From kevin.weeks at state.or.us Wed Jun 1 09:57:39 2011 From: kevin.weeks at state.or.us (WEEKS Kevin) Date: Wed, 1 Jun 2011 09:57:39 -0700 Subject: [ODF_Private_Forests] Elliott State Forest plans available for public review; meetings in Roseburg and North Bend scheduled Message-ID: <2659B04496B9C544A0CB26155C1FD1B601E5D8EBB5@WPODFEXCL01.ODF.STATE.OR.US> Oregon Department of Forestry NEWS RELEASE Elliott State Forest plans available for public review; meetings in Roseburg and North Bend scheduled For immediate release June 1, 2011 Contact: Kevin Weeks: (ODF) 503-945-7427; kweeks at odf.state.or.us Julie Curtis: (DSL) 503-986-5298; julie.curtis at state.or.us The Oregon Departments of Forestry (ODF) and State Lands (DSL) have announced the opportunity for the public to review and comment on two plans that support the proposed 2011 Forest Management Plan for the Elliott State Forest: * Forest Land Management Classification (FLMC) maps * 10-year Implementation Plan (IP) for the Elliott State Forest The public comment period for both plans begins June 1 and ends August 29, 2011. The Forest Management Plan covers 95,273 acres of state-owned forest in the Coos District, the majority located within the 93,000-acre Elliott State Forest near Reedsport. Ninety percent of the Elliott State Forest is Common School Fund land, overseen by the State Land Board. The board oversees management of the forest to provide timber revenue for K-12 schools using sound techniques of land management. The two plans provide additional operations detail to the proposed Forest Management Plan for the Elliott, which has a public comment process currently underway until August 1, 2011. The proposed Forest Management Plan would replace the current plan adopted by the State Land Board and Board of Forestry in 1994, and go into effect on January 1, 2012, after approval by both boards in fall 2011. The draft classification maps describe the forest resources within the management plan and classify lands according to the types of management activities that can occur. The draft implementation plan provides more detail on activities the ODF Coos District will undertake during the next ten years in the Elliott State Forest to carry out the objectives of the Forest Management Plan. The IP includes objectives for timber harvests, road building, reforestation and other activities that will occur over a 10?year period, and estimates of key indicators for success such as timber harvest volume and the age/species composition of forest stands. The IP also assesses the current forest conditions as a starting point and envisions an expected condition for the Elliott State Forest at the end of the 10-year IP period. Two public hearings on the Elliott State Forest Management Plan, draft Forest Land Management Classification, and draft Implementation Plan are scheduled: July 19: North Bend Public Library, 1800 Sherman Avenue, North Bend, 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. July 20: Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, 4192 North Umpqua Highway, Roseburg, 6:00 to 9:00 p.m. The hearing locations are 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 by calling the Department of Forestry at 541-267-1740. Public comments along with staff responses and recommendations will be provided to the Board of Forestry and State Land Board for review prior to final plan approval. The draft Forest Land Management Classification maps and draft Implementation Plan are both available online: www.oregon.gov/ODF/STATE_FORESTS/elliott.shtml Comments may be addressed to the State Forests Planning Specialist, Oregon Department of Forestry, 2600 State Street, OR 97310, sent to ODFStateForestsComments at odf.state.or.us, or via FAX to 503-945-7376. The Elliott State Forest became Oregon?s first state forest when acquired in 1930, named for Francis Elliott, the first State Forester of Oregon. The State Land Board owns its common school lands, while the Oregon Department of Forestry manages the state forest through an agreement with the State Land Board and Department of State Lands. Timber harvest revenues, minus the cost of management, go to the Common School Fund to support the state?s 197 K-12 public school districts. The Oregon Department of Forestry manages 821,000 acres of forests in Oregon for the environmental, social and economic benefit of Oregonians. Oregon Department of Forestry www.oregon.gov/ODF/ Common School Forestlands Backgrounder www.oregon.gov/ODF/AGENCY_AFFAIRS/docs/Common_School_Fund_2011BG.pdf Oregon Department of State Lands www.oregonstatelands.us/ Common School Fund http://www.oregonstatelands.us/DSL/DO/aboutcsf.shtml www.oregonstatelands.us/DSL/DO/aboutcsf.shtml -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From kevin.weeks at state.or.us Fri Jun 3 12:52:15 2011 From: kevin.weeks at state.or.us (WEEKS Kevin) Date: Fri, 3 Jun 2011 12:52:15 -0700 Subject: [ODF_Private_Forests] Oregon forestry awards recognize those devoted to community tree care Message-ID: <2659B04496B9C544A0CB26155C1FD1B601E5D8F010@WPODFEXCL01.ODF.STATE.OR.US> Oregon Dept. of Forestry issued this news release today. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE -- Major Media Distribution June 3, 2011 Contact: Paul D. Ries 503.945.7391 Cynthia Orlando 503-945-7421 Oregon forestry awards recognize those devoted to community tree care An ambitious tree planting program along a bike path in Portland, a City of Tigard Water Quality Coordinator and a fruit tree program in Portland are among this year's people and projects recognized by Oregon's annual "Urban and Community Forestry awards." Now in their 18th year, the awards, jointly hosted by Oregon Community Trees (OCT) and the Oregon Department of Forestry, recognize the accomplishments of individuals, groups and businesses who go the extra mile to maintain and enhance healthy community forests. Award recipients were announced yesterday at the annual Oregon Urban and Community Forestry Conference, held this year at the World Forestry Center in Portland. Award categories and recipients (drum roll): Tree City of the Year: City of