State Forests Advisory Committee Hosts Field Tour May 15, Meets May 16 In Astoria -05/08/25

SALEM, Ore. – The State Forests Advisory Committee will host a tour of forestland in the Clatsop State Forest on May 15 and meet on May 16 in Astoria and the meeting will have a virtual option via Teams.

The public is welcome at both events. The field tour agenda and meeting agenda are posted on the SFAC webpage.

Details

Field tour: Meets at 9 a.m. on May 15 at the Jewell Wildlife Meadows Area. RSVP is requested for the field tour so that attendees can be provided safety equipment. Tour attendees should provide their own lunch, refreshments and transportation suitable for traveling on forest roads. Please RSVP no later than 5 p.m. Tuesday, May 13 to Emily Shook at emily.j.shook@odf.oregon.gov.

SFAC meeting: The committee will meet from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. May 16, at the ODF Astoria District Office, 92219 Highway 202. Topics on the agenda include an update on the FY2026 Annual Operations Plans, performance measures, and financial/legislative/FMP/HCP updates. The public will have the opportunity to provide comments virtually or in person at the beginning of the meeting.

SFAC’s role

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.

Requests for an interpreter for the hearing impaired or other accommodations for persons with disabilities should be made at least 48 hours prior to the meeting. Questions about accessibility or special accommodation for the meeting can be directed to the Oregon Department of Forestry at 503-983-3761.

MEDIA ADVISORY: Adults In Custody To Receive Firefighting Training At South Fork Forest Camp May 14 (Photo) -05/08/25

What: Oregon Departments of Forestry and Corrections will be training more than 100 adults in custody (AICs) in various areas of wildland fire fighting for the upcoming season. These 10-person crews will then be qualified to deploy to fires and, during extreme fire danger events, will be pre-positioned in high threat areas to reduce response times.  

Visuals: See AICs rotate between four training stations: (All four stations will be going at the same time so news media can rotate between them as desired—these are all hands-on stations.)

Station #1 Pumps/Hose lay—AICs will receive a tour of an engine, learn to operate a Mark III pump, and construct a progressive hose lay.

Station #2 Fire Shelter Deployment—AICs will watch a 25-minute video in the tree cooler then deploy a practice fire shelter on the softball field.

Station #3 Handline construction/Tools—AICs will learn how to construct handline and will learn about each hand tool used in fire line construction.

Station #4 Mop-up—We will light burn piles and AICs will learn the process of mopping up after a fire.

People on-site available to interview: Various AICs participating in the training, ODF staff giving the training, and Forestry and Corrections staff who are assigned and work at South Fork. ODF will also have experts available

to talk about May being Wildfire Awareness Month and general information on the upcoming fire season.

When: May 14

Where: South Fork Forest Camp in the Tillamook State Forest. 48300 Wilson River Hwy, Tillamook, OR 97141-9799. It’s about 1.5 miles up a gravel road after the turnoff from the highway.

Time: Meet at 9:30 a.m. (If you come at a later time, we will do our best to get you to all four stations, but you might miss a rotation or two.)

Please send an RSVP by May 12. RSVP to tim.l.hoffman@odf.oregon.gov and/or amber.r.campbell@doc.oregon.gov . For more information on the fire training contact: Tim Hoffman, ODF public affairs, for South Fork or corrections-related information contact Amber Campbell, DOC public affairs. (Note: Likely cells phone will not have coverage at South Fork.)

Special note: All AICs have signed photo releases. Many may not want to be interviewed; however, we will have several that will be available.

Background:

Oregon Department of Forestry : Adults in custody rehabilitation : Forest benefits : State of Oregon

Department of Corrections : Locations and Divisions : About Us : State of Oregon

MEDIA ADVISORY - Oregon Department Of Forestry And Columbia Soil And Water Conservation District Will Burn Invasive Hawthorn Removed To Restore Oregon White Oak Woodland At Scappoose Airport (Photo) -05/06/25

WHEN: Tuesday morning, May 13, 2025

TIME: 11 a.m. to noon

WHERE: Scappoose Airport, Airport Road and Skyway Drive, Scappoose, OR 97056

WHAT: Oregon Dept. of Forestry has contracted with Canby-based Valley Environmental to bring their air curtain incinerator to Scappoose Airport to help safely burn piles of invasive English hawthorn trees that had been cleared from around oak trees.

• The clearance will restore the oak woodland and reduce fire risk.
• The air curtain incinerator reduces smoke by more than 90 percent compared to conventional debris pile burning, making it easier to burn close to protected airsheds like the Willamette Valley.
• Debris pile burning is the number one source of human-caused wildfires. Burning in an air curtain incinerator eliminates that danger because there are no debris pile embers left that could reignite later on and start a wildfire.

VISUALS:

• A loader machine feeding piles of invasive hawthorn into an air curtain incinerator (burn box is open to the sky) with open flames but relatively little smoke.
• Cleared understory in an oak woodland where invasive English hawthorn has been removed, freeing the Oregon white oak trees to grow.

SOUNDS: Fan that blows air over the wood fed into the incinerator to make it burn hotter and cleaner. Noise as debris is fed into the incinerator.

INTERVIEW OPPORTUNITIES: With ODF staff and the incinerator owner who can talk about the benefits of using an air curtain incinerator over pile burning, and Columbia Soil and Water Conservation District staff who can talk about the importance of clearing invasives in order to restore oak woodland and reduce wildfire risk. A biochar advocate will also be available on site.

RSVP: Please let Public Affairs Officers Jim Gersbach or Crystalyn Bush know if you plan to attend. They will be on site with local colleagues to help with interviews, filming and recording.

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Speakers And Panelists Confirmed For Oregon’s Urban And Community Forestry Conference In Eugene On May 15 (Photo) -05/05/25

EUGENE, Ore. – Sixteen different speakers and panelists are now confirmed for Oregon’s Urban and Community Forestry Conference on May 15 in Eugene. The conference’s theme is Growing Together: Collaboration and Diverse Voices in Urban Forestry.

Keynote speaker is Christine Carmichael, PhD, founder of Fair Forest Consulting, LLC, of Lansing, Michigan, who will address historic, current and future trends regarding diversity in urban forestry.

The conference is put on by the non-profit organization Oregon Community Trees in partnership with the Oregon Department of Forestry and USDA Forest Service. Co-presenting sponsors are OUR Community Forestry and Portland Urban Forestry. The one-day conference will be held again this year downtown at Venue 252.

Also scheduled to speak are:

• Mike Oxendine, founder of OUR Community Forestry based in Talent, Ore. He’ll describe the strategies propelling the organization to rapid, sustainable growth and the programs making an impact in southern Oregon.
• Jacklyn Lim and Frankie Thompson with Portland Urban Forestry. They’ll explain how Portland leverages COBID-certified contractors to expand the city’s tree canopy in low-income, low-canopy neighborhoods.
• Gena Gastaldi of Portland Bureau of Transportation will talk about how the bureau is working with Portland Urban Forestry to pilot planting street trees in the parking zone of a low-canopy, low-income neighborhood.
• Brittany Oxford and Hilary Olivos-Rood from the Oregon Department of Forestry will share their agency’s experiences building relationships with Oregon Tribal communities, including successes, limitations, and opportunities for growth. They will be joined by Brook Colley, an Associate Professor and Chair of the Native American Studies program at Southern Oregon University, and Amanda Craig, who worked most recently as Oregon Project Manager for the Trust for Public Lands‘ Oregon Rural Schoolyards Program.  Colley is an enrolled member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee. Craig is a citizen of The Confederated Tribes of the Coos, Lower Umpqua, and Siuslaw Indians. They will share their perspectives on what works and doesn’t work when attempting to build more respectful, mutually beneficial relationships with Native communities.
• sunny god with Friends of Trees will talk about designing complex organizational and program (eco)systems with care.

There will also be three panelists sharing experiences and ideas for how to recruit people currently under-represented in urban forestry and arboriculture into the profession and help them to flourish within it.

