Committee For Family Forestlands Meets On March 19 -03/14/25

SALEM, Ore. — The Committee for Family Forestlands will meet virtually on Wednesday, March 19 from 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. To join virtually, please use the Teams video conference information found on the agenda. 

The committee’s agenda includes:

• Forest Resources Division update

• Reforestation report results

• LandMapper presentation

• Meet and greet – Forest Resources Division Chief

• Board of Forestry update

• Legislative update

The meeting is open to the public to attend online via Teams. 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 forestryinformation@odf.oregon.gov.

The 13-member committee researches policies that affect family forests, natural resources and forestry benefits. Based on its findings, the committee recommends actions to the Oregon Board of Forestry and the State Forester. View more information on the CFF webpage.

Three Willamette Valley Soil And Water Conservation Districts To Host Workshop On Emerald Ash Borer Ahead Of Pest’s Emergence Later This Spring -03/10/25

WHAT: The soil and water conservation districts for the counties of Yamhill, Marion, and Clackamas will host a workshop this week to educate natural resource specialists and land managers about emerald ash borer, (EAB), an exotic beetle that infests and kills ash and olive trees. The pest was discovered last summer in ash trees in the three counties.  The workshops are organized by the Oregon Dept. of Forestry in collaboration with instructors from Tualatin Soil and Water Conservation District (Maura Olivos), Clean Water Services (Robert Emanuel), and Tualatin Hills Parks and Recreation District (Scott Wagner).

WHEN: Thursday, March 13 at 1 p.m.  (a classroom portion of the workshop will be from 9 a.m. to noon in the City of Woodburn Library, 280 Garfield Street).

WHERE: outdoors in Wyffels Park, Woodburn – intersection of Gatch and E. Lincoln streets

DIRECTIONS: https://www.woodburn-or.gov/parks/page/wyffels-park

VISUALS: A number of ash trees in Marion and Clackamas counties are believed to be infested with EAB. At least one ash tree in Wyffels Park has been confirmed as being infested and is scheduled for removal later in March before EAB larvae inside it emerge as adults. Instructors will point out the tell-tale signs to look for on the tree that show it has been infested by EAB.

INTERVIEWS/AUDIO: Interviews during the afternoon with ODF’s EAB specialists Kat Bethea and Matt Mills and other instructors who can answer questions about this pest, how to recognize if an ash tree is infested, what land managers should be doing to prepare, and what options they have for preventive treatment or removal, as well as suggested replacements for trees lost to EAB. Audio of their talking to workshop attendees about what to look for in the tree to tell it has been infested by EAB.

BACKGROUND: Since it was first found in Michigan two decades ago, EAB has become the most destructive forest pest ever seen in North America. Where they spread, EAB larvae eventually kill almost all ash trees by feeding on the living tissues under the bark. Oregon ash and all other American and European ash species are susceptible.

EAB was found in Forest Grove in Washington County in June 2022, making Oregon the first state on the West Coast to report an infestation. Since then it has been found in at least three other counties in the Willamette Valley, including Yamhill, Marion and Clackamas.

QUOTE: “This pest is very destructive. Natural resource specialists and land managers should know what to look for and what to do if they find it, which is exactly what the workshop will teach,” says ODF EAB Specialist Kat Bethea.

Their colleague at ODF’s Urban and Community Forestry Program, Matt Mills, says one immediate step cities should be taking is to stop planting ash and olive trees and if they haven’t already to remove them from their list of approved street and yard trees.  The second is to make sure City staff who work with trees know how to identify an ash or olive tree.

WHERE TO SEND THE PUBLIC FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT EAB:

The Oregon Invasive Species Council statewide EAB web site at  www.oregoneab.com

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Board Of Forestry Adds New Member, Two Members Appointed To New Terms (Photo) -03/04/25

SALEM, Ore.—The Oregon Senate confirmed three members to the Board of Forestry. Alexi Lovechio starts as a new member, while Heath Curtiss and Ben Deumling were reappointed and will continue their service. Governor Tina Kotek appointed them to four-year terms starting in March 2025. All three will be joining the rest of the seven-member board at its meeting on Wednesday in Salem.