Salem Salem received honors as Tree City of the Year, in part for its management of Oregon White Oaks in one of the city's largest parks. The city completed an extensive assessment of the oaks, identified hazardous trees for removal and led replanting of Oregon White Oaks in the middle of the city. Salem was a charter member of the National Arbor Day Foundation's Tree City USA program, and was the first and only nationally recognized Tree City in Oregon at the time. City staff attended ODF's Community Tree Management Institute in recent years, and Salem maintains a Heritage Tree Program with 78 trees. In short, Salem has demonstrated consistent commitment to maintaining a strong tree care program for more than 30 years. Civic Organization Award: Portland Fruit Tree Project Portland Fruit Tree Project, a grassroots non-profit organization that empowers neighbors to share in the care and harvest of urban fruit trees, received the Civic Organization Award for helping to prevent waste, building community knowledge and resources, and creating sustainable, cost-free ways to obtain healthy, locally-grown food. The Portland Fruit Tree Project organizes people to gather fruit before it falls and make it available to those who need it most, registering fruit and nut trees throughout the city and bringing people together to harvest and distribute thousands of pounds of fresh fruit each year. Professional Award: Carla Staedter, City of Tigard Staedter's dedication, drive, organization and out-going personality have been instrumental to the success of the City of Tigard's "Clean Water Streams" program. The program's purpose is to improve water quality, native habitat for wildlife and people, and remove invasive species. In her position for the past 7 years, Staedter's focus and commitment have helped the program to continue to grow in terms of accomplishments and volunteer hours. "I am very humbled to accept this award as one of hundreds who restore and care for Tigard's riparian forests," said Staedter. President's Award: Alan Tocchini Alan Tocchini is one of the original members of Oregon Community Trees, which was called the 'Oregon Urban and Community Forest Council" in its early days. Tocchini was elected to the first board of directors of the new non-profit Oregon Community Trees and served on the executive committee and as Treasurer for 15 years. After retiring from Oregon State Parks, he continued to serve on the board to share his passion for trees and his commitment to support a strong statewide organization, and Tocchini is also a long-time member of Oregon's Heritage Tree Committee. "Thank you for this recognition," said Tocchini, "although my professional focus has been in 'rural' forestry, I have always been in awe of the people who work in urban and community forestry. You make life better for everybody." Government Award: Oregon Department of Transportation A project being touted as a statewide model for greening existing ODOT right-of-way earned the agency the Government award this year. A 16.5 mile multi-use path located near the Columbia River in north Portland south to Gladstone has been planted by volunteers with some 4,000 trees and shrubs, which will reduce air pollution, provide habitat for wildlife and songbirds, and improve neighborhood livability. ODOT received the award for "investing in increasing the urban canopy in our region," and for the plantings, which provide the forum "for not only increasing green infrastructure, but for building communities and connecting diverse people." "These recipients are to be congratulated for their efforts to improve the livability of our cities," said Paul Ries, manager of ODF's urban forestry program. "Their actions are commendable for showing creativity, initiative and leadership in community tree care programs that all cities can aspire to and achieve." Anyone can make nominations for the awards, which are given annually for leadership in community and urban forestry. For information on how to make a nomination for next year's awards, contact Oregon Community Trees at www.oregoncommunitytrees.org or the Oregon Department of Forestry's urban and community forests program. - end - -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From kevin.weeks at state.or.us Sun Jun 5 08:20:45 2011 From: kevin.weeks at state.or.us (WEEKS Kevin) Date: Sun, 5 Jun 2011 08:20:45 -0700 Subject: [ODF_Private_Forests] ODF Budget passes state Ways and Means Message-ID: <2659B04496B9C544A0CB26155C1FD1B601E6A4FCE6@WPODFEXCL01.ODF.STATE.OR.US> State Forester Doug Decker issued this message to ODF staff on Friday afternoon. From: DECKER Doug S Sent: Friday, June 03, 2011 4:42 PM Hello - Our budget for the 2011-2013 biennium passed an important milestone this morning, with unanimous approval by the Legislature's joint Ways and Means Committee. The budget provides a sound foundation for our operations in the coming biennium, and will help us strengthen and develop a new vision for our Private Forests program. Here's a look at the major features of the budget as approved by the committee: Re-evaluating and Rebuilding in Private Forests There is significant good news here. The budget adds about 28 full-time equivalent positions for enforcement of the Forest Practices Act and related monitoring, and for forest health work. This increase restores most of the reductions of the past few years, returning staffing in the program approximately to 2007-2009 levels. At the same time, we've recognized that our business model for administering the Act is in need of a good re-look and modernization, something we have been discussing with our stakeholders and with legislators for some months. The budget recognizes this need, and instructs us to contract with outside firms to: 1. Conduct monitoring to determine rates of compliance with the Act - important information that we have not had resources to gather in recent years. The budget directs us to report the findings to the Ways and Means Committee during the 2013 legislative session. 