From kevin.weeks at state.or.us Wed Jun 6 09:14:42 2012 From: kevin.weeks at state.or.us (WEEKS Kevin) Date: Wed, 6 Jun 2012 09:14:42 -0700 Subject: [ODF_Private_Forests] State Forests Advisory Committee meets June 19 in Salem; tours Santiam State Forest June 20 Message-ID: <2659B04496B9C544A0CB26155C1FD1B60B4462D449@WPODFEXCL01.ODF.STATE.OR.US> Private Forests News: This outreach work by the ODF State Forests Division may be of interest to private forestland owners and members of the public. ***************************************************** State Forests Advisory Committee meets June 19 in Salem; tours Santiam State Forest June 20 June 6, 2012 Contact: Kevin Weeks 503-945-7427 An advisory group to the Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) regarding state-managed forestland in northwest Oregon will meet on Tuesday June 19 in Salem, and participate in a public tour of the Santiam State Forest the following day. Tuesday June 19 - meeting The State Forests Advisory Committee will meet from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Best Western Mill Creek Inn, 3125 Ryan Drive SE (near Hawthorne Avenue, Interstate 5 and Oregon Hwy 22). The proposed agenda for the meeting includes an update on the implementation planning process for state-owned forests in ODF's Tillamook, West Oregon and North Cascade Districts, overviews of the 2013 Annual Operation Plans for multiple districts in Northwest Oregon and an update on the State Forests Monitoring program. Members of the public are invited to attend and participate in the meeting. Public comment is scheduled to be heard at 9:30 a.m. 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. Wednesday June 20 - tour of Santiam State Forest A day-long field tour will provide SFAC members a glimpse of forest management principles at work in the Santiam State Forest east of Salem. Tour stops are scheduled to explain aspects of the Draft 2012 Implementation Plan for the forest, showing how the new Implementation Plan protects streams and enhances wildlife habitat in the Rock Creek Basin, south of Mill City. Following a lunch break, the tour resumes with a stop in Green Basin, overlooking Sardine Creek, the site of a newly-designated Aquatic Anchor. The field tour is open to the public. Public members participating on the tour are asked to meet at the ODF North Cascade District office on Oregon Highway 22 (milepost 23 in Lyons) by 8:30 a.m. for a tour briefing, including safety information. Public members participating in the tour are responsible for providing their own lunch and transportation to field tour stops. ODF's State Forests Advisory Committee is made up of citizens and interest group representatives from timber, environmental and recreational groups. The committee provides a forum to discuss issues, opportunities and concerns, and offer advice and guidance to ODF on the implementation of the Northwest Oregon State Forests Management Plan (NWFMP). The plan provides guidance for managing 616,000 acres within the Tillamook, Clatsop and Santiam State Forests, and several scattered state-owned tracts in Benton, Polk, Lincoln and Lane counties. The NWFMP calls for ODF to actively manage the state forestlands for economic, environmental and social resource benefits. The plan provides a balanced approach to generate revenue while also placing environmental and social resource benefits as a priority. The Oregon Department of Forestry manages 821,000 acres of forest in Oregon, in six state forests and numerous small tracts in 15 Oregon counties. Two-thirds of the revenue generated from timber sales goes to the counties where the harvests occur, and to local taxing districts, to help pay for public services. ODF retains a third of revenues to manage the forestlands and protect them from fire. Additional information about the State Forests Advisory Committee is available on the ODF web site: www.oregon.gov/ODF/STATE_FORESTS/State_Forests_Advisory_Committee.