From kevin.weeks at state.or.us Tue Jun 1 13:22:58 2010 From: kevin.weeks at state.or.us (WEEKS Kevin) Date: Tue, 1 Jun 2010 13:22:58 -0700 Subject: [ODF_Private_Forests] Oregon to dedicate the new Gilchrist State Forest on June 11 Message-ID: <2659B04496B9C544A0CB26155C1FD1B6655F26AA@WPODFEXCL01.ODF.STATE.OR.US> Oregon Department of Forestry NEWS RELEASE Oregon to dedicate the new Gilchrist State Forest on June 11 June 1, 2010 Contact: Kevin Weeks, (503) 945-7427, or Dan Postrel, (503) 945-7420 The Oregon Department of Forestry will dedicate the Gilchrist State Forest in central Oregon - the first new state-owned forest created in almost 70 years - during a June 11 ceremony featuring Governor Ted Kulongoski. The 43,000-acre forest is located about 45 miles south of Bend. "Working forests are a part of Oregon's legacy - and a part of our future," Kulongoski said. "Creation of this new state forest is a wise investment, ensuring that these lands will provide many benefits for future generations of Oregonians." The Gilchrist lands represent one of the last large blocks of forestland in central Oregon, and without public ownership would likely have been sold as many small parcels, resulting in fragmented wildlife habitat, lost public access, increased wildfire problems, and reduced potential to raise revenue for local government through sustainable timber harvest, carbon credits or other sources. The state purchased the land last March, with $15 million in bonds approved by the 2009 legislature with Kulongoski's support. The bonds will be repaid over 20 years using proceeds from the Oregon Lottery. State officials had initially hoped to buy an additional 25,000 acres immediately to the east, but public financing is not currently available. The Oregon Department of Forestry is working with a non-profit group - The Conservation Fund - which is purchasing those lands to hold until future state purchases are possible. Governor Kulongoski is scheduled to be the primary speaker at the event, which will include State Forester Marvin Brown, Cal Mukumoto of the Oregon Board of Forestry, Klamath County Commissioner Al Switzer and Mark Elsbree from The Conservation Fund. The dedication ceremony is scheduled to begin at 1:00 pm in a forested area east of downtown Gilchrist. The event site is open to the public. The forest was purchased from Fidelity National Timber Resources, Inc., which had owned it since 2006. The new Gilchrist State Forest was part of larger forest holdings owned by the Gilchrist Timber Company for most of the 20th century. The community of Gilchrist was a "company town," the site of the company mill and home to many of its workers. The Gilchrist family sold the property and mill in 1991 to Crown Pacific, which liquidated the forest to pay debt and eventually entered bankruptcy in 2003. The land, which once supported expanses of large Ponderosa pine trees, was heavily harvested in the early 1990s, following the Gilchrist Timber Company sale. As required by the Oregon Forest Practices Act, the area was reforested with new seedlings that will form the basis of a growing forest that provides some public benefits today, and that in several decades will also produce timber harvests to help support local government services for Klamath County residents. Prior to the Gilchrist forest purchase, the last major forestland acquisition by the state was the Sun Pass State Forest, just south of Crater Lake, acquired between 1943 and 1948. The Sun Pass since has been managed to produce a mix of younger forests and stately older Ponderosa pine, providing a rich range of benefits. The Oregon Department of Forestry provides a diverse range of services to Oregon's public, including forestry landowner assistance and rules providing natural resource protection on 12 million acres of private and state-owned forest, management of 848,000 acres of State Forests and fire protection on 15.8 million acres of forest land, most of it privately owned. ### -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From kevin.weeks at state.or.us Fri Jun 4 16:31:06 2010 From: kevin.weeks at state.or.us (WEEKS Kevin) Date: Fri, 4 Jun 2010 16:31:06 -0700 Subject: [ODF_Private_Forests] State Forest Stewardship Coordinating Committee meets June 10 in Salem Message-ID: <2659B04496B9C544A0CB26155C1FD1B6655F2BC7@WPODFEXCL01.ODF.STATE.OR.US> State Forest Stewardship Coordinating Committee meets June 10 in Salem June 4, 2010 Contact: Kevin Weeks (503) 945-7427 The Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) will update coordinating committee members on a project to assess Oregon's current forest resources next week. The 2010 State of Oregon Statewide Forest Assessment and Resource Strategy is designed to identify Oregon's current forest resources and develop a strategy for integrating federal, state and private forestry programs to address concerns including wildfire, keeping forests