2. Recommend cost savings and efficiencies in our administration of the Act. We'll work with other agencies and with stakeholders to develop recommendations, and will submit those to the Legislature in mid-2012. We'll be thinking and acting carefully as we consider the pace and extent of restoring program resources: key aspects of the work may come soon, and other components may come a bit later as we consider efficiencies and effectiveness. The take home message for all of us and our stakeholders is that the budget reflects a recognition of the importance of robust Forest Practices Act services. And it enables us to explore much-needed technology improvements and other measures that will increase our efficiency and effectiveness. These essential steps will help us, with our stakeholders, to launch a broader look at our Private Forests program. Our intent is not simply to restore the program as it has existed in the past, but to identify and provide the range of services that's best suited to keeping forests healthy and working in the 21st century. Maintaining services and cost-sharing in Fire Protection The budget continues the longstanding 50-50 sharing of basic fire protection costs between landowners and the state's General Fund. The funding system for fighting large fires also remains the same: Landowners and the state split the cost of an insurance policy to cover the costs of fighting these fires. Landowners pay the first portion of the policy's deductible, and the General Fund is responsible for the remainder. Money is also set aside, at current service levels, for the Legislature's Emergency Board to allocate to us as needed to supplement or pre-position firefighting resources when and where fire danger is highest. Other elements The budget provides ongoing authority to the State Forests program for self-funding through timber sale revenue. It also includes technical changes and other provisions, including eliminating unused, vacant positions, and re-aligning funding for agency-wide administrative services, in proportion to each program's use of those services. After today's action in Ways and Means, our budget goes next to the full House and Senate, and then to the Governor for his signature. Our new budget will go into effect July 1. As we implement these new resources, we'll also be taking into consideration the context of current vacancies, one-time federal stimulus funding that will be ending soon, and other factors. We're committed to doing this as quickly as we can, and I'll keep you posted as the process moves forward. At the end of this week, this is good news that we can all feel good about. Particularly during such difficult economic times for all Oregonians and state services, it's gratifying to see the value of our work acknowledged. This is a great tribute to your skill and dedication, and to the support of our stakeholders. On that note, have a safe and enjoyable weekend! Best, Doug ____________________________________________ Doug Decker, Oregon State Forester Director, Oregon Department of Forestry Office: 503-945-7211 Oregon Department of Forestry 2600 State Street, Salem OR 97301 http://egov.oregon.gov/ODF/ -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From kevin.weeks at state.or.us Tue Jun 7 08:45:20 2011 From: kevin.weeks at state.or.us (WEEKS Kevin) Date: Tue, 7 Jun 2011 08:45:20 -0700 Subject: [ODF_Private_Forests] Forestry Board to hold executive session June 13 Message-ID: <2659B04496B9C544A0CB26155C1FD1B601E6A4FF59@WPODFEXCL01.ODF.STATE.OR.US> The Oregon Department of Forestry issued this news media advisory today and provided public notice of this meeting as designated in Oregon Revised Statutes 192.640; the purpose of the meeting is to confer with legal counsel in Executive Session as identified in Oregon Revised Statutes 192.660. The June 13 session is closed to the public, however members of the news media may observe proceedings in conformance with the Executive Session procedures identified in Oregon Revised Statutes 192.660. Oregon Dept. of Forestry NEWS MEDIA ADVISORY Forestry Board to hold executive session June 13 Posted: June 7, 2011 News contact: Rod Nichols Oregon Dept. of Forestry 503-945-7425 rnichols at odf.state.or.us WHAT - The Oregon Board of Forestry will hold an executive session by telephone conference for the purpose of conferring with legal counsel relating to litigation. The board holds such sessions from time to time to discuss various ongoing legal cases. By law, no decisions are to be made in an executive session. The session is closed to the public, but members of the news media may attend, under provisions of ORS 192.660. WHO - The members of the Oregon Board of Forestry. WHEN - The Monday, June 13, executive session is scheduled to begin at 2:30 p.m. and conclude by 3:30 p.m. WHERE - The executive session will be held in the Tillamook Room, Building C, Oregon Department of Forestry headquarters, 2600 State St., in Salem. It is anticipated that most of the board members will participate by telephone conference, rather than in person. A speakerphone will be available in the Tillamook Room for members of the news media to listen to the meeting. MORE INFO - More information about the Board of Forestry can be found on the board's website: www.oregonforestry.gov. ### -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From kevin.weeks at state.or.us Tue Jun 7 14:32:31 2011 From: kevin.weeks at state.or.us (WEEKS Kevin) Date: Tue, 7 Jun 2011 14:32:31 -0700 Subject: [ODF_Private_Forests] Oregon firefighters honing skills on other states' wildfires Message-ID: <2659B04496B9C544A0CB26155C1FD1B601E6A50068@WPODFEXCL01.ODF.STATE.OR.US> Oregon Dept. of Forestry issued this news release today. Oregon firefighters honing skills on other states' wildfires June 7, 2011 Contact: Rod Nichols Oregon Department of Forestry 503-945-7425 rnichols at odf.state.or.us The La Nina weather pattern has delayed the onset of wildfire season in the Pacific Northwest, but Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) firefighters are seeing plenty of action elsewhere. Currently, some 66 "overhead" - specially trained fire management personnel - are on the fire lines in five states. ODF's