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 Thu Jun 7 14:19:03 2012 From: kevin.weeks at state.or.us (WEEKS Kevin) Date: Thu, 7 Jun 2012 14:19:03 -0700 Subject: [ODF_Private_Forests] Burn ban starts 6-16 in Linn, Benton and Marion counties Message-ID: <2659B04496B9C544A0CB26155C1FD1B60B4462D728@WPODFEXCL01.ODF.STATE.OR.US> The Oregon Dept. of Forestry issued this news release today. Burning ban starts June 16 in Linn, Benton and Marion counties June 7, 2012 Contacts: Chad Calderwood, Linn County, 541-367-6108 Allison Blair, Benton County, 541-929-9156 Craig Pettinger, Marion County, 503-859-4331 A ban on all open and backyard burning will take effect on Saturday, June 16, in Linn, Benton and Marion counties. The Oregon Department of Forestry and the fire defense boards of the three counties announced the ban, which aims to reduce the incidence of open debris burns escaping control. The restrictions will extend through Oct. 15 or later, depending on fire danger. "A lot of green-up is occurring due to the current weather patterns," said Mike Beaver, Linn County Fire Defense Board Chief. "We expect this to result in heavy fuel loading for the grass models as temperatures rise and the fuels dry out." The open burning restrictions coincide with the current air-quality rules set forth by the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality. Those rules already forbid open burning within three miles of cities over 1,000 in population and six miles from cities over 50,000 in population after June 15. These burn restrictions expand the geographical scope to include areas outside the three- and six-mile limit. Benton County Fire Defense Board Chief Rick Smith urged the public to take note of the upcoming multi-county-wide, residential burn ban starting on June 16. "We hope this ban on residential burning spurs increased public awareness of wildfires and what people can do to help protect their own property," Smith said. "The work that a property owner does now to maintain a defensible space around their property will make the difference between losing a home or structure, and keeping their valuable investment intact during a wildfire event." The fire defense board chief encouraged property owners to explore other options during the burn ban. Alternatives to burning include: chipping, hauling debris to recycling centers, and composting. All of these options are now available to the public year-round. Rural fire agencies and the Oregon Department of Forestry have the authority to enforce and regulate the burn ban. Under Oregon Revised Statute Chapter 477, the department may issue citations for violation of the burning restrictions. For more information on the open burning restrictions as well as advice on safe debris disposal, contact the nearest Department of Forestry office or the local fire department. ### -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From kevin.weeks at state.or.us Tue Jun 12 14:08:35 2012 From: kevin.weeks at state.or.us (WEEKS Kevin) Date: Tue, 12 Jun 2012 14:08:35 -0700 Subject: [ODF_Private_Forests] Smoke Mgmt Review committee to meet June 21 - Salem Message-ID: <2659B04496B9C544A0CB26155C1FD1B60B44760495@WPODFEXCL01.ODF.STATE.OR.US> The Oregon Dept. of Forestry issued this news release today. Smoke Management Review committee to meet June 21, Salem June 12, 2012 Major media distribution Contact: Rod Nichols, 503-945-7425, rnichols at odf.state.or.us The Smoke Management Review committee will consider proposed updates to Oregon's Smoke Management plan when it meets on Thursday, June 21, in Salem. Last updated in 2005, the plan regulates prescribed burning on forestlands, with a twofold aim to safeguard public health and maintain forest landowners' ability to employ burning as a management tool. The committee includes representatives of the public, federal agencies, the forest industry, air quality regulators and small woodland owners. The members are knowledgeable about smoke management issues and the Smoke Management plan. The Oregon departments of Environmental Quality and Forestry provide staff support to the committee. A public comment period is scheduled for 11:15. After timber harvest, forest landowners may reduce the risk of wildfire through controlled or "prescribed" burning of unmarketable tree residue commonly known as slash. This removes potential fuel for a wildfire. It also prepares the logged site for replanting by releasing nutrients and removing vegetation that would otherwise compete with the young trees. Department of Forestry meteorologists monitor weather conditions throughout spring and fall as they coordinate hundreds of burning requests from private and public forest landowners. This oversight helps minimize smoke intrusions into communities. Management of forest fuels through prescribed burning greatly reduces the risk of large wildfires that can pump thousands of tons of carbon into the atmosphere. More information on the Smoke Management plan can be found on the web, www.oregon.gov/ODF/FIRE/fire.shtml#Smoke_Management_Information The meeting will begin at 9 a.m. in the Santiam Conference Room of Building D at Oregon Department of Forestry headquarters, 2600 State St., in Salem. Accommodations for people with disabilities, and special materials, services or assistance can be arranged by calling the department's Public Affairs Office at least 48 hours before the meeting, 503-945-7200, text telephone 503-945-7213. ### -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From kevin.weeks at state.or.us Wed Jun 20 14:57:34 2012 From: kevin.weeks at state.or.us (WEEKS Kevin) Date: Wed, 20 Jun 2012 14:57:34 -0700 Subject: [ODF_Private_Forests] Wildland Arson Patrol starts July 1 Message-ID: <2659B04496B9C544A0CB26155C1FD1B60B4476103E@WPODFEXCL01.ODF.STATE.OR.US> OREGON DEPARTMENT OF FORESTRY - News Release Wildland Arson Patrol starts July 1 June 19, 2012 Major media distribution Contact: Rod Nichols, 503-945-7425, rnichols at odf.state.or.us About two-thirds of the wildfires that occur in Oregon each year are caused by people. Most result from carelessness, but a few are deliberate. To curb arson fires, the Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF), U.S. Forest Service and Oregon State Police (OSP) will activate the Wildland-Urban Interface Arson Patrol on July 1. Retired state troopers Jim Davis, Klamath Falls, and Bill Lyons, Bend, will take on the twofold duties of fire prevention education and arson investigation. The beat is a familiar one to both men, as each worked the arson patrol in years past. Arson likely accounts for only a small percentage of the total wildfires. But arsonists often become most active at the peak of the season, when firefighting resources are stretched thin. By deterring wildland arsons, Lyons and Davis can help free up firefighters and equipment to battle other blazes. The patrol began in 1997 in response to significant forest resource losses caused by arsonists earlier that decade. "Initially the main mission of the project was to patrol high-risk arson areas and respond to critical or emerging situations," Forestry's Jeff Bonebrake said. "It later expanded to provide increased investigative capacity, basically tapping the skills and training already possessed by these senior troopers." During the 2012 wildfire season, the two officers will conduct patrols in their home areas. Klamath County and Deschutes County are considered "high fire" areas by ODF, due to the hot, dry weather, vegetation types and general remoteness. They will also be on call to travel elsewhere in the state to assist with arson investigations. A federal State Fire Assistance grant funds the Arson Patrol, which will operate throughout the fire season. The public is encouraged to report suspected arson activity by calling the Arson Patrol Hotline, 1-800-452-7888. ### -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From kevin.weeks at state.or.us Mon Jun 25 10:08:16 2012 From: kevin.weeks at state.or.us (WEEKS Kevin) Date: Mon, 25 Jun 2012 10:08:16 -0700 Subject: [ODF_Private_Forests] County advisory group for forestry to meet July 10 Message-ID: <2659B04496B9C544A0CB26155C1FD1B60B447CD6B2@WPODFEXCL01.ODF.STATE.OR.US> The Oregon Dept. of Forestry issued this news release today. County advisory group for forestry to meet July 10 June 25, 2012 Contact: Rod Nichols, 503-945-7425 rnichols at odf.state.or.us A group of commissioners representing Oregon counties that in the past deeded forestland to the state for management will meet on Tuesday, July 10, in Salem. The Forest Trust Land Advisory Committee's (FTLAC) agenda is under development. The meeting will be held from 9:30 a.m. to noon at the Oregon Department of Forestry headquarters in the Santiam Room - Building D, 2600 State St., in Salem. FTLAC meetings are open to the public, and an opportunity for public comment will be provided around 10 a.m. The FTLAC is a legally mandated committee of county commissioners representing counties that deeded lands to the state. The committee advises the Board of Forestry on matters where counties may have a responsibility related to forestland managed by ODF. Planning and policy decisions made by the board and department can affect revenues received by the counties with forest trust lands managed by ODF, which are located in the Tillamook State Forest and elsewhere. Counties depend on revenue