Three other panelists will discuss collaborating with diverse communities to extend the many benefits of shade-tree canopy more widely and in a more equitable manner.

Continuing education credits will be available for conference attendees.

Registration is $180 ($170 if the person registering lives or works in a Tree City USA community). Students can register for $80. Last day to register is Friday, May 9. Price includes a boxed lunch and a social hour beverage and snacks following the conference. To register, go to Growing Together: Collaboration and Diverse Voices in Urban Forestry

About Oregon Community Trees

The mission of this non-profit, Oregon-based organization is to promote healthy urban and community forests through leadership, education, awareness and advocacy. OCT serves as the advisory committee to the Oregon Department of Forestry’s Urban and Community Forestry Assistance Program.

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Board Of Forestry Hosts Virtual Special Meeting On May 12 -05/05/25

SALEM, Ore. — The Oregon Board of Forestry will meet for a virtual special meeting starting at 11 a.m. on Monday, May 12. Members of the public are welcome to view the special meeting on the department’s YouTube channel.

The board’s business agenda includes:

• State forester recruitment plan

• Recruitment search firm

Please note: There will not be time allotted for live testimony during the special meeting. Written testimony may be submitted by emailing boardofforestry@odf.oregon.gov prior to the meeting date. To account for the time board members need to review the written testimony, consider sending written testimony by close of business on Friday, May 9. Submissions should include the meeting date and agenda item number/topic header with the written submission.

Accommodations for people with disabilities, and special materials, services, or assistance can be arranged by calling ODF’s Public Affairs Office at least 48 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.

Escaped Debris Burns Increase In ODF Central Oregon District (Photo) -05/02/25

Prineville, OR – The Oregon Department of Forestry’s (ODF) Central Oregon District is seeing an uptick in escaped debris burn piles, with several over the past few weeks burning up to 30 acres in size.

For example, a recent 8-acre fire resulted from a week-old burn pile that was assumed to be out cold but rekindled several days later, requiring suppression action by firefighters. Not following burn day instructions, one of which is thoroughly checking the burn piles later when the weather shifts, are the leading causes of these escapes.

Central Oregon District Forester Rob Pentzer reminds residents that escaped debris burns can lead to citations and cost collection from the responsible party for any suppression costs.

“Escaped debris burn fires continue to be the leading human cause of wildfires on private lands.” Pentzer said, “They are also the most preventable, when folks follow the rules.”

ODF Fire Managers and Fire District Chiefs want to remind residents to:

• Check with their local fire district to ensure that burning is allowed on a given day
• Follow all instructions after obtaining any necessary permits.
• Watch the weather forecasts. Wind and rapid weather changes are major factors that can affect the spread of fire from a debris burn.
• Ensure you have a safe fire area cleared around your pile with water and tools readily available.
• Monitor your pile until it has consumed all fuels, then stir with water until the area is out cold. Unattended piles can rekindle and spread later without warning.

With May being Wildfire Awareness Month, now is the time for everyone to take these extra steps to prevent the next wildfire in Oregon. For more wildfire prevention tips, visit KeepOregonGreen.org.

For local ODF burn information, please call:

• Prineville-Sisters Unit  – (541) 447-5658
• John Day Unit  – (541) 296-9445
• The Dalles Unit – (541) 296-4626

Drought, Beetles, And Tree Diseases Continue To Threaten Oregon’s Forests According To Latest Aerial Survey (Photo) -04/29/25

SALEM, Ore. – A new report on the state of health of Oregon’s forests is now available. Based on an extensive aerial survey of Oregon’s forests completed last year by the Oregon Department of Forestry and the USDA Forest Service, the report shows that drought, insect pests, and tree diseases continue to be the biggest threats to the state’s trees. The full report is available at https://www.oregon.gov/odf/forestbenefits/documents/forest-health-highlights.pdf

“A large part of this report is devoted to looking at the impact from climate change, specifically drought. Drought is often paired with rising temperatures, and together these are often the underlying causes for tree mortality across our landscape. Drought reduces tree growth and increases susceptibility to insect pests and some diseases, which healthy trees may otherwise resist or tolerate,” said ODF Forest Entomologist Christine Buhl, who helped produce the report.