Salem Coordination Center has dispatched 50 personnel to Alaska to aid suppression efforts on the numerous large fires burning there. Sixteen department firefighters are assisting local fire agencies to battle fast-moving blazes in New Mexico, Arizona, Texas and Georgia. While La Nina has brought cool, damp weather to Oregon and its neighboring states this spring, the cyclic weather pattern is delivering warmer temperatures and below-average precipitation to much of the rest of the U.S., creating the need for additional firefighting assistance. It has worked out well for ODF, since the deployments are enabling Oregon fire personnel to gain fire line experience and keep up their national firefighting qualifications. ODF incurs no financial drain from assisting other states, since the jurisdictional agency hosting a fire suppression operation pays the bills. As Oregon enters summer weather conditions, ODF's fire managers will pull back their personnel from the out-of-state assignments to be ready for wildfires at home. While fire activity typically picks up around the Fourth of July, forecasters predict a delay of a month or more this summer. Seven ODF personnel have returned from earlier fire assignments in the Southwest and Alaska. ### Kevin Weeks Public Information Officer Oregon Department of Forestry Agency Affairs Office (503) 945-7427 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From kevin.weeks at state.or.us Tue Jun 7 14:51:11 2011 From: kevin.weeks at state.or.us (WEEKS Kevin) Date: Tue, 7 Jun 2011 14:51:11 -0700 Subject: [ODF_Private_Forests] USDA backs Agroforestry practices Message-ID: <2659B04496B9C544A0CB26155C1FD1B601E6A50073@WPODFEXCL01.ODF.STATE.OR.US> United States Department of Agriculture News Release USDA releases plan to promote AgroForestry Deputy Agriculture Secretary Kathleen Merrigan on Monday unveiled a plan that will help farmers, ranchers and woodland owners enhance productivity, profitability and environmental stewardship by using the practice of AgroForestry. AgroForestry intentionally combines agriculture and forestry to create integrated and sustainable land-use systems that take advantage of the interactive benefits from combining trees and shrubs with crops or livestock. Merrigan unveiled the USDA Agroforestry Strategic Framework during the North American AgroForestry Conference, in Athens, Ga. The framework is the USDA guide to advance AgroForestry knowledge, practices and assistance that lay the roadmap to influence the long-term health and sustainability of all lands for future generations. "AgroForestry does not sacrifice farmland for forests or forests for farmland," Merrigan said. "Rather, AgroForestry is the marriage of disciplines that, in the end, will protect our natural resources, benefit our communities and allow for the development of other sources of income for farmers, ranchers and woodland owners. AgroForestry can enhance values for any landowner." U.S. Department of Agriculture news release http://content.govdelivery.com/bulletins/gd/USDAOC-8570e USDA AgroForestry Strategic Framework http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/usdahome?navid=FOREST_FORESTRY ### Kevin Weeks Public Information Officer Oregon Department of Forestry Agency Affairs Office (503) 945-7427 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From kevin.weeks at state.or.us Wed Jun 8 16:08:45 2011 From: kevin.weeks at state.or.us (WEEKS Kevin) Date: Wed, 8 Jun 2011 16:08:45 -0700 Subject: [ODF_Private_Forests] Oregon 2010 timber harvest rebounds from record low Message-ID: <2659B04496B9C544A0CB26155C1FD1B601E6A50298@WPODFEXCL01.ODF.STATE.OR.US> Oregon Dept. of Forestry issued this news release today. Oregon's 2010 timber harvest rebounds from record low June 8, 2011 Gary Lettman, 503-945-7408, glettman at odf.state.or.us or Rod Nichols, 503-945-7425, rnichols at odf.state.or.us Although Oregon's forest products industries are still struggling, a glimmer of hope appeared with increased timber harvesting in 2010. Overcoming a weak housing market and tightened lending standards, the 2010 harvest hit 3.2 billion board feet, a rise of 17 percent from 2009's historic low of 2.7 billion board feet. A spike in lumber prices and increased log and lumber exports to China in 2010 drove up log prices by 21 percent, which fueled the uptick in harvests. >From 2009 to 2010, harvest numbers increased for every forest land ownership class except for the Bureau of Land Management. Forest industry, which accounted for 68 percent of Oregon's total 2010 harvest, also recorded the largest gain in harvest. This category, comprising large, corporate landowners, added 219 million board feet in 2010. This brought the industry total to 2.2 billion board feet, an 11 percent increase from the 2009 harvest of just under 2 billion board feet. Although forest industry accounted for the largest volume increase in harvest from the 2009 numbers, the other private sector-often called non-industrial or family forestland owners-accounted for the largest percentage growth in harvest from 2009 to 2010. Cutting 93 million board feet in 2009, these smaller landowners expanded harvests by 145 percent to a total of 228 million board feet in 2010. Other notable increases in 2010 timber harvest include those of the U.S. Forest Service and State owner classes, each with an increase of 62 million board feet over 2009 totals. From 2009 the State total increased 26 percent to 297 million board feet, and the Forest Service total grew 32 percent to 254 million board feet. Both State and Forest Service harvest totals for 2010 are the highest for those ownership classes since 2005. With a harvest of 79 million board feet, the Native American tribes' totals are up 14 million board feet from 2009 - the highest they have been since 2004. As for individual county totals, Lane edged out Douglas for the No. 1 spot in the state, 455 to 436 million board feet. Lane County harvest grew 35 percent from 2009, most of this increase coming from forest industry, other private and U.S. Forest Service lands. Western Oregon The 2010 western Oregon timber harvest increased 18 percent from 2009 to 2.8 billion board feet. All western Oregon counties increased harvest from 2009 except Clatsop, Hood River, Josephine and Polk Counties. Eastern Oregon Eastern Oregon's 2010 timber harvest increased 16 percent from 2009 to 400 million board feet. Eastern Oregon counties whose harvest increased in 2010 include Deschutes, Grant, Klamath, Lake, Morrow, Wallowa and Wasco. Klamath County led eastern Oregon counties with a harvest of 94 million board feet - a 23 percent increase from 2009. China syndrome The wild card in 2011 is China. The U.S. housing market remains depressed, non-residential construction is weak, and log prices have declined from recent highs. Resurgence in construction markets hinges on a broader economic recovery, but the nation's economic recovery has hit a soft patch. Unless an unforeseen return in domestic housing demand occurs, log and lumber export levels, including to China, will drive log prices and timber harvests in 2011. ### -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From kevin.weeks at state.or.us Tue Jun 14 14:01:38 2011 From: kevin.weeks at state.or.us (WEEKS Kevin) Date: Tue, 14 Jun 2011 14:01:38 -0700 Subject: [ODF_Private_Forests] Public tour of Clatsop State Forest and advisory group meeting set for June 28 & 29 Message-ID: <2659B04496B9C544A0CB26155C1FD1B601FE2CE9CB@WPODFEXCL01.ODF.STATE.OR.US> Oregon Department of Forestry - NEWS RELEASE Public tour of Clatsop State Forest and advisory group meeting set for June 28 & 29 June 14, 2011 Contact: Kevin Weeks (503) 945-7427 The Oregon Department of Forestry's (ODF) Astoria District will be hosting a tour of Clatsop State Forest operations and review forest management plan development with an advisory group for state forest management on June 28 and 29th in Astoria. The State Forests Advisory Committee (SFAC) is made up of citizens and interest group representatives from environmental, forest products, local governments and recreational groups. The committee provides a forum to discuss issues, opportunities and concerns, and offer advice and guidance to ODF on implementation of the Northwest Oregon Forest Management Plan. Tuesday June 28 - tour of Clatsop State Forest A day-long field tour will provide SFAC members a glimpse of forest management principles at work in the Clatsop State Forest. During the morning, stops are scheduled to explain aspects of the 2011 Implementation Plan for the forest, showing stands of timber recently thinned or scheduled for thinning during the coming year and explaining how the new Implementation Plan will offer more options for protecting streams and enhancing wildlife habitat. Following a lunch break, the tour resumes with a visit to an even-age harvest tract that includes aquatic restoration work and concludes with a visit to the Nicolai Mountain OHV recreation area, explaining more about ODF's recreation area for Off-Highway Vehicles and several partnerships that enable new recreation opportunities in the Clatsop State Forest. The field tour is open to the public. Public members participating on the tour are asked to meet at the Sunset Rest Area on U.S. Highway 26 (milepost 29) by 9:00 a.m. for a tour briefing. Public members participating in the tour are responsible for providing their own lunch and transportation to field tour stops. Wednesday June 29 - State Forests Advisory Committee meeting, Fort Clatsop On Wednesday, the State Forests Advisory Committee will hold its regularly-scheduled June meeting. The proposed agenda for the meeting is scheduled to include a review of the public comments and SFAC recommendations for the draft 2011 Implementation Plans for the ODF Astoria and ODF Forest Grove districts received during the public review period that closed May 25th, a discussion of the Species of Concern Strategies in the NW Oregon Forest Management Plan, and review of the recommendations provided to the Oregon Board of Forestry by the Institute for Natural Resources regarding management of the NW Oregon state-owned forests. The meeting begins at 9:00 a.m. at the Fort Clatsop Visitors Interpretive Center, 92343 Fort Clatsop Road (take Alternative Highway 101 south of the Astoria Regional Airport to Fort Clatsop Road - Lewis and Clark National Historic Park). The agenda includes a scheduled time for public comment at 12:00 p.m. 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 503-945-7427. The Oregon Department of Forestry provides land management of 821,000 acres of forest within Oregon, concentrated in six large State Forests and numerous small forest tracts in 15 Oregon counties. Two-thirds of the revenue generated from timber sales goes to the counties that deeded these lands to the state. ODF retains one-third of revenues to manage the forestlands and protect these public assets from fire. Additional information about the State Forests Advisory Committee is available on the ODF web site at: http://www.oregon.gov/ODF/STATE_FORESTS/State_Forests_Advisory_Committee.shtml ### Kevin Weeks Public Information Officer Oregon Department of Forestry Agency Affairs Office (503) 945-7427 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From kevin.weeks at state.or.us Mon Jun 20 14:23:03 2011 From: kevin.weeks at state.or.us (WEEKS Kevin) Date: Mon, 20 Jun 2011 14:23:03 -0700 Subject: [ODF_Private_Forests] ODF Executive Team Changes Message-ID: <2659B04496B9C544A0CB26155C1FD1B601FE2CF0E3@WPODFEXCL01.ODF.STATE.OR.US> State Forester Doug Decker provided this message to Oregon Department of Forestry staff on Monday about realignments within the ODF Executive Team. Kevin Weeks Public Information Officer Oregon Department of Forestry Agency Affairs Office (503) 945-7427 From: DECKER Doug S Sent: Monday, June 20, 2011 11:46 AM To: ALL FORESTRY Subject: Executive Team Changes and Recruitment Update Good morning ODF... I've been looking forward to being able to provide an update on a topic I mentioned a few months back related to changes in our executive structure. You'll recall that I've been talking about and working on ways to increase our executive capacity to help lead important work