working as forests, diversity of forest habitats for fish and wildlife, prevention and reduction of invasive species and climate change. The Statewide Forest Assessment will identify high priority areas within Oregon for taking action. The discussion is scheduled during a meeting of the State Forest Stewardship Coordinating Committee on Thursday June 10, 2010 from 10:00am to 3:00pm at the Oregon Department of Forestry headquarters in Salem, 2600 State Street (Operations Building D - Santiam meeting room). The proposed agenda for the meeting includes final discussion and wrap up on the State Assessment and Resource Strategy project prior to submission of reports to the U.S. Forest Service. Members of the public are invited to attend and participate in the meeting. The meeting location is accessible to persons with disabilities. 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 accommodations for the meeting can be directed to the Oregon Department of Forestry at 503-945-7368. The 2008 Farm Bill passed by Congress contained an amendment to the Cooperative Forestry Assistance Act requiring states that receive Farm Bill funding perform the forest assessment study by mid-2010, with updates at five-year increments after that. States are also required to report on the effectiveness of how federal funding was used in priority regions. The Farm Bill funds the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which in turn provides funding for many ODF services in urban and community forestry, forest health protection, forest stewardship, forest legacy and state fire assistance through the U.S. Forest Service's State and Private Forestry Program. Additional information about the 2010 Forest Assessment Resource Strategy project is available on the ODF website: www.oregon.gov/ODF/RESOURCE_PLANNING/2010fars.shtml ### Kevin Weeks Public Information Officer ODF Agency Affairs Office (503) 945-7427 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From kevin.weeks at state.or.us Mon Jun 14 14:44:46 2010 From: kevin.weeks at state.or.us (WEEKS Kevin) Date: Mon, 14 Jun 2010 14:44:46 -0700 Subject: [ODF_Private_Forests] Volunteer mentors needed to guide students at PLC Message-ID: <2659B04496B9C544A0CB26155C1FD1B665754FB9@WPODFEXCL01.ODF.STATE.OR.US> Private Forests News list subscribers: This news release is forwarded at the request of the Oregon Forest Resources Institute. Kevin Weeks Oregon Department of Forestry (503) 945-7427 >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Oregon Forest Resources Institute NEWS RELEASE Contact: Julie Woodward - 503-584-7259 June 11, 2010 For immediate release Volunteer mentors needed to guide students at 'Live In The Woods Show' PORTLAND, Ore. - Volunteer mentors from the forest sector community are needed to guide students in grades 5 through 12 at this year's Pacific Logging Congress 6th 'Live In The Woods Show.' The show, which occurs every fourth year, takes place this year on Sept. 15 and 16 at the Longview Timberlands near Clatskanie, Ore., approximately one hour's drive west of Portland on Highway 30. "This is an amazing opportunity for students to get a firsthand look at Oregon's forest sector," says Julie Woodward, event volunteer coordinator. Accommodating the approximately 2,000 students and teachers who will attend the event requires hundreds of volunteer foresters, forest operators, family forestland owners and other experts. Volunteer tour guides will take groups of students down the show trail and highlight the environmentally advanced logging methods in use. Students will learn about natural resources, the equipment used in harvesting trees, reforestation after harvest, the protection of fish and wildlife habitat, water resources and the importance of Oregon's forests to the state's economy. In addition to the joy of sharing the forest with students, volunteers will receive many other benefits including a free pass to the show, t-shirt, talking points and interpretive materials. Founded in 1909, the Pacific Logging Congress seeks to educate lawmakers, educators, students and the general public about the need for sound, responsible forestry to supply global needs for wood fiber. Interested volunteers are encouraged to register online at: Oregonforests.org/Education/PLCVolunteerForm.html For more information about volunteering, contact Julie Woodward at woodward at ofri.org or call 503-584-7259. ### -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From kevin.weeks at state.or.us Mon Jun 28 12:29:16 2010 From: kevin.weeks at state.or.us (WEEKS Kevin) Date: Mon, 28 Jun 2010 12:29:16 -0700 Subject: [ODF_Private_Forests] Fourth of July fire safety reminder Message-ID: <2659B04496B9C544A0CB26155C1FD1B666D68BBE@WPODFEXCL01.ODF.STATE.OR.US> The Keep Oregon Green Association issued the following news release today: For Immediate Release Major Media Distribution June 30, 2010 Contact: Mary Ellen Holly 503-559-7011 Wildfire season is now in effect across the state. The Keep Oregon Green Association is cautioning Oregonians to use extreme caution when visiting the forests this weekend. Although it seems like it should still be wet enough to eliminate fire danger, 45 human-caused wildfires have already been fought and suppressed by Oregon firefighters. Many Oregonians love the great outdoors, and no matter what the recreational activity, sitting around a campfire is one of the special times we all enjoy. During the 2009 wildfire season, however, 116 escaped or abandoned campfires burned over 200 acres on state and private lands. Here's what you can do to avoid causing Oregon's next wildfire: * Always call the local fire district to assure that fires are allowed where you're going to camp. If they are allowed, and you choose to camp in an undeveloped campground, here are a few suggestions to ensure that your campfires will be safe. * When selecting a site for a campfire, avoid areas near buildings, fallen trees, tree trunks, or low overhanging branches. * Scrape all leaves and litter away down to bare earth for at least five feet on all sides of the fire. Dig a pit in the center of this circle and surround it with rocks. * Build your campfire downwind and at a safe distance from your tent, never leave it unattended, and after you light it, thrown your match into the fire. If any sparks escape the campfire, have a shovel or rake handy to suppress them. When it's time to leave the campfire and head to bed or back to town, make sure you put the campfire out - DEAD OUT! * Drown all embers, sticks, and coals, especially those that might have fallen under the rocks * Stir the coals to make sure all heat has been removed * Drown the area again Please remember that wildfire prevention is your individual responsibility. Be alert to weather conditions, especially wind; and ALWAYS be careful with fire. Leave your fireworks home - they don't belong in the forests. By being responsible, we can all Keep Oregon Green and have a safe 4th of July weekend ### For the Private Forests News service: Kevin Weeks Oregon Department of Forestry (503) 945-7427 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From kevin.weeks at state.or.us Tue Jun 29 12:37:39 2010 From: kevin.weeks at state.or.us (WEEKS Kevin) Date: Tue, 29 Jun 2010 12:37:39 -0700 Subject: [ODF_Private_Forests] Grants offered to Douglas Co. forest owners for fuel-reduction work Message-ID: <2659B04496B9C544A0CB26155C1FD1B666D68D70@WPODFEXCL01.ODF.STATE.OR.US> Oregon Department of Forestry NEWS RELEASE For immediate release Local media distribution June 29, 2010 Contact: Mike Dewey, 541- 440-3412 ext. 117 Grants offered to Douglas County forest owners for fuel-reduction work Owners of small woodlands in Douglas County have an opportunity to get reimbursed for work done to reduce wildfire hazards on their overstocked tree stands. The Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) and Douglas County Land Department invite landowners with overstocked tree stands to apply for federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act grant funds. "A small woodland owner who qualifies can receive up to $10,000 in reimbursement," stewardship forester Mike Dewey said. "These Recovery Act grants are targeted at restoring health and fire resiliency to forests that have become overly dense." Forest landowners may apply by filling out a one-page application form available from the ODF Roseburg Unit office and the Douglas County Land Department office. Some of the factors that will be weighed in considering an application for a grant award include: * Number of trees per acre * Proximity of structures * Proximity to a public road * Steepness of slope To qualify for consideration, an overstocked stand must be at least five contiguous acres in size. Because the grants are directed at helping small woodland owners, an applicant cannot own more than 5,000 acres of forestland. A key aim of the grants is to reduce the risk of damaging wildfires. Such fires not only destroy valuable timber but also damage wildlife habitat, degrade water quality, destroy property and even take lives. Completed grant applications will be received by the ODF Roseburg Unit office from Aug. 2 through Aug. 31, 2010. Office staff will be available to assist landowners in completing the form. Application forms may be obtained from the ODF Roseburg Unit office, 1758 NE Airport Rd., or the Douglas County Land Department office, Room 320 of the County Courthouse. Both offices are located in Roseburg. More information on Oregon Department of Forestry's federal Recovery Act projects can be found at: www.oregon.gov/odf. For information on all Recovery Act projects being administered by Oregon State Government agencies, go to the Oregon Recovery Act website, www.oregon.gov/recovery/index.page. ### -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: