Gov. Kotek Proclaims April To Be Oregon Arbor Month (Photo) -03/31/25

SALEM, Ore. – Governor Tina Kotek has proclaimed April 2025 to be Oregon Arbor Month throughout the state. This year’s proclamation recognizes the importance to neighborhoods of urban trees as cities add housing and rapidly densify.

The proclamation states that “Trees play an integral role in fostering healthy communities,” adding that urban development and the preservation of trees demands a careful balance.

Governor Kotek said “To protect Oregon’s natural and working lands in the face of the worsening climate crisis, we must build a more resilient future that forges connection across our landscapes, for both rural and urban communities alike. Arbor Month is key to this goal, promoting the preservation and planting of trees across Oregon.”

Her proclamation notes the loss of many trees in Oregon in recent years to wildfire, extreme heat and drought, development pressures and new tree-killing pests, such as emerald ash borer.

Oregon Dept. of Forestry Urban and Community Forestry Program Manager Scott Altenhoff said “Replacing those trees will require us to pick up the pace not only of planting but also of ensuring nurseries have the capacity to grow the numbers and types of trees needed that are resilient to climate change and resistant to serious pests and diseases.”

He added that it is equally important to grow and diversify the workforce in urban forestry.

Altenhoff said there is growing recognition, as cited in the proclamation, that the benefits of tree canopy have been unevenly distributed in the state. “Many low-income areas and those with large populations of people of color have fewer large shade trees than more affluent neighborhoods. Research has shown that having fewer large shade trees in those lower-canopy neighborhoods is strongly associated with increased deaths from heart disease and poor health outcomes.”

As examples, Altenhoff cited studies showing lack of trees can affect everything from having more low-birthweight babies to increased rates of asthma and mental health issues, as well as higher rates of domestic violence and certain crimes.

“We are in a much better position now to help communities increase their canopy, thanks to the Oregon Legislature last biennium providing the first-ever state funding dedicated to support urban forestry so we can help communities have healthy, shade-giving urban forests,” he said.

History of Arbor Month

Oregon Arbor Month grew out of Arbor Day, a one-day tree-planting campaign in Nebraska in 1872. The event spread nationwide and expanded in many states to a week-long celebration of all-things tree related. In Oregon, a few years ago the non-profit Oregon Community Trees lobbied to expand the time devoted to celebrating trees to the entire month.

Read the full text of the proclamation.

# # #

Adaptive Management Program Committee Meets April 7 -03/31/25

SALEM, Ore. — The Adaptive Management Program Committee will meet at noon on Monday, April 7 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 Teams video conference information found on the agenda.

The committee’s agenda includes:

• Discuss amphibians research questions (Substantial decision item)

• Discuss the IRST’s questions on the scoping proposal on eastern Oregon steep slopes questions (Substantial decision item)

• Discuss potential modifications to the AMPC charter (Substantial decision item)

• Discuss effectiveness monitoring

The meeting is open to the public to attend in person and 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.

Early Registration Pricing For Oregon’s Urban And Community Forestry Conference Has Been Extended To April 13 (Photo) -03/27/25

EUGENE, Ore. – Early registration ticket pricing for Oregon’s largest Urban and Community Forestry Conference has been extended to midnight on Sunday, April 13. The one-day conference will be held again this year on Thursday, May 15 at Venue 252 in downtown Eugene.  It 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 conference’s theme – Growing Together: Collaboration and Diverse Voices in Urban Forestry – will feature speakers and panelists providing insights into:

• How those working to extend the many benefits of shade-tree canopy more widely can do so in a more equitable manner by collaborating with communities.
• How people currently under-represented in urban forestry and arboriculture can be recruited into the profession and helped to flourish within it.

Keynote speaker Christine Carmichael, PhD, will be flying in from Michigan to share historic, current, and future trends in diversity, equity, and inclusion in the urban forestry field.

There will also be panels discussing workforce development and collaborating with diverse communities, including Oregon’s Tribal nations. OUR Community Forestry, which is co-sponsoring this year’s conference, will also share its experience working with communities in southern Oregon, including Talent, a large portion of which was destroyed by the 2020 Almeda Fire. Continuing education credits are being sought for the conference.

According to Scott Altenhoff, who is Manager of the Oregon Department of Forestry’s Urban and Community Forestry Program, conference attendees will learn ideas for how cities can be more successful at getting trees into neighborhoods that have below-average tree canopy, often because of historic inequities. “These often low-income areas are at greatest risk from extreme heat events and adverse health effects from lack of large, healthy trees nearby,” he said. “Yet they can be challenging places to try and establish tree canopy, not least being narrow or non-existent planting strips for street trees.”

Oregon Community Trees Conference Co-Chair Heidi Lakics said she’s excited about the conference this year. “It will bring together people who care passionately about meeting Oregonians’ needs for more trees with others interested in opening up opportunities for more people to find good jobs in the arboriculture and urban forestry fields,” she said.

Early registration is $150 until April 13 and $180 after that date ($170 if the person registering lives or works in a Tree City USA community). Students can register for $80 at any time before registration ends May 8. 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.

,.                                                          # # #

MEDIA UPDATE: Oregon Department Of Forestry Sends 11 Additional Firefighters To North Carolina -03/26/25

What: The Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) filled an order today to send 11 additional firefighters to North Carolina to support their suppression efforts. This would make the total number of ODF firefighters in North Carolina 37, not including two agency representatives.

The 11 firefighters being deployed include: five from ODF’s Southwest Oregon District, two from the Central Oregon District, two from the Northeast Oregon District and two from the Forest Grove District.

Firefighters are anticipated to be on assignment for 14 days.

Background: Over the weekend of March 21, the Oregon Department of Forestry filled a resource order to send 26 firefighters to North Carolina via a state-to-state mutual aid agreement. That initial group arrived in North Carolina on Sunday, March 23.

With increased fire activity in the state, North Carolina has requested more help and in response the Oregon Department of Forestry is able to send 11 more firefighters.

When: The firefighters will depart from their respective airport tomorrow morning. Airports may vary depending on where the firefighters are based in Oregon.

Media Contact: For more information or interview requests, please contact Jessica Neujahr, jessica.neujahr@odf.oregon.gov.

Smoke Management Advisory Committee Meets Virtually On April 1 -03/26/25

SALEM, Ore. — The Smoke Management Advisory Committee will meet virtually on Tuesday, April 1, from 1 to 2 p.m. To join, please use the Zoom video conference information found on the agenda.

The committee’s agenda includes:

• Welcome and roll call

• Committee business - Introduction to letter

• Public comment

• Discussion & decision - Letter content and vote

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.

View more information on the SMAC webpage.

Created by the Legislature in 1989, the five-member committee assists and advises the Oregon Department of Forestry in carrying out its Smoke Management Program. Members are appointed by the State Forester to serve a two-year term, which is renewable.

Media Advisory: Tillamook State Forest Spring Cleaning Trail Party Media Opportunity March 29 (Photo) -03/26/25

What: We expect more than 85 volunteers to converge on Tillamook State Forest Saturday (March 29) to prepare hiking, biking, and equestrian trails for the busy summer season. We will have representatives from the Oregon Department of Forestry, State Forest Trust of Oregon, and leaders of volunteer trail group work parties and supporting organizations available for interviews.

Visuals: See volunteers working on trails impacted by winter storms including clearing downed trees, removing branches, repairing small washed-out trail sections, removing vegetation and other trail clearing activities.

People on-site available to interview:  Joe Offer, Oregon Department of Forestry, Recreation, Education and Interpretation Manager; Kelly Lau, Executive Director State Forests Trust of Oregon; Nathan Frechen (Northwest Trail Alliance), Ryan McLane (Westside Trail Federation), Susan Schen (Trailkeepers of Oregon), and other volunteers as available from the State Forest Trust of Oregon, Daybreak Racing, Oregon Equestrian Trails, Cyclepath PDX and Starbucks. 

When: March 29, 2025

Where: Meet at Smith Homestead in Tillamook State Forest. Map:  https://maps.app.goo.gl/D9io4x9YtEDFuhMe9

Then see work on 10 miles of the Wilson River Trail from Elk Creek Campground to the Tillamook Forest Center and other trail work in the area as desired.

Time: Meet at 8:30am (if you come at a later time, it might be harder to track down the work parties). Trail work ends at 2 p.m. followed by an after work get together with food from 2-3 p.m.

Please send an RSVP by March 28 so we can plan to meet you and facilitate interviews and travel. RSVP to tim.l.hoffman@odf.oregon.gov. For more information contact: Tim Hoffman, ODF public affairs, (503) 983-3761 (cell phone may not work on day of event with spotty coverage in many parts of the state forest.) 

Background

Wilson River Trail – Mega Work Party! – 3/29 – Northwest Trail Alliance

Oregon Department of Forestry : Recreation, education & interpretation : Recreation, education & interpretation : State of Oregon

State Forests Trust

ODF Sends 26 Firefighters To North Carolina (Photo) -03/24/25

SALEM, Ore. – Over the weekend, the Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) filled an order to send 26 firefighters and two agency representatives to North Carolina to assist in fighting numerous wildfires in the state. Many of the firefighters arrived in the state yesterday, March 23, and are assigned to the Black Cove incident in western North Carolina.

The two-week rotation with our North Carolina partners is our chance to return the favor. In 2024, North Carolina sent almost a whole incident management team along with several overhead positions in support of Oregon. The added capacity allowed some resource flexibility to ODF in a time when people and equipment were limited.

“Being able to have an additional incident management team (IMT) made it so we did not have to make the hard choice of prioritizing one fire over another,” said Blake Ellis, Fire Operations Manager. “At the time, we had two fires in need of an IMT and only one ODF team available. We were able to fill both incidents’ needs due to the extra support from our North Carolina partners.”

The firefighters were sent to North Carolina under mutual assistance agreements between the two states. When wildfire activity is low in Oregon, firefighters can be spared to help in places experiencing high levels of wildfire.

Oregon can and has called on its out-of-state partners to send resources when wildfire here exceeded our local and state capacity, most recently in 2024 when ODF received firefighters and equipment from about 21 states, provinces and territories.

“These agreements help bolster the complete and coordinated fire protection system and create a cache of reciprocal resources for all of us to call on when needed,” Michael Curran, ODF’s Fire Protection Division Chief, said.

So why does Oregon send resources to help other states? Through these mutual assistance agreements with other states, including Alaska, Hawaii and NW Canadian territories, we can share resources with one another, creating a larger, faster comprehensive fire management system.   

“Know that we don’t share these resources without appropriate vetting. Before committing to any out-of-state deployment, we make sure that our own fire management system is still adequately staffed and ready to respond to fires here in Oregon. Serving Oregonians is our first and primary priority,” said Curran.

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

# # #

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.