Buhl said the report also measures other causes of trees being injured or killed, such as insect pests, diseases, storms, and wildfires.

Last year a record 1.9 million acres were affected by wildfire. However, some of those acres contained sections that were not damaged, not all of the burned areas were forested, and not all forests burned with the same intensity.  Some areas that experienced low-intensity wildfires, in many places because of fuel-reduction work, may see a majority of their larger-diameter trees survive.

Areas hardest hit by drought, such as the eastern foothills of the Cascades and some parts of northeastern Oregon, saw the largest amount of non-wildfire tree damage—some 2.26 million acres. Within those 2.26 million acres is a mosaic of unaffected and current-year affected acres of forest. In 2024, 580,000 affected acres of damage from these agents were recorded. Damage consisted of 496,000 affected acres of tree injury, most of which (463,000 acres) was caused by Swiss needle cast, a foliar disease from which trees may recover. But 84,000 acres showed tree deaths. 

“We may be under-reporting the impact of many tree-killing diseases, because the signs can often be missed from the air. For example, root diseases require ground-based assessment, such as excavating roots, to verify the presence of disease.  This is labor intensive so is not done routinely across all forestlands,” said Buhl.

Buhl emphasized the importance of on-the-ground collaborators to help round out the full picture of forest health in Oregon. “In addition to information ODF and the USDA Forest Service gather, we rely on Oregon State University Forestry Extension staff from across the state, and collaborate with other natural resource agencies, universities, public and private forest landowners, and members of the public to gather information,” she said.

In the aerial survey, trained observers fly over all forested lands in the Pacific Northwest in fixed-wing aircraft and record damage to trees from all sources. Flights are staffed with one observer on each side of the aircraft. Survey flights typically fly between 1,500 to 2,500 feet above ground level, following a systematic grid four miles apart and traveling at 90 to 140 miles an hour.

The Pacific Northwest Aerial Detection Survey is the longest continuous survey of its kind in the United States, having been established in 1947 and flown every year since, except 2020 when it was halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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May Is Wildfire Awareness Month (Photo) -04/28/25

SALEM, Ore. – May is Wildfire Awareness Month. Oregon experiences its heaviest wildfire activity during the summer months, but fires can occur at any time of year including spring. 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 call can take to prevent the start of careless, unwanted wildfires this summer, and encouraging Oregonians to create defensible space around homes and outbuildings.

At stake: lives, property and scenic beauty

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.

Only You Can Prevent Wildfires

Keep Oregon Green has been fighting wildfire with publicity since 1941, and this season the Association is reviving vintage billboard artwork from the 1950’s with Smokey’s timeless image and well-known slogan. This year’s campaign calls on the public to predict the outcome of their actions and do everything they can to prevent wildfire ignitions. Campaign artwork, PSAs, and additional wildfire safety tips can be found at keeporegongreen.org and its 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 recreationists 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.

Certified Burn Manager Advisory Committee Meets April 28 -04/21/25

SALEM, Ore. — The Certified Burn Manager Advisory Committee will meet on Monday, April 28, from 9 a.m. to noon at the ODF Headquarters, Building C, Tillamook Room, 2600 State Street, Salem. To join virtually, please use the Zoom video conference information found on the agenda.

The committee’s agenda includes:

• Welcome and introductions
• Overview of certification to date
• Curriculum updates and training delivery
• Prescribed Fire Liability Pilot Program
• Continuing education
• Review of approved CBM rule revisions
• Updates
  • Past and future course deliveries
  • Legislation
  • ODF prescribed fire policy development

The meeting is open to the public to attend either in-person or 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.

View more information on the CBMAC webpage.

Oregon's 2021 Legislature passed Senate Bill 762 requiring the Oregon Department of Forestry to establish a Certified Burn Manager Program. It is the duty of the Certified Burn Manager Advisory Committee to advise the Oregon Department of Forestry on the program and the collection of information and data surrounding prescribed burns and follow the progress toward meeting federal and state air quality standards.