Lovechio, of Ashland, serves as Forests and Ecosystem Services Program Manager with Ecotrust. Prior to her current position, she worked with the Klamath-Siskiyou Wildlands Center in forest and climate policy roles and as an organizer for campaigns regarding national forest policy. Before jumping into the policy arena, Lovechio worked for the U.S. Forest Service conducting botany surveys. She earned a bachelor's degree in environmental studies from Keene State College in New Hampshire.

“I am honored to be appointed to the Oregon Board of Forestry and look forward to serving the people of Oregon,” Lovechio said. “I will strongly advocate for collaborative, science-based forest management, and I am committed to ensuring our forests support healthy ecosystems and local economies. I appreciate the opportunity to help shape policies that address the complex challenges facing our forests.”

Curtiss, of Silverton, serves as General Counsel for Hampton Lumber. He grew up in the mountains of northeast Oregon, earned his degree in Agricultural and Resource Economics from Oregon State University, and graduated from Lewis & Clark Law School with a certificate in environmental law. Before working at Hampton, Curtiss was General Counsel for the Oregon Forest Industries Council and an attorney at Stoel Rives, LLP, specializing in natural resources law and policy. He also serves on the Oregon FFA Foundation Board.

“I’m privileged to be reappointed, and I look forward to working with the outstanding staff at ODF,” Curtiss said. “Oregon’s forest resources are vast, diverse, and profoundly important, not only for the environmental benefits they provide, but also for the social and economic opportunities they create for the state and surrounding communities. I hope we can provide the leadership needed to ensure forest management in Oregon is sensible, sustainable, and transparent.

Deumling, of Rickreall, grew up and has worked in the Oregon forest industry his whole life. He manages the family-owned Zena Forest, a 1,300-acre tract of forest in the heart of the Willamette Valley. He also runs Zena Forest Products, which is an onsite sawmill and millwork shop that processes hardwood logs into high quality lumber and flooring. Deumling has been actively engaged in forest policy matters for many years and holds a bachelor's degree from Whitman College where he studied natural resource policy in the western U.S.

“I am incredibly honored to have the opportunity to serve another term on the Board of Forestry,” Deumling said. "The work before the board is critically important for everyone in this great state of Oregon, and I look forward to continuing to work with such a great group of board members and staff at ODF."

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.

State Forests Advisory Committee Meets March 7 -02/28/25

SALEM, Ore. -- The State Forest Advisory Committee will hold an in-person meeting on Friday, March 7 at 9 a.m. There is also a virtual option, please use the Teams video conference information found on the agenda.

The highlights of the committee's agenda include:

• State Forest Planning overview and discussion on the Implementation Plan now out for public comment and Annual Operations Plan public engagement discussion for FY2026

• Overview of the FY2025 Annual Operations Plan accomplishments

• Climate change and carbon presentation

• Recreation, education and interpretation planning process update

The meeting is open to the public to attend 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 72 hours before the meeting by contacting Emily Shook at 503-945-7363.

The State Forests Advisory Committee (SFAC) is comprised of citizens and representatives of timber, environmental and recreation groups as well as a representative from Oregon's Native American tribes. The SFAC provides a forum to discuss issues, opportunities and concerns, and offer advice and guidance to ODF on the implementation of the Northwest Oregon State Forests Management Plan. The plan provides guidance for managing 616,000 acres within the Tillamook, Clatsop and Santiam State Forests, and several scattered state-owned forest tracts in Benton, Polk, Lincoln and Lane counties through a balanced approach to generate revenue while prioritizing environmental and social benefits.

Incident Resource Agreement Submission Period Opens -02/27/25

Salem, Ore. -- The sign-up period for the Oregon Department of Forestry's (ODF) 2025 Incident Resource Agreements (IRA) opens March 1 and will close May 31, 2025. 

As a part of Oregon's complete and coordinated fire system, private contractors provide an array of firefighting resources to ODF and its partnering agencies, including hand crews, water handling/heavy equipment, medical units, security services, mobile kitchens and more. These assets and services are secured by ODF through Call-When-Needed (CWN) Incident Resource Agreements. IRA contractors may select to work within specific ODF districts or be available for statewide assignment.

IRA resources are used on ODF jurisdictional incidents in Oregon.

To sign up to become an IRA resource, email pcsu@odf.oregon.gov or visit https://www.oregon.gov/odf/fire/Pages/firefighting.aspx. 

It is important that all potential and current contractors submit new resources or changes to existing resources before May 31. 

After the May 31 deadline, the window will be closed for statewide eligible sign-ups. 

Committee For Emergency Fire Cost Meets March 4 -02/25/25

SALEM, Ore. -- The Emergency Fire Cost Committee will meet in the Tillamook Room, Building C, Oregon Department of Forestry, 2600 State Street in Salem on Tuesday, March 4, 2025, at 10 a.m. A virtual option will be available via Teams video conference, which can be found on the agenda.

The committee's agenda includes:

• Financial status of the Oregon Forest Land Protection Fund

• Determine the unencumbered balance of the OFLPF as of Feb. 16, 2025

• Insurance policy

• Weather update

• Update on status of large fire cost collection efforts

• Business Services Division/Fire Protection Division/Administrator reports

The meeting is open to the public to attend in-person or virtually via Teams. Public comments will be accepted near the end of the meeting. 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 forestryinformation@odf.oregon.gov.

The Emergency Fire Cost Committee (EFCC) oversees the Oregon Forest Land Protection Fund (OFLPF), established by the Oregon Legislature as a fund with the purpose of equalizing emergency fire suppression costs among the various Oregon Department of Forestry protection districts and forest protective associations. All districts/associations contribute to the fund so that money will be available to any individual district/association to pay fire suppression costs on eligible emergency fires. View more information on the EFCC webpage.

ODF Clarifies Property Owner Requirements To Appeal Hazard Zone And Wildland-urban Interface Designations -02/24/25

SALEM, Ore.--Those that own property in Oregon may still file their intent to appeal designations made by recently released wildfire hazard maps. Appeal forms must be received by March 10 to reserve a place in line for future appeal hearings. A full case does not need to be developed to file the appeal form.
 

Updated maps were issued January 7 and notifications were mailed to owners of properties designated as high hazard and within the wildland-urban interface. The updated maps and mailing initiated a 60-day period to file the intent to appeal.
 

Governor Kotek last week announced that Forestry officials are to hold on referring any appeals to the Office of Administrative Hearings until after the legislative session. This will allow the Legislature to deliberate potential changes to wildfire hazard map policy.
 

However, if there is no change in law this session, ODF will resume the appeals process after the session concludes at the end of June. Those that wish to appeal must file their form by March 10 to preserve an ability to appeal the designations.
 

No research or preparation of an appeal case needs to happen prior to filing an appeal form.

What's required for property owners to register their intent to appeal?

• File the appeal form with the Oregon Department of Forestry online by 5 p.m. March 10, or mail the form postmarked by March 10.
• Include the required information of property owner name, mailing address, property address or tax lot number of the tax lot designations to be appealed.
• Check one or both boxes to appeal designation in a specific hazard zone, or the wildland-urban interface.
• In the box that asks for more information, just write "further information will be provided."

If your property is in a trust or LLC, you must be represented by an attorney during a hearing with the Office ofAdministrative Hearings, but you do not need to consult an attorney prior to filing your appeal form with the Oregon Department of Forestry.

The statewide wildfire hazard and wildland-urban interface maps are available on Oregon State University's Wildfire Risk Explorer website.

Generally, the process for appeals is as follows:

• A property owner files the appeal form with the Oregon Department of Forestry.
• A Forestry official will contact the property owner to discuss their appeal case (after the conclusion of the session).
• The case will be referred to the Office of Administrative Hearings.
• A hearing with an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) will be scheduled. Under certain circumstances, an attorney may need to represent the property owner at a hearing, but consulting an attorney isn't necessary to file the appeal form.
• All issues for an appeals case must be determined prior to the date of a hearing, but not before filing the appeal form.
• The ALJ will make a determination on the requested appeal.

The wildfire hazard map's purposes are to:

• Educate Oregon residents and property owners about the level of hazard where they live.
• Assist in prioritizing fire adaptation and mitigation resources for the most vulnerable locations.
• Identify where defensible space standards and home hardening codes will apply.

Find more information on ODF's wildfire hazard web page.

Adaptive Management Program Committee Meets March 3 -02/24/25

SALEM, Ore. -- The Adaptive Management Program Committee will hold a virtual meeting on Monday, March 3 at 9 a.m. To join virtually, please use the Zoom video conference information found on the agenda.

The committee's agenda includes:

• Discuss amphibians research questions (Substantial decision item)

The meeting is open to the public to attend 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 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.