on our plate, and at the same time making some changes to the structure of the executive team to help us be more productive. Last week we received the "green light" from the Budget and Management Division at DAS on making those structural changes. This week, we'll work to put the pieces in place, and as we do that, I'm very pleased to share this news. So here's a rundown on the changes: Reinstating the Deputy State Forester Position | Paul Bell as Deputy In place of the current Associate State Forester position, we'll be reinstating the role of the Deputy State Forester. I have asked Paul Bell, who has been doing double duty as Associate State Forester and Fire Division Chief, to take on this role. Throughout our history as an agency, the deputy position has been critical in integrating field and program operations, and serving as the agency's second in command. Paul, a 21-year ODF veteran, has worked extensively in most of our department businesses including: seasonal firefighter, forest fuels specialist in smoke management, Service Forester, Forest Practices Policy Analyst, District Forester, Private Forests Deputy Chief, Fire Division Chief and Associate State Forester. Paul's extensive field and staff experience as well as proven leadership enable him to fulfill this position perfectly, serving in essence as our agency's chief operations officer. In doing this, we create an opening in the Fire Division Chief position. Nancy Hirsch to take on the Fire Division Chief position Our current State Forests Division Chief Nancy Hirsch will move over into the fire world and take on the Fire Division Chief position. We have a tradition on Executive Team that when Division Chief positions come vacant, existing Division Chiefs can voice an interest in taking on new portfolios. Nancy has expressed interest in the top fire position in the agency, and I'm very pleased to support her in this move. For context, Nancy has excellent credentials in fire. She actually started her natural resources career back in 1984 as a firefighter for the Washington Department of Natural Resources. Over the past 22 years with ODF she has been involved with fire protection in multiple venues that include: coordinating fire preparedness planning and mobilization as the assistant to the northwest Oregon area, partnering with the Clackamas-Marion fire protective association as a district forester, providing leadership in various Incident Command System roles within operations and command staff, and serving on the cadre for the Complex Incident Management Course. She has also recently served as the IC for ODF Fire Team 3. Nancy is also a demonstrated relationship builder, excellent communicator and experienced leader. This fall she served as acting State Forester for several months during the recent leadership transition. Her leadership in State Forests the last two years has been critical during some very challenging times. Obviously, these changes will leave open the State Forests Division Chief position, which we'll begin open competitive recruiting for immediately. Nancy will stay in State Forests-and Paul as Fire Division Chief-probably through much of the fire season as we work through the recruitment process, but you can bet there will be plenty of communication between them as they ready the transition. I'm very sensitive about the timing on this given both the critical fire and state forest topics at hand right now, and we'll all be working to make this as seamless as possible. Fill the Private Forests Division Chief Position When this position became vacant in 2009, the agency chose not to fill it. But with the significant focus on rebuilding the program and making restoration to the Forest Practices Program, I believe we need to fill this position permanently to provide leadership on these and many other topics going forward. Peter Daugherty, Private Forests Deputy Chief, has been doing an excellent job serving as acting Division Chief in this position since Marvin's departure in October. All of us on the Executive Team believe this is a critical leadership position to coordinate and collaborate with the landowner and operator community, other regulatory agencies, a wide range of interests, the legislature and within ODF. Recruitment begins immediately. Amend and fill the State Forester's Executive Assistant Position Darlene Downey served as secretary to the State Forester during much of Marvin's term. With her departure, I've moved to reshape that position from an Executive Support Specialist 1 position to a higher level Executive Assistant position. This assistant is critical to help me and members of the Executive Team be as productive as possible, helping with all aspects of scheduling, organization, communication referral and also providing talented special project support. Jen Warren has been acting in this position since March, and has been a huge help to me and to the team. You may have seen the recruitment announcement for this position, which went out last week. How the new Executive Team structure works... With these changes, our Executive Team will consist of the State Forester and Deputy, four Division Chiefs, the three Area Directors, the Resources Planning, Human Resources and Agency Affairs Program Directors, the Executive Assistant, and the internal auditor when we are able to fill that currently vacant position. The Area Directors and the chiefs of the Fire, State Forests and Private Forests divisions will report to Paul. The Administrative Services chief and the other team members will report to me. We will continue to focus as a single close-knit team on the challenges and opportunities ahead. Together, I believe these moves will retain the excellent working relationships we already have on our Executive Team and provide the capacity to shape and lead our businesses through this rebuilding phase into the future. A few other thoughts... Since we're looking at the radar screen of change and recruiting relative to the Executive Team, I also wanted to mention that recruitment announcements for the Southern Oregon Area Director, and a revised Resource