenes even if a public safety organization escort is unavailable. The bill’s access provisions apply specifically to natural disaster scenes on non-federal public lands that are also closed to the public due to the disaster.

The HB 4087 guidelines created by a joint committee of public safety and media representatives provide additional important information including personal protective equipment requirements and circumstances when access may be denied.

For more information about HB 4087 and media access to natural disasters in Oregon, check out these resources from the Safe Media Access to Disaster Sites Committee and the Oregon Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists. 

Adaptive Management Program Committee And Independent Research And Science Team Meets April 13 - 04/06/26

SALEM, Ore. — The Adaptive Management Program Committee and Independent Research and Science Team (IRST) will meet at 10 a.m. on Monday, April 13 in the Santiam Room, Building D, ODF Headquarters, 2600 State Street, Salem. To join virtually, please use the Teams video conference information found on the agenda.

The committee’s agenda includes:

• Presentation on HCP Biological Goals and Objectives (BGOs) & Chapter 6
• Presentation on Compliance Monitoring Program
• Presentation on ODFW’s Monitoring Program
• Discussion about the Effectiveness Monitoring Strategy

The meeting is open to the public to attend in-person or online via Teams. 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 in advance of the meeting at 503-945-7200 or by email at 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.