From kevin.weeks at state.or.us Thu Nov 3 12:56:12 2011 From: kevin.weeks at state.or.us (WEEKS Kevin) Date: Thu, 3 Nov 2011 12:56:12 -0700 Subject: [ODF_Private_Forests] Elliott State Forest road closures end on November 4 Message-ID: <2659B04496B9C544A0CB26155C1FD1B6020039DAB0@WPODFEXCL01.ODF.STATE.OR.US> OREGON DEPARTMENT OF FORESTRY - News Release Elliott State Forest road gating ends on November 4 November 3, 2011 Contact: Kevin Weeks, ODF Public Affairs (503) 689-6879 mobile and (503) 945-7427 office Certain roads in the Elliott State Forest southeast of Reedsport that were closed to public vehicle access on September 2 as a public safety measure, and to ensure that the state could meet its contractual timber sale obligations, will be opened to public vehicle access on Friday, the Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) has announced. Several areas of the forest will remain closed to public entry in order to ensure public safety during active timber harvest operations. Road 8100 will also remain closed to vehicular traffic for public safety and resource protection. ODF, which manages the forest on behalf of the State Land Board and the Department of State Lands, closed the roads to public vehicle access in September to provide for public safety and to ensure that timber sales could be completed in a safe and timely manner in accordance with timber sale contracts. The roads were closed in response to substantially increased use by the public, including entry into areas that had been closed during tree felling operations, creating public safety and law enforcement concerns. These activities have not occurred recently, and a significant number of timber sales in the road closure area have now been completed. A top priority for (ODF) is safety for all forest users in the Elliott State Forest, including reducing potential conflicts from vehicle traffic encountering heavy equipment, log trucks and other traffic associated with sale activities on narrow forest roads. For additional information about area closures in the Elliott State Forest, go to the Oregon Department of Forestry's web site: www.oregon.gov/ODF/STATE_FORESTS/elliottsafety.shtml You can also receive updated information about Elliott State Forest gate or area closures by following us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/ElliottSF The Elliott State Forest is a working, publicly-owned forest and provides revenues from timber harvests for Oregon's 197 K-12 public school districts. ### Kevin Weeks Public Information Officer Oregon Department of Forestry Public Affairs Office (503) 945-7427 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From kevin.weeks at state.or.us Thu Nov 3 13:01:01 2011 From: kevin.weeks at state.or.us (WEEKS Kevin) Date: Thu, 3 Nov 2011 13:01:01 -0700 Subject: [ODF_Private_Forests] Forestry Board honors outstanding forest educators Message-ID: <2659B04496B9C544A0CB26155C1FD1B6020039DABC@WPODFEXCL01.ODF.STATE.OR.US> The Oregon Department of Forestry issued this news release today - Forestry Board honors outstanding forest educators For Immediate Release Major Media Distribution November 3, 2011 Contact: Rod Nichols, 503-945-7425 Susan Sahnow, 541-737-3005 The Oregon Board of Forestry today recognized three individuals and an organization for excellence in forestry education. The annual Mary Rellergert Forestry Education award honors significant contributions to public education and understanding of forestry in Oregon. The 2011 winners are: * Kari O'Connell, PhD, Oregon State University (OSU), Corvallis - Formal Educator category * Tom Fields, Douglas Forest Protective Association, Roseburg - Non-Formal Educator category * Forests Today & Forever (FT&F), Eugene - Organization category * Norie Dimeo-Ediger, Oregon Forest Resources Institute, Portland - State Forester's award Kari O'Connell In her former role as director of Oregon State University's H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest and current position as project coordinator of the Oregon Natural Resources Education program (ONREP), Kari O'Connell has provided forestry education experiences for a vast array of Oregonians, ranging in age from kindergarten students to life-long learners. As a research scientist also experienced at working with educators, she has demonstrated a unique ability to link researchers with teachers to transfer field research into relevant, field-based projects for students. In nominating O'Connell for the award, OSU forestry professor Barbara Bond, PhD, highlighted the "Teachers as Researchers" program O'Connell developed. "Her workshops and training sessions focus entirely on hands-on research experience for teachers, and strategies for them to in turn provide hands-on learning experiences in forests with their students," she said. No ivory tower academic, in her former job as director of the Andrews Forest O'Connell played a lead role in an annual open house at the site east of Springfield that typically draws 120 or more, including members of the local community as well as state and local elected officials. In her current position, she has engaged 60 middle school and high school teachers (who reach more than 5,000 students each year) in long-term professional development projects that support teachers in involving their students in field-based science inquiry. Tom Fields Currently with the Oregon Department of Forestry, Tom Fields served in a dual role as fire educator and information officer with his former employer, the Douglas Forest Protective Association. On any given day with the Association he might have been found in a classroom teaching grade-schoolers fire prevention, or in the forest reporting breaking news on a wildfire. And whenever a large fire broke out and his incident management team was dispatched, the place to look for him was on the fire line leading reporters to the best spots to photograph the action. Roseburg elementary school teacher Wendy Jessen described Fields' ability to connect with kids: "Information is presented in a clear and easy-to-understand format. Videos and conversations are at the students' level, and examples are given to help clarify concepts clearly," she said. On some occasions, he rode into classrooms on a scooter with music blaring, high-fived kids and danced with teachers to get everyone excited about preventing human-caused fires. When asked to assist with national Fire Prevention Week (FPW), Fields demonstrated a gift for organizing. As president of the Douglas County Fire Prevention Cooperative, he took his fire safety and awareness message to the community, contacting 13 schools and attracting more than 1,300 students to the 2010 event. In addition to the students, more than 8,000 people of all ages were motivated to make their way through the festivities that year that included participation from 20 volunteer fire departments and wildland fire agencies. The reduction in fires and fire-related injuries in the county can be linked in great part to the success of the fire educator's annual FPW outreach work. Forests Today & Forever Founded in 1985, Forests Today & Forever (FT&F) is best known for its highly successful Forest Field Day (FFD). Begun in Corvallis, FFD teaches sixth- and seventh-graders about forest stewardship through on-the-ground experiences. Some of the tree farmers who hosted the event have remarked that they could actually implement the management plans that the students produced. Since FT&F brought Forest Field Day to the Eugene area in the early 1990s, some 45,000 students, teachers and parents have been served by the program. Each year FFD draws about 1,500 kids from 34 area schools. At the Oregon Logging Conference held in Eugene, FT&F and Oregon Women in Timber organize a forestry education event that draws several hundred students annually. They meet a working forester and learn about the job, take a guided tour of the logging equipment on display, and receive an introduction to the science of forestry from professional educators. The Willamette Valley forestry community's appreciation for the work of Forests Today & Forever is exemplified in an offer made by a local couple. They plan to bequeath their woodland property to FT&F to be managed as a working forest and forestry education site. State Forester's Award This year a new category has been added to the Mary Rellergert awards: the State Forester's award. "This is an opportunity to reach beyond the formal nominating process, bestowing a special honor on an exceptional contributor to the cause of forestry education," State Forester Doug Decker said. "Norie Dimeo-Ediger is a teacher of teachers, having helped countless teachers open their students' eyes to the wonder, richness and complexity of forests." Dimeo-Ediger is director of K-12 education programs at the Oregon Forest Resources Institute (OFRI). In 2010, she led a statewide effort that gathered educators, academics and forest resource specialists, all in pursuit of the answer to the question, What should every student know about Oregon's forests? The result is the Oregon Forest Literacy Program. This year, she played a key role in OFRI's winning the Project Learning Tree Gold Star Award. The national award singled out Dimeo-Ediger for her leadership in Oregon, and for helping to guide activities that reach beyond Oregon to benefit forestry education programs in other states. Rick Zenn, Senior Fellow at the World Forestry Center in Portland, described the OFRI educator as "smart, conscientious, hard-working, and committed to advancing public understanding about the value of Oregon's forests." The Rellergert award series honor the Oregon Department of Forestry's former forest education coordinator, Mary Rellergert, who passed away in February 2004. Rellergert was a highly regarded forest education leader and founder of the Tillamook State Forest Education Program, which provides high quality forest learning experiences for K-12 students at the Tillamook Forest Center. The 2011 Mary Rellergert Forestry Education Award winners were selected by a panel of forestry educators from the Oregon Forest Resources Institute, Oregon Department of Forestry, Oregon Natural Resources Education Program, and past recipients of the award. ### -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From kevin.weeks at state.or.us Thu Nov 3 14:27:31 2011 From: kevin.weeks at state.or.us (WEEKS Kevin) Date: Thu, 3 Nov 2011 14:27:31 -0700 Subject: [ODF_Private_Forests] Forestry Board approves updated Elliott State Forest management plan Message-ID: <2659B04496B9C544A0CB26155C1FD1B6020039DADE@WPODFEXCL01.ODF.STATE.OR.US> Oregon Department of Forestry - NEWS RELEASE Forestry Board approves updated Elliott State Forest management plan November 3, 2011 Contact: Kevin Weeks (503) 689-6879 or Dan Postrel (503) 945-7420 The Oregon Board of Forestry Thursday approved a new management plan that increases timber harvest and addresses conservation values on the Elliott State Forest near Reedsport. Meeting in Forest Grove, the Board voted 4 to 2 to approve the plan, which becomes effective on January 1, 2012. The new plan: Increases timber production with sustainable targets. Projected annual timber harvests increase from the current average of 25 million board feet to 40 million board feet. Clear-cut and partial-cut harvests are planned to occur on 1 percent of the forest's total acreage each year. All harvest areas are replanted, as required by Oregon law. Expands revenues to public schools. The purpose of the Elliott State Forest, as directed in the Oregon Constitution, is to generate revenue to fund Oregon's 197 K-12 public school districts. The 2011 plan is forecast to provide net revenue to the Common School Fund and counties of $9 million to $13 million annually, depending on market conditions - an increase over current yields of about $6 million to $8 million under the 1995 plan. Provides for conservation areas that are protected from timber harvest. An estimated 28,000 acres - about one-third of the Elliott State Forest - will be unavailable over time for timber harvest consideration. Over the next 35 years, the proportion of the landscape in older forest habitat is expected to increase from 43 percent of the forest to 50 percent. Supports the economies of coastal Oregon and the Willamette Valley. The plan will generate several million dollars in additional forest-products sector payroll in southern Oregon and the mid-Willamette Valley as Elliott State Forest logs are processed in local mills. Logs harvested from state lands are prohibited under federal and state law from being exported as raw logs. Board members John Blackwell, Cal Mukumoto, Jennifer Phillippi and Gary Springer voted in favor of the plan, with members Peter Hayes and Sybil Ackerman opposed. The Board vote serves as concurrence with the State Land Board's approval of the plan, and also adopts the forest management plan for the roughly ten percent of the Elliott State Forest under Board of Forestry ownership. More than 90 percent of the 93,000-acre Elliott consists of Common School Fund lands under jurisdiction of the State Land Board. The Department of Forestry manages those lands under agreement with the Land Board and the Department of State Lands. The rest of the forest is under jurisdiction of the Board and Department of Forestry. The Land Board, consisting of Governor John Kitzhaber, State Treasurer Ted Wheeler and Secretary of State Kate Brown, approved the new management plan unanimously on October 11. Two public comment periods occurred on the draft forest management plan, one in 2010 and a second which ended August 1, 2011. Public hearings on the draft plan were held in Roseburg and North Bend this year. Implementation of the plan will include annual reviews, ongoing research and monitoring, and investigation of potential sales of carbon credits, which reflect forests' capacity to absorb carbon dioxide that contributes to global climate change. In 2010, the Land Board and the Board of Forestry directed the departments of Forestry and State Lands to prepare a new Elliott plan to replace a Habitat Conservation Plan first adopted by agreement with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 1995. Prior to this direction, the state had tried for several years to reach agreement with federal agencies on revisions to the habitat plan. The Elliott State Forest was established in 1930 as Oregon's first state forest. The 2011 Elliott State Forest Management Plan is available on the ODF web site at: www.oregon.gov/ODF/STATE_FORESTS/elliott.shtml ### Kevin Weeks Public Information Officer Oregon Department of Forestry Public Affairs Office (503) 945-7427 -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From kevin.weeks at state.or.us Mon Nov 7 12:03:28 2011 From: kevin.weeks at state.or.us (WEEKS Kevin) Date: Mon, 7 Nov 2011 12:03:28 -0800 Subject: [ODF_Private_Forests] Video of Governor remarks to Board of Forestry Message-ID: <2659B04496B9C544A0CB26155C1FD1B6020039DD6E@WPODFEXCL01.ODF.STATE.OR.US> Video and written statements of Governor John Kitzhaber's address to the Oregon Board of Forestry on Thursday November 3rd are available on the Oregon Department of Forestry web site at: www.oregon.gov/ODF/AGENCY_AFFAIRS/Governor_Video.shtml Kevin Weeks Public Information Officer Oregon Department of Forestry Public Affairs Office (503) 945-7427 kweeks at odf.state.or.us -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From kevin.weeks at state.or.us Mon Nov 7 12:28:40 2011 From: kevin.weeks at state.or.us (WEEKS Kevin) Date: Mon, 7 Nov 2011 12:28:40 -0800 Subject: [ODF_Private_Forests] Think "safety" for autumn adventures in the Tillamook State Forest Message-ID: <2659B04496B9C544A0CB26155C1FD1B6020039DD7A@WPODFEXCL01.ODF.STATE.OR.US> Oregon Department of Forestry - NEWS RELEASE Think "safety" for autumn adventures in the Tillamook State Forest FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Distribution: Major Media November 3, 2011 Contact: Stephanie Beall, 503-359-7464 Fall is a terrific time to visit the Tillamook State Forest. The landscape is a feast for the eyes as the brilliant reds, oranges, and yellows of fall foliage break through the deep greens of Douglas-fir, hemlock, and cedar stands. The Wilson and Nehalem Rivers have started to run with fall salmon heading inland to spawn, while the rocky peaks along Highway 6 serve as challenging footpaths for elk herds. The developed campgrounds in the Tillamook State Forest may be closed until spring, but the trails, developed trailheads, and dispersed camping areas remain open to provide access to the many beautiful natural features within the Tillamook State Forest. When planning your fall and winter forest travels, be sure to take steps to prepare for personal safety. With any outdoor activity there is a degree of risk. The Oregon Department of Forestry Tillamook State Forest Recreation Staff offer the following safety tips for visitors: * Know your location - and alert others. Always carry a GPS or map of the area with you. Also, always let friends and family know where you are going and when you plan to return home. If you are headed out for a day on the trails, let family and friends know where you plan to park and what your route of trail travel will be. * Plan for an overnight trip. The fall and winter months see many visitors stuck in disabled vehicles. Pack enough water, food, first aid supplies, warm clothing and blankets in the trunk of your car for an unexpected night out. Dress in layers and take enough food and water with you in your trail pack to last 24-hours if necessary. * Expect rapid temperature changes. The temperatures in the fall and winter months can vary wildly across the forest depending on elevation and location. Even on a sunny day, dress in layers and be prepared for a rapid cool-down as you traverse the forest. * Dress for hunting season. You may not be a hunter but you can still participate in hunter safety. Avoid being mistaken for game by wearing hunter orange while on trails or in the brush. * Take your wallet on the trail. Avoid being the victim of a vehicle break in and identity theft by taking your identification and credit cards with you when you leave your vehicle. * Leave your valuables at home. Avoid being the victim of a vehicle break in by leaving your valuables at home. Clean up your vehicle passenger area before you leave the parking area. Take the extra time to lock items from CDs to cell phone cords in the trunk or stow them out of sight to make your vehicle less tempting to thieves. Visitors are reminded never to confront people engaged in suspicious or criminal activity. The best help a member of