generated from management activities on these lands. The revenue is used primarily for local schools and also helps fund county government and local taxing districts. FTLAC is made up of seven members that represent the 15 counties that have state forest land within their county boundaries. The 15 trust counties include: Benton, Clackamas, Clatsop, Columbia, Coos, Douglas, Josephine, Klamath, Lane, Lincoln, Linn, Marion, Polk, Tillamook and Washington. ### -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: From kevin.weeks at state.or.us Tue Jun 26 10:54:55 2012 From: kevin.weeks at state.or.us (WEEKS Kevin) Date: Tue, 26 Jun 2012 10:54:55 -0700 Subject: [ODF_Private_Forests] New State Forests deputy chief selected by Forestry Department Message-ID: <2659B04496B9C544A0CB26155C1FD1B60B447CD8BF@WPODFEXCL01.ODF.STATE.OR.US> The Oregon Department of Forestry issued this news release today -- New State Forests deputy chief selected by Forestry Department June 26, 2012 Contact: Kevin Weeks (503) 945-7427 or Dan Postrel (503) 945-7420 The Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) has selected Liz Dent as deputy chief of the State Forests Division. The role provides daily operations leadership for the program, which manages 830,000 acres of state-owned forestland. Dent began working in her new role in mid-June. "Liz brings an excellent background in forest science, forest planning, coordination and personnel management to the job, and I look forward to her joining our leadership team," said Mike Bordelon, chief of the State Forests Division. She joined ODF in 1995 and conducted monitoring and research for the department's Private Forests Division before her recent assignment as an aquatic and riparian specialist for the State Forests Division. Dent earned a B.S. in geography from Humboldt State University in California before earning her master's degree in forest hydrology from Oregon State University in 1993. Dent's research work with ODF has advanced knowledge on crucial issues including riparian function, stream temperature, forest roads and landslides. She has participated in the development of many technical reports for ODF and has co-authored articles in several peer-reviewed science journals. She has received many awards, including the ODF James Brown Leadership Award (named for a former state forester), the Governor's Oregon Plan award, and a 2012 Science Award from the Oregon Chapter of the Society of American Foresters. ### 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 Fri Jun 29 13:11:55 2012 From: kevin.weeks at state.or.us (WEEKS Kevin) Date: Fri, 29 Jun 2012 13:11:55 -0700 Subject: [ODF_Private_Forests] Colorado fires a reminder to Oregonians Message-ID: <2659B04496B9C544A0CB26155C1FD1B60B447CDCFF@WPODFEXCL01.ODF.STATE.OR.US> The Oregon Dept. of Forestry issued this news release today. Colorado fires a reminder to Oregonians June 29, 2012 Major media distribution Contact: Rod Nichols, 503-945-7425, rnichols at odf.state.or.us The catastrophic wildfires in Colorado and other states serve as a reminder to Oregonians of their individual responsibility to practice wildfire prevention in the weeks ahead. While the current spring-like weather may seem little cause for concern, it can actually lead to human-caused fires. "When it's pleasant outside, rather than hot and dry, we're more likely to head out to the forest," said Tom Fields, fire prevention coordinator with the Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF). "But people may assume that fires can't occur under these conditions, and that's where the danger lies." As green as the forests and fields appear across much of the state, during the past week 10 fires have occurred on the lands protected by the department. And warmer, drier days are predicted, setting the stage for new fire starts to spread more rapidly. Before traveling to the forest to recreate, check to see if there are any fire restrictions in effect. For the 16 million acres of forest under ODF's jurisdiction, go to: www.oregon.gov/odf/pages/fire/precautionlevel.aspx The web page lists fire restrictions district by district for the entire state. Fire safety tips for camping and recreating in the forest are available on the Keep Oregon Green Association website, KeepOregonGreen.com, and from other wildfire prevention agencies and organizations, as well as local fire departments. ### -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: