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News Release

Oregon Department Of Forestry Announces A Linn County Logger Is Northwest Oregon's Top Forest Operator For 2023 (Photo) - 12/04/23

LEBANON, Ore. – Logging and road-building firm Ron Staley Enterprises, Inc., of Lebanon in Linn County has been chosen as Operator of the Year for Northwest Oregon. A regional advisory committee to the Oregon Board of Forestry selected the company earlier this fall. Two other recipients were chosen for the top honor in two other regions in the state: 

  • Eastern Oregon – Leigh Ann Vradenburg with the Klamath Watershed Partnership in Klamath County
  • Southwest Oregon – Wally Plikat of Plikat Logging, Inc., based in Roseburg, Ore.

Staley and the other two top honorees will be recognized at a meeting in Salem of the full Oregon Board of Forestry in January. 

The Operator of the Year award recognizes forest operators who, while harvesting timber or doing other forestry work, protect natural resources at a level that consistently meets or goes above and beyond requirements of the Oregon Forest Practices Act *. That law requires people to manage forests responsibly and protect streams and water quality, protect and enhance habitat, and reduce landslide risks. The law also requires landowners to replant forests after harvesting. Videos about each of the three Operators of the Year and five Merit Award winners can be viewed on the ODF website at https://www.oregon.gov/odf/Working/Pages/default.aspx

Protection of stream buffers recognized

Ron Staley was recognized for working with conservation-minded landowners to protect forested buffers around fish-bearing streams while minimizing soil compaction and disturbance. 

Staley was singled out for use of new tools and technologies to enhance harvests and protect resources to the highest standards of the Oregon Forest Practices Act*, such as high-end custom drones to fly rigging lines over buffers, a safer and more efficient method. The selection committee was also impressed that Staley protected buffers by moving his yarding rig from one side of a protected buffer to the opposite side in order pull logs up and away from the buffer, thus avoiding any chance of damage to the buffer. He was also praised for excellence in logging road construction and clean up, and for his crew’s willingness to shut down during heavy rainfall to avoid possible runoff of sediment to streams.

“Of all the operators I have worked with, this company consistently does by far the best job of post-harvest cleanup of the road system,” said Jerrin Robbins, an ODF Stewardship Forester familiar with Staley’s work. “Examples include shaping of roads to minimize runoff, cleaning ditches and catch basins and pulling any temporary crossings.”

Merit Awards were given to five companies:

Northwest Oregon

  • Olav “Ole” Berg of Big O Logging, Inc., based in Birkenfeld in Columbia County for helping thin overcrowded forestland during ongoing road repair work.
  • Greg Pelham of Pelham Cutting, Inc. based in St. Helens, for consistently high performance in harvesting and reforestation, with care to avoid high landslide-risk areas and identify and leave important old-growth wildlife trees.

Southwest Oregon

  • Butte Falls-based Don Hamman of Don Hamman, Inc. in Jackson County for assisting small landowners in urban-adjacent, high-visibility areas with thinning to reduce wildfire risk.
  • Austin Weber of Weber Logging and Construction, Inc., based in Roseburg for consistent employment of innovative logging technology in steep-slope areas to protect fish-bearing streams and minimize soil disturbance and erosion.

Eastern Oregon

  • Tim Rude of Rude Logging based in John Day for protecting waters of a fish-bearing stream while harvesting in steep forests needing thinning to reduce risk of catastrophic wildfire.

ODF Forest Resources Division Chief Josh Barnard said, “This year’s honorees harnessed innovative technology and techniques to protect water quality, and helped small landowners improve the health of their forests and reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfire through careful planning and coordination. In challenging harvesting sites, they have shown extraordinary care and diligence to protect resources and meet landowner objectives. We’re proud to recognize the community spirit and leadership these operators have shown.”

* Oregon enacted the Forest Practices Act in 1971 as a national model for forest management laws. The law focuses on ensuring responsible forest operations and protecting natural resources in forestland. The Act has been updated many times based on new scientific information and values to create a balanced approach to natural resource management.

                                                        # # #

Attached Media Files: Lebanon-based Ron Staley (center) is being honored as Operator of the Year for NW Oregon by the Oregon Board of Forestry at its January meeting. Staley is pictured on a recent logging site with Oregon Dept. of Forestry Stewardship Forester Jerrin Robbins (left) and Brian Murray of Cascade Timber (far right),

Oregon Department Of Forestry Announces A Linn County Logger Is Northwest Oregon's Top Forest Operator For 2023 (Photo) - 12/04/23

LEBANON, Ore. – Logging and road-building firm Ron Staley Enterprises, Inc., of Lebanon in Linn County has been chosen as Operator of the Year for Northwest Oregon. A regional advisory committee to the Oregon Board of Forestry selected the company earlier this fall. Two other recipients were chosen for the top honor in two other regions in the state: 

  • Eastern Oregon – Leigh Ann Vradenburg with the Klamath Watershed Partnership in Klamath County
  • Southwest Oregon – Wally Plikat of Plikat Logging, Inc., based in Roseburg, Ore.

Staley and the other two top honorees will be recognized at a meeting in Salem of the full Oregon Board of Forestry in January. 

The Operator of the Year award recognizes forest operators who, while harvesting timber or doing other forestry work, protect natural resources at a level that consistently meets or goes above and beyond requirements of the Oregon Forest Practices Act *. That law requires people to manage forests responsibly and protect streams and water quality, protect and enhance habitat, and reduce landslide risks. The law also requires landowners to replant forests after harvesting. Videos about each of the three Operators of the Year and five Merit Award winners can be viewed on the ODF website at https://www.oregon.gov/odf/Working/Pages/default.aspx

Protection of stream buffers recognized

Ron Staley was recognized for working with conservation-minded landowners to protect forested buffers around fish-bearing streams while minimizing soil compaction and disturbance. 

Staley was singled out for use of new tools and technologies to enhance harvests and protect resources to the highest standards of the Oregon Forest Practices Act*, such as high-end custom drones to fly rigging lines over buffers, a safer and more efficient method. The selection committee was also impressed that Staley protected buffers by moving his yarding rig from one side of a protected buffer to the opposite side in order pull logs up and away from the buffer, thus avoiding any chance of damage to the buffer. He was also praised for excellence in logging road construction and clean up, and for his crew’s willingness to shut down during heavy rainfall to avoid possible runoff of sediment to streams.

“Of all the operators I have worked with, this company consistently does by far the best job of post-harvest cleanup of the road system,” said Jerrin Robbins, an ODF Stewardship Forester familiar with Staley’s work. “Examples include shaping of roads to minimize runoff, cleaning ditches and catch basins and pulling any temporary crossings.”

Merit Awards were given to five companies:

Northwest Oregon

  • Olav “Ole” Berg of Big O Logging, Inc., based in Birkenfeld in Columbia County for helping thin overcrowded forestland during ongoing road repair work.
  • Greg Pelham of Pelham Cutting, Inc. based in St. Helens, for consistently high performance in harvesting and reforestation, with care to avoid high landslide-risk areas and identify and leave important old-growth wildlife trees.

Southwest Oregon

  • Butte Falls-based Don Hamman of Don Hamman, Inc. in Jackson County for assisting small landowners in urban-adjacent, high-visibility areas with thinning to reduce wildfire risk.
  • Austin Weber of Weber Logging and Construction, Inc., based in Roseburg for consistent employment of innovative logging technology in steep-slope areas to protect fish-bearing streams and minimize soil disturbance and erosion.

Eastern Oregon

  • Tim Rude of Rude Logging based in John Day for protecting waters of a fish-bearing stream while harvesting in steep forests needing thinning to reduce risk of catastrophic wildfire.

ODF Forest Resources Division Chief Josh Barnard said, “This year’s honorees harnessed innovative technology and techniques to protect water quality, and helped small landowners improve the health of their forests and reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfire through careful planning and coordination. In challenging harvesting sites, they have shown extraordinary care and diligence to protect resources and meet landowner objectives. We’re proud to recognize the community spirit and leadership these operators have shown.”

* Oregon enacted the Forest Practices Act in 1971 as a national model for forest management laws. The law focuses on ensuring responsible forest operations and protecting natural resources in forestland. The Act has been updated many times based on new scientific information and values to create a balanced approach to natural resource management.

                                                        # # #

Attached Media Files: Lebanon-based Ron Staley (center) is being honored as Operator of the Year for NW Oregon by the Oregon Board of Forestry at its January meeting. Staley is pictured on a recent logging site with Oregon Dept. of Forestry Stewardship Forester Jerrin Robbins (left) and Brian Murray of Cascade Timber (far right),