Planning Director position, will also be in circulation in the next several days. Dave Lorenz has been doing a great job as acting SOA Director since Dan Shults' retirement; Kevin Birch starts today as interim Resource Planning Director as David Morman prepares to retire effective July 1. I've made some significant changes to the Resource Planning position, including taking on agency-wide planning coordination, and bringing that position onto the Executive Team. I am very pleased with the commitment and leadership from the Exec Team...we're clarifying roles, responsibilities and expectations, and working hard on both near-term and longer-term topics, through weekly meetings and a series of on-going retreats. Change is the only constant... Last thought: this is a time of change, and I believe positive change. As foresters and people connected to the natural landscape, we know that change is the only real constant in our lives. I ask for your patience and support as we make these changes, and for your support of agency leaders involved in these changes. I also extend my appreciation and thanks for the job you do. Stay safe out there. Doug Decker, Oregon State Forester Director, Oregon Department of Forestry Office: 503-945-7211 Oregon Department of Forestry 2600 State Street, Salem OR 97301 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From kevin.weeks at state.or.us Tue Jun 21 08:07:42 2011 From: kevin.weeks at state.or.us (WEEKS Kevin) Date: Tue, 21 Jun 2011 08:07:42 -0700 Subject: [ODF_Private_Forests] State Forest Stewardship Coordinating Committee meets June 28 in Salem Message-ID: <2659B04496B9C544A0CB26155C1FD1B601FE2CF1A5@WPODFEXCL01.ODF.STATE.OR.US> Oregon Department of Forestry - NEWS RELEASE State Forest Stewardship Coordinating Committee meets June 28 in Salem June 21, 2011 Contact: Kevin Weeks (503) 945-7427 Oregon's State Forest Stewardship Coordinating Committee will meet on Tuesday June 28, 2011 from 10:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) headquarters in Salem, 2600 State Street (Operations Building D - Santiam meeting room). The proposed agenda for the meeting is scheduled to include discussion about the Forest Legacy Program, including finalizing the Committee's recommendation for Oregon's Forest Legacy Areas - distinct geographic regions defining eligibility for consideration of Forest Legacy Program funding. Discussion is also planned about the upcoming application, review & ranking process for submitting Oregon's projects for federal FY 2013 Forest Legacy Program funding considerations. Also scheduled is an update on the Uniform Resource Plan Project - a collaborative project where state and federal agencies along with non-governmental forest certification program agree on a set of guidelines and tools for forest management planning by family forest landowners. Public comments are scheduled to be heard at 10:00 a.m. 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. Additional information about the State Forest Stewardship Coordinating Committee is available on ODF's web site at: www.oregon.gov/ODF/RESOURCE_PLANNING/sfscc.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 Tue Jun 21 15:21:55 2011 From: kevin.weeks at state.or.us (WEEKS Kevin) Date: Tue, 21 Jun 2011 15:21:55 -0700 Subject: [ODF_Private_Forests] Smoke Mgmt Advisory Committee to meet June 29 in Salem Message-ID: <2659B04496B9C544A0CB26155C1FD1B601FE2CF390@WPODFEXCL01.ODF.STATE.OR.US> Oregon Dept. of Forestry issued this meeting announcement today. Smoke Management Advisory Committee to meet June 29, Salem Posted: June 21, 2011 WHAT - A five-member committee tasked with advising the Oregon Department of Forestry on the state's Smoke Management Plan will work through an agenda that includes: * Regional Haze Rule - Brian Finneran, Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), will discuss the interface between prescribed forest burning and the haze rule. * Klamath Falls Attainment Plan - Finneran will discuss efforts currently underway to assist the city in meeting the Attainment Plan standards. * Smoke Management Plan review - The committee will discuss a timeline for the five-year Smoke Management Plan review. The current plan, adopted in 2008, will expire in 2013. Public comments will be received at approximately 9:25 a.m. WHO - By Oregon statute, the Smoke Management Advisory Committee includes representatives of industrial and non-industrial forest landowners, the U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management and the general public. WHEN - 9 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. on Wednesday, June 29, 2011 WHERE - Oregon Department of Forestry headquarters, Building D - Santiam Room, 2600 State St., Salem. MORE INFO - Rod Nichols, 503-945-7425, rnichols at odf.state.or.us, www.oregon.gov/ODF/FIRE/fire.shtml#Smoke_Management_Information ### -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From kevin.weeks at state.or.us Wed Jun 22 08:16:51 2011 From: kevin.weeks at state.or.us (WEEKS Kevin) Date: Wed, 22 Jun 2011 08:16:51 -0700 Subject: [ODF_Private_Forests] Committee for Family Forestlands meets June 30 in Salem Message-ID: <2659B04496B9C544A0CB26155C1FD1B601FE2CF426@WPODFEXCL01.ODF.STATE.OR.US> Oregon Department of Forestry - NEWS RELEASE Committee for Family Forestlands meets June 30 in Salem June 22, 2011 Contact: Kevin Weeks (503) 945-7427 The Committee for Family Forestlands is scheduled to meet at 9:00 a.m. on Thursday June 30, 2011 at the Oregon Department of Forestry headquarters in Salem, 2600 State Street - Operations Building D, Santiam meeting room. The Committee provides information to the Oregon Board of Forestry and the State Forester on ways to improve the vitality of Oregon's family forestlands. The agenda for the meeting is under development. 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 503-945-7502. Thirteen positions, seven voting members and six seats in non-voting roles, form the Committee. Voting members include family forest owners, an environmental community representative, a representative of Oregon's forest products industry and a citizen-at-large representing the public. Representatives of the Oregon Department of Forestry, Oregon State University, Oregon Small Woodlands Association, forestry-related industry associations and the Oregon Forest Resources Institute serve in a non-voting capacity. Oregon's forests are among one of the state's most valued resources, providing a balanced mix of environmental, economic and social benefits. Additional information about the Oregon Department of Forestry is available on ODF's web site, www.oregon.gov/ODF. ### 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 Wed Jun 22 08:54:13 2011 From: kevin.weeks at state.or.us (WEEKS Kevin) Date: Wed, 22 Jun 2011 08:54:13 -0700 Subject: [ODF_Private_Forests] REVISED Committee for Family Forestlands meets June 30 in Salem Message-ID: <2659B04496B9C544A0CB26155C1FD1B601FE2CF44D@WPODFEXCL01.ODF.STATE.OR.US> This revised version of the ODF news release reflects the draft agenda for the June 30 meeting - Kevin Weeks Public Information Officer ODF Agency Affairs Office (503) 945-7427 ***************************************************************** Committee for Family Forestlands meets June 30 in Salem June 21, 2011 Contact: Kevin Weeks (503) 945-7427 The Committee for Family Forestlands is scheduled to meet at 9:00 a.m. on Thursday June 30, 2011 at the Oregon Department of Forestry headquarters in Salem, 2600 State Street - Operations Building D, Santiam meeting room. The Committee provides information to the Oregon Board of Forestry and the State Forester on ways to improve the vitality of Oregon's family forestlands. The agenda for the meeting is scheduled to include reports on the 2011 legislative session, program updates and a presentation about the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) administered by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. Both EQIP and CREP provide assistance to Oregon landowners. 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 503-945-7502. Thirteen positions, seven voting members and six seats in non-voting roles, form the Committee. Voting members include family forest owners, an environmental community representative, a representative of Oregon's forest products industry and a citizen-at-large representing the public. Representatives of the Oregon Department of Forestry, Oregon State University, Oregon Small Woodlands Association, forestry-related industry associations and the Oregon Forest Resources Institute serve in a non-voting capacity. Oregon's forests are among one of the state's most valued resources, providing a balanced mix of environmental, economic and social benefits. Additional information about the Oregon Department of Forestry is available on ODF's web site, www.oregon.gov/ODF. ### 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 Thu Jun 23 14:58:14 2011 From: kevin.weeks at state.or.us (WEEKS Kevin) Date: Thu, 23 Jun 2011 14:58:14 -0700 Subject: [ODF_Private_Forests] Be mindful of fire safety in the forest over the Fourth Message-ID: <2659B04496B9C544A0CB26155C1FD1B601FE3F6EE8@WPODFEXCL01.ODF.STATE.OR.US> Oregon Dept. of Forestry issued this news release today. Be mindful of fire safety in the forest over the Fourth For immediate release Major media distribution June 23, 2011 Contact: Rod Nichols, 503-945-7425, rnichols at odf.state.or.us When nearly everywhere you look is green, it's easy to become complacent about fire danger in the forest. But this Fourth of July there is still much that can burn, even after the wet, cool spring. Duff, that layer of conifer needles and other dead vegetation on the forest floor, dries out quickly in warm weather, particularly where it has been shielded from rain by the forest canopy. In preparing to battle a forest fire, wildland firefighters often go over a list of "watch-outs" - potential safety hazards to be aware of. Reviewing this short list of recreation watch-outs before heading to the forest can help ensure a fire-safe holiday. Campfires When building a campfire, always clear the site down to mineral soil. Extend the cleared area out to at least five feet on all sides. This will keep the campfire from igniting the duff and causing a slow burn that could eventually grow into a wildfire. Even live, green growth can burn when a campfire is placed under overhanging tree limbs. Rising heat from a campfire or cook stove may dry out the limbs to the point of ignition. A recreational fire needs to be at least 25 feet away from anything that can burn. It also pays to look down: Many wildfires have occurred when recreationists built campfires atop tree roots covered by a thin layer of soil. The roots can smolder without flame or smoke for days or even months. A warm, windy day may rekindle the "sleeper fire" into flames. Never leave a campfire unattended. Have a bucket of water, or shovel and dirt nearby to extinguish the fire, and make sure it is completely out before leaving the site. Fireworks It almost goes without saying that fireworks have no place in the forest. Even the lowly sparkler burns at close to 2,000 degrees - hot enough to dry out the dampest vegetation and set it ablaze. Enjoy fireworks where they belong: on the pavement. Smoking A lit cigarette discarded into dry leaves or conifer needles is sort of the incendiary version of an IED. It can smolder without noticeable smoke for a long time before igniting the surrounding fuel bed. Wherever you smoke, properly dispose of your smoking materials (ashtray, water or sand to make sure it's out). Off-road vehicle use The exhaust systems of four-wheel-drives and ATVs crank out a lot of heat. Only a few seconds of contact between dry grass and a catalytic converter or a motorcycle tailpipe can literally blaze a trail in the forest. Stay on established roads and trails, and park on gravel surfaces or developed roadside pull-outs. Fire safety tips for camping and recreating in the forest are available on the Keep Oregon Green Association website, www.keeporegongreen.com, and from other wildfire prevention agencies and organizations, as well as local fire departments. ### -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: