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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
class=205564117-11022009><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=4><STRONG>Oregon
Department of Forestry</STRONG></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
class=205564117-11022009><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=4><STRONG>NEWS
RELEASE</STRONG></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"> </P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><A name=OLE_LINK2><SPAN
style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK3"><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3>Forestry
Department invites public to <SPAN class=205564117-11022009>February 26
meeting</SPAN> in </FONT></SPAN></A><FONT face="Times New Roman"><FONT
size=3><st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on"><SPAN
style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK3"><SPAN
style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2">Springfield</SPAN></SPAN></st1:City></st1:place><SPAN
style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK3"><SPAN
style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2"></SPAN></SPAN></FONT></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK3"><SPAN style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman" size=3> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK3"><SPAN style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2"><FONT
face="Times New Roman" size=3>February 11, 2009</FONT></SPAN></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK3"><SPAN style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2"><FONT
face="Times New Roman" size=3>Contact: Kevin Weeks, (503)
945-7427</FONT></SPAN></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK3"><SPAN style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman" size=3> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK3"><SPAN style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2"><FONT
face="Times New Roman" size=3>Public members are invited to attend a meeting in
<st1:City w:st="on">Springfield</st1:City> to comment and hear updates from the
Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) regarding <SPAN
class=205564117-11022009>proposed </SPAN>revisions to <st1:place
w:st="on"><st1:State w:st="on">Oregon</st1:State></st1:place>’s forest
management rules.</FONT></SPAN></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK3"><SPAN style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman" size=3> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK3"><SPAN style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2"><FONT
face="Times New Roman" size=3>A meeting of the Regional Forest Practices
Advisory Committee is scheduled for Thursday February 26 at ODF’s Springfield
District office, <st1:Street w:st="on"><st1:address w:st="on">3150 Main
Street</st1:address></st1:Street>. Staff reports are scheduled to begin at
9:00am.</FONT></SPAN></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK3"><SPAN style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman" size=3> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK3"><SPAN style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2"><FONT
face="Times New Roman" size=3>The meeting on February 26 is a joint session of
the Northwest Oregon and <st1:place w:st="on">Southwest Oregon</st1:place>
committees. <st1:State w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Oregon</st1:place></st1:State>’s three Regional Forest Practices
Advisory Committee members are appointed by the Oregon Board of Forestry to
review proposed forest practices rules. Committee members assist and advise the
Board in developing rules appropriate to forest conditions within their
respective regions of the state.</FONT></SPAN></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK3"><SPAN style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2"><o:p><FONT
face="Times New Roman" size=3> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK3"><SPAN style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2"><FONT
face="Times New Roman" size=3>The agenda for the meeting includes reports from
ODF staff about the 2009 legislative session, prioritizing activities and
workload for ODF’s Private Forests Division during the 2009-2011 budget cycle,
and a report on the development of alternatives and rule language options
concerning public safety in forest areas deemed at intermediate risk of
landslide hazards.</FONT></SPAN></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK3"><SPAN style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2"><SPAN
style="FONT-SIZE: 8.5pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial"><BR></SPAN><SPAN
style="COLOR: black"><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3>Members of the public
requiring special accommodations to attend and participate in the meeting should
contact the ODF Private Forests Division at 503-945-7472 at least two working
days prior to the meeting.<BR> <BR><st1:place w:st="on"><st1:State
w:st="on">Oregon</st1:State></st1:place> became the first state in nation to
enact comprehensive forest management laws in 1971 with the passage of the
Forest Practices Act.<BR> <BR>Additional information about the Oregon
Department of Forestry is available on the ODF website,
</FONT></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN><A href="http://www.oregon.gov/ODF"><FONT
size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman"><SPAN style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK3"><SPAN
style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2">www.oregon.gov/ODF</SPAN></SPAN><SPAN
style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK3"><SPAN
style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2"></SPAN></SPAN></FONT></FONT></A><SPAN
style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK3"><SPAN style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2"><SPAN
style="COLOR: black"><BR><FONT face="Times New Roman"
size=3> <BR>###</FONT></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></P></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>