the public can provide is to report accidents and incidents of suspicious or criminal activity by calling 9-1-1 where cell service is available in the forest or the Tillamook County Sheriff's Department, 503-815-1911, upon arriving home. Taking a small amount of time to plan ahead and paying attention to these few simple safety tips can mean the difference between an amazing adventure and an infuriating outing - or even a dangerous one. The Oregon Department of Forestry wants your forest experience to be safe, fun, and memorable - for all the right reasons, not the wrong ones. Enjoy the forest and the outstanding fall that we are fortunate enough to have here in Oregon. ### -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From kevin.weeks at state.or.us Tue Nov 8 08:23:07 2011 From: kevin.weeks at state.or.us (WEEKS Kevin) Date: Tue, 8 Nov 2011 08:23:07 -0800 Subject: [ODF_Private_Forests] Board of Forestry Meeting Follow-up Message-ID: <2659B04496B9C544A0CB26155C1FD1B6020039DE75@WPODFEXCL01.ODF.STATE.OR.US> State Forester Doug Decker provided this message to Oregon Department of Forestry staff on Monday regarding the Board of Forestry meeting and field tour on Thursday and Friday of last week. Kevin Weeks Public Information Officer Oregon Department of Forestry Public Affairs Office (503) 945-7427 From: DECKER Doug S Sent: Monday, November 07, 2011 4:14 PM Subject: Board of Forestry Meeting Follow-up Hello. I'm following up from an eventful Board of Forestry meeting last week, and wanted to share some observations about how things went, and where we go from here. The Governor presented his vision to the Board of Forestry. Governor Kitzhaber joined the Board Thursday afternoon to share his vision for forests and forestry in Oregon, and to provide some specific ideas and suggestions to the Board relative to State Forests. I invite you to read the full text of his comments, which you'll find at this link -- http://www.oregon.gov/ODF/AGENCY_AFFAIRS/Governor_Video.shtml -- along with video of his conversation with the Board. Several themes come through: 1. Managing for social, economic and environmental values is the key to sustainability. The Governor made the point that forest management must address this full portfolio of values, and that we should achieve this mix-consistent with laws and landowner objectives-across the full forest landbase. 2. Federal forests need to be contributing across that value set. Governor Kitzhaber noted that federal forests now provide only 12 percent of all harvests, even though they represent more than 60 percent of all Oregon forest lands. Active management to address forest health and fuels management is a key to addressing this inbalance. 3. The current higher export value of raw logs is not in Oregon's best long-term interest because it drives down the manufacturing sector and Oregon employment, while putting heavier harvest pressure on private and state lands. The Governor is advocating for Oregon to enhance its share of the manufactured wood product export market. 4. On State Forests, the Governor encouraged the Board and Department to strengthen state forest performance measures and to consider a range of strategies that can help achieve those outcomes. He asked us to examine how we can use our existing authority to establish conservation areas that provide protection for sensitive resource areas. (Under current plans and authority, we identify areas where no harvest operations are contemplated. We have an opportunity now to more clearly highlight such areas and their conservation attributes.) The Governor endorsed our focus on adaptive management, and asked us to be clear about identifying the resources we need for effective research and monitoring. Wrapping all of these pieces together, the Governor recognized that we need to have a business model that funds all of this work, and that continues to generate revenues for our financial beneficiaries. The Board took his comments to heart, and members asked us to utilize these key elements as an overlay as we work together to develop the Board's 2012 State Forests workplan. The Governor's comments were thoughtful, energizing, well-timed and well received by the Board. I look forward to working with him, with our stakeholders and partners, and with the Board, to align our work and our expectations as we build our various workplans going forward. The Elliott State Forest Management Plan was approved. The Board voted 4-2 to adopt this plan, which the State Land Board adopted last month. This action brings to a close more than 10 years of effort to achieve a suitable plan that meets Oregon Constitutional direction for management of these lands, that meets the Endangered Species Act, and that achieves a sustainable mix of social, economic and environmental values. Here's a link to a good summary of the plan -- http://www.oregon.gov/ODF/STATE_FORESTS/docs/ESF/Elliott_FMP_2011/ESF_plan_Nov2011sheet.pdf -- which among other things places about one-third of the forest into conservation areas, increases harvest levels about 30 percent, and commits us to developing a comprehensive monitoring and adaptive management plan. Congratulations to Coos District Forester Jim Young and the entire team in Coos Bay; the State Forests Division for their leadership and sustained effort to complete this plan; and our partners at the Department of State Lands Louise Solliday and Jim Paul, whose leadership and focus was crucial. The Board received a study about stream temperatures and began to discuss its strategy in response. The RipStream study, conducted over the last eight years by ODF in cooperation with OSU and DEQ, indicates that Forest Practices Act riparian protections for small and medium fish-bearing streams are not adequately insuring that forest operations meet the statewide water quality standard for protecting cold water. The Board began to discuss the legal landscape it must now operate in as it determines how best to respond to the study. This work will likely define the Board's work in Private Forests in 2012. On Friday, the Board spent the day looking at family forests in the Forest Grove area. This was a memorable day, organized nicely by the Forest Grove District and the Committee for Family Forests, and featured an in-depth look at the challenges and opportunities associated with this class of forestlands. One of the more interesting discussions focused around the challenge of passing lands and a management ethic from one generation to the next. A panel of next-generation forest owners, who are in the process of inheriting lands from their parents, pointed out how these challenges ranged from tax and financial implications, to family decision-making models. The day was helpful in backgrounding Board members on the unique aspects of small woodlands, and focusing all of us on the importance of these lands to forestry in Oregon. One clear message from the day was how much small woodland owners appreciate the work of the department's stewardship foresters. These two days-the meeting and the tour-showed me just how engaged our Board is with the issues, and how committed they are to helping us as an agency lead the way. The Executive Team will be meeting with the Board for a planning session in January, at which time we'll discuss some simplifications to the Board's planning processes, and identify priorities for the coming year. I'll close this message on a different topic: safety. Colder mornings, slippery roads, dusk falling earlier. Remember, there is no more important job each of us have than to be safe, and to encourage safety in our workplaces. Take a moment next time you get behind the wheel of that E-plate vehicle (or any vehicle, for that matter) to think about what that means for you. Keep up the good work. ____________________________________________ Doug Decker, Oregon State Forester 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 Wed Nov 16 11:07:07 2011 From: kevin.weeks at state.or.us (WEEKS Kevin) Date: Wed, 16 Nov 2011 11:07:07 -0800 Subject: [ODF_Private_Forests] 'Tis the season to visit the Tillamook Forest Center Message-ID: <2659B04496B9C544A0CB26155C1FD1B602004F9F61@WPODFEXCL01.ODF.STATE.OR.US> Oregon Department of Forestry - NEWS RELEASE 'Tis the season to visit the Tillamook Forest Center FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Distribution: Major Media November 16, 2011 Contact: Jim Quiring, 503-815-6817 This is a great time of year to explore the Tillamook State Forest. Vivid greens of Oregon's forest conifers blend with the golds and yellows of lingering autumn leaves. Bald eagles, with their distinctive white heads, make their seasonal migration back to Oregon's Coast Range while Chinook and Coho salmon once again return up the Wilson River to spawn. And, as we travel through and explore the forest, it is also a special season to stop by and visit the Tillamook Forest Center. The Tillamook Forest Center will be open, bright, warm, and welcoming on the Friday following Thanksgiving, and you and your family and friends are invited to visit. This is a day when most state offices will be closed for a required state furlough, and when even many other government agencies and private businesses will not be operating. Thinking about celebrations and holidays? The Tillamook Forest Center awaits you for both. The day following Thanksgiving is often considered the official beginning of the holiday gift-shopping season and the Tillamook Forest Center gift shop is a great place to start. Here you will always find unique local Oregon gift items from books and toys for learning about forests, to beautiful art and jewelry. Books filled with fascinating stories about the local area call out to you to curl up in front of a roaring fire, relax and enjoy. Mugs seem to have been made just to hold that special cup of spiced holiday cheer. Candies, chocolates, and jams can make the perfect Oregon gift to send to family and friends. The Center's gift shop is an opportunity to find that extra special item for your loved ones. And on right now, just in time for the gift-buying season, an end-of-the-year sale beckons, offering discounts of $7.50 off a $50 purchase and $20 off of purchases over $100. Holiday shopping is not the only seasonal fun at the Tillamook Forest Center. Over the weekend following Thanksgiving, the Center will once again offer one of its signature events - holiday wreath making. Bring the beauty of the forest home with you this winter by creating your own one-of-a-kind holiday wreath. At this workshop you will be introduced to a variety of natural materials for holiday home decorating. This annual event is sure to become a cherished family tradition. All basic materials and supplies are included in the program's low fee of $12 per wreath. Pre-registration is required and sessions fill quickly, so be sure to register early. Holiday wreath-making workshops are offered this year at 10:30 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. on both Saturday, November 26, and Sunday, November 27. The Tillamook Forest Center will be closed for the winter beginning Monday, November 28, 2011. These final days until that closure also offer the last opportunity to view special displays and exhibits focusing on the Oregon Department of Forestry's history and centennial, which the agency has been celebrating throughout 2011. Opened in 2006, the Tillamook Forest Center offers visitors the opportunity to explore the Tillamook State Forest, and to learn about its history and its many values in our lives. The Center showcases the legacy of the historic Tillamook Burn and the public spirit behind the monumental reforestation effort that followed. The Tillamook State Forest is managed by the Oregon Department of Forestry to produce a balanced suite of benefits including timber revenue for counties, recreational opportunities, and wildlife habitat. Through innovative programs and hands-on exhibits, visitors can gain a greater understanding about what a forest is and how it works, and how people have shaped and, in turn, been shaped by the Tillamook State Forest. Outside, there are trails, a suspension bridge across the Wilson River, and a 40-foot-tall fire lookout tower that offers a unique view of the area and the surrounding forest canopy. Admission to the Tillamook Forest Center is free, as are most of the Center's programs and events. Donations to the Tillamook Forest Heritage Trust, which go to support Center operations, are welcomed. The Tillamook Forest Center is located near milepost 22 on Highway 6 between Forest Grove and Tillamook. It is currently open Wednesday through Sunday, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The Center will close for the winter Monday, November 28, 2011 through February 29, 2012; re-opening for spring on March 1, 2012. More information about the Tillamook Forest Center, including programs and special events, is available by visiting www.tillamookforestcenter.org, or by calling the Center, toll-free, at: 866- 930-4646. The Center is also on Facebook at www.facebook.com/tillamookforestcenteroregon. ### -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From kevin.weeks at state.or.us Mon Nov 21 08:14:42 2011 From: kevin.weeks at state.or.us (WEEKS Kevin) Date: Mon, 21 Nov 2011 08:14:42 -0800 Subject: [ODF_Private_Forests] Revenue Forecast and ODF updates Message-ID: <2659B04496B9C544A0CB26155C1FD1B602004FA39D@WPODFEXCL01.ODF.STATE.OR.US> State Forester Doug Decker provided this message to Oregon Department of Forestry staff on Friday. Kevin Weeks Oregon Department of Forestry >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> From: DECKER Doug S Sent: Friday, November 18, 2011 1:35 PM Hello and happy Friday. It's been a busy and interesting week that has produced some news notes I thought you would be interested in knowing more about.... State revenue growth has slowed slightly, but remains stable and a little above target Oregon's State Economist released his quarterly economic and