Forestry Department Invites Public Comment On State Forest Management Activities -04/18/25

Salem, Ore. — The Oregon Department of Forestry is inviting public comment on planned projects, timber sales and other management activities in state-owned forests.  

Starting April 18 through 5 p.m. June 3, Oregonians can weigh in on draft Annual Operations Plans for state forests on the Astoria, Forest Grove, Klamath Falls, 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 the legal mandate, these lands are managed to create healthy productive forests, high-quality habitat for native fish and wildlife, clean water, benefits and revenues to rural communities and timber related economies, as well as recreation and educational 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 policies and goals laid out in the longer-range plans. ODF is seeking input on the draft Annual Operations Plans summary documents, which can be viewed on the State Forests’ new Annual Operations Plans website.

Common topics in the 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  

The most useful input will speak to these specific activities and whether they are consistent with longer-range plans, offer suggestions to improve efficiency or effectiveness, correct errors, provide additional information, and are solution oriented. 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.  

This year the department worked to improve communications by adding clarity in the documents provided, improved the website, and issued notification to private landowners that share a property line with a proposed operation.

ODF is offering several avenues to comment on Annual Operations Plans:  

• Online comments can be submitted through ODF’s comments page.
• Comments can be emailed to: odf.sfcomments@oregon.gov
• Comments can also be mailed to ODF Public Affairs, 2600 State St., Salem, OR 97310. 

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ODF Responds To Comments And Finalizes State Forests Implementation Plans -04/16/25

Salem, Ore.—The Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) finalized its Implementation Plans that describe revisions for the Astoria, Forest Grove, Tillamook, North Cascade, West Oregon, and Western Lane (including the Veneta and Southwest units) State Forests districts following a 30-day comment period that concluded March 21.

The department received 28 different comments with many addressing multiple issues. The main areas public comments addressed were the draft Western State Forests Habitat Conservation Plan; forest management; forest health; wildlife; carbon storage and climate change; recreation, education and interpretation; and roads.

The comments received have been summarized, and the department’s responses to comments and a summary of changes made to the plans from comments can be found in this summary document.

“Although we do not have the resources to directly respond to each individual commenter, we do read and consider each one, and then summarize and group them into common areas to better address the comments received,” said Mike Wilson, State Forests Division Chief. “We value the public process and comments we receive are the basis for modifications to our proposed plans.”

State forests provide social, economic, and environmental benefits to Oregonians, and are managed under long-range forest management plans, mid-range implementation plans, and annual operations plans. Implementation plans describe forest management activities such as timber harvest targets, road construction and maintenance, reforestation and young stand management, recreation, aquatic habitat restoration, and protection strategies for species of concern.

Implementation Plans typically cover a 10-year period. However, these revisions to the current Implementation Plans extends through fiscal year 2027 and maintains current forest management plan requirements, updates new information on the district land base and forest resources, clarifies timber harvest targets, and incorporates the components of the draft Habitat Conservation Plan in order to cover the potential Habitat Conservation Plan approval timeline, the new Forest Management Plan and new Implementation Plan development timelines.

Next up for state forest management are the annual operations plans that determine and describe individual timber sale locations and other forest activities for the next fiscal year. That public comment period is scheduled to start April 18.

Oregon Department Of Forestry Seeks Nominations For Forest Operator Of The Year (Photo) -04/15/25

SALEM, Ore. – The Oregon Dept. of Forestry (ODF) is seeking nominations from across Oregon for forest operator of the year. Anyone can nominate. Deadline to nominate is 5 p.m. on Wednesday, June 25.

“ODF wants to recognize operators working in the forest whose practices ‘go the extra mile’ to protect Oregon’s natural resources,” said ODF’s Greg Wagenblast, who heads up the recognition program. “Any size of forest practices operation is eligible, and companies, contractors or individuals may be recognized.” 

Wagenblast said nominations don’t have to be limited to timber harvesting. Thinning operations, culvert replacements, and bridge building over forest streams are examples of other kinds of acceptable nominations.

He added that landowners may be recognized if the landowner is the entity performing the work, or the landowner provided significant direction of a larger project.

“Winners are selected by Oregon’s Regional Forest Practices Committees from northwest, southwest and eastern Oregon.  Nominees are evaluated on an operator’s consistency of positive performance, innovation in project design, relative difficulty of the harvest or other operation and commitment to protecting Oregon’s natural resources, such as water quality, soils, and wildlife,” said Wagenblast.

Nomination forms can be found at https://www.oregon.gov/odf/pages/recognition-and-awards-programs.aspx

Once completed, please email the completed form and any attachments to ooy.nominations@odf.oregon.gov or print and return/mail to:
Oregon Department of Forestry
Greg Wagenblast
2600 State Street
Salem, OR 97310

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Board Of Forestry To Meet On April 23 -04/14/25

SALEM, Ore. — The Oregon Board of Forestry will meet for a public meeting on Wednesday, April 23 at 8:30 a.m. The meeting will be held in the Tillamook Room, Building C, at the Oregon Department of Forestry headquarters, located at 2600 State St. in Salem. The meeting will also be livestreamed on the department’s YouTube channel.

The board’s business agenda includes:

• Strategic planning update
• State forester recruitment
  • Process presentation
  • Desired attributes part 1 – Department staff
  • Desired attributes part 2 – Public testimony
  • Desired attributes part 3 – Board discussion
• Private Forest Accord implementation update

The full agenda is available on the board’s webpage. Live testimony is available. Sign-up for live testimony is required and instructions are available online. Written public testimony will also be accepted. Testimony related to the State Forester Desired Attributes will be received up until the board meeting date on April 23. General testimony may be received until May 7. Consider submitting written testimony by Thursday, April 17, so that board members will have time to consider your submission in advance of the meeting. Testimony can be submitted by mail to the Board Support Office, 2600 State St., Salem, OR 97310 or email to boardofforestry@odf.oregon.gov with the appropriate agenda item and topic included with the submission.

Accommodations for people with disabilities, and special materials, services, or assistance can be arranged by calling ODF’s Public Affairs Office at least 48 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.

Adaptive Management Program Committee Meets April 18 -04/14/25

SALEM, Ore. — The Adaptive Management Program Committee will meet virtually at 1 p.m. on Friday, April 18. To join virtually, please use the Teams video conference information found on the agenda.

The committee’s agenda includes:

• Finalize amphibians research questions package – (Substantial decision item)

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 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.

Compliance Monitoring Program Committee Meets April 17 -04/10/25

SALEM, Ore. — The Compliance Monitoring Program Committee will hold a virtual meeting Thursday, April 17, 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:

• Landowner access plan

• Compliance monitoring story map           

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.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.

Gladstone Becomes Oregon’s Newest Tree City USA (Photo) -04/09/25

GLADSTONE, Ore. – Just in time for Oregon Arbor Month, the Oregon Department Forestry (ODF) is announcing that the city of Gladstone in Clackamas County has earned the Tree City USA designation. ODF administers the program for the national Arbor Day Foundation, based in Nebraska.

Gladstone joins 69 other communities in Oregon that hold the Tree City USA designation.

Brittany Oxford, ODF Urban and Community Assistance Forester, says to earn the designation, a city or town must meet four criteria:

• Maintain a tree board or department
• Have a community tree ordinance
• Spend at least $2 per capita on urban forestry
• Celebrate Arbor Day each year

The Tree City USA program dates to 1976, when the first group of 42 cities in 16 states were named. Today, more than 3,500 communities across the country and located in every state and Puerto Rico hold the distinction.

With a little over 12,000 residents, Gladstone is situated where the Clackamas River flows into the Willamette. The town is noted for having 14 parks and trails within its four square miles. It is also one of three dozen Oregon communities with a Hiroshima peace tree, located in Gladstone Nature Park. The tree is a descendant of a ginkgo tree that survived the atom bombing of Hiroshima in 1945 near the end of World War II.

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