revenue forecast yesterday, and while it wasn't the rosiest of pictures, it wasn't as bad as some feared, and it's unlikely to trigger major budget reductions at this point, though we continue to implement prudent spending and savings measures. The current forecast shows that: * Growth in personal income taxes from both labor and investment income remains stronger than in other states, and is well above what would be consistent with a recession. * Corporate tax collections have come to a screeching halt, and are now falling faster than was forecast. * Lottery revenues remain weak (down about $23 million) The forecast projected a General Fund ending balance for the current biennium of $169 million. Last July, recognizing the economy was soft, and as a hedge against triggering major reductions, the Legislature set aside a $446 million General Fund ending balance, just in case. You'll recall from my last note, that as another just-in-case measure, all agencies were recently asked to prepare up to 10.5 percent in General Fund reductions. What yesterday's forecast means is that at least at this point, there is not a need to trigger those reductions. You can be sure the Governor's Office and Oregon's legislative leadership are watching this very closely, and will be focused on the next revenue forecast, scheduled for February 2012. Here's a link to the State Economist's web page with the "press packet" version of the report/forecast. If you do download this, have a look at the General Fund Forecast Summary table on page 11, and the General Fund Revenues discussion on pages 4-6. This is good news-or at least not really bad news-for now. Legislative Ways and Means Hearings Indicate Strong Support for ODF This week we've appeared before two legislative committees to testify about the 2011 fire season, the Elliott State Forest Management Plan, and our actions to rebuild administration of the Forest Practices Act, including the hiring of 12 additional Stewardship Foresters, the preparation of a compliance audit, and our focus on efficiency/effective measures. Legislators have been interested, receptive and have asked good questions about this work. In short, the tone and the message back to us from the committees was solid support and appreciation for your good work. Senator Chuck Thomsen from Hood River went out of his way to praise ODF actions during the Dollar Lake Fire in August. Representative McLane from central Oregon praised agency vigilance and response during fire season. Co-Chair Jenson, who along with Senator Edwards was instrumental in supporting Forest Practices Act restoration, was very pleased with that work, and in the agency's performance and responsiveness to the budget notes. It was a proud and satisfying moment that reflects well on everyone's collective good work. ODF Secures Competitive Federal Grants in Fire, Private Forests I spent two days this week with State Foresters and USFS Regional Foresters from throughout the West. During the session, we received the results of two major competitive grant processes related to funding for wildland urban interface grants, and State and Private Forestry grants that help fund our Private Forests program. You'll be pleased to know that among the 18 western states and Pacific Islands, Oregon had the most competitive grants and consistently received high marks from the grant committees, which will bring an estimated $2.5 million in federal funds to Oregon. Congratulations to Travis Medema and his team and project originators at the unit level, Norm Miller and the Partnership Development Program, Peter Daugherty and the Private Forests team, and everyone in the field and in Salem who contributed to ODF's grant packages. I was also pleased and intrigued to note this week that most of my State Forester colleagues from across the West had heard about and taken note of both the recent passage of the Elliott State Forest Plan, and the Governor's recent comments about the role of active forest management. We're on the radar screen. Time for Thanks Lastly, an observation and a thanks: as I travel around and hear from you and from our stakeholders, it's evident to me just how much you're doing, and that your work and your attitude makes a difference. In the midst of managing multiple tasks, projects, priorities and needs, you are taking the time to invest in the working relationships that make us successful as an agency. I hear that loud and clear from our stakeholders. Thanks for making that a priority. Hoping you can slow down during our two days off next week and appreciate some family time during the Thanksgiving holiday. 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: