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<P class=MsoPlainText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><A name=OLE_LINK1></A><A
name=OLE_LINK2><SPAN style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1"><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><FONT
size=3>Oregon Department of Forestry</FONT></SPAN></B></SPAN></A></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2"><SPAN style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1"><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><FONT
size=3>NEWS RELEASE</FONT></SPAN></B></SPAN></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2"><SPAN style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1"><FONT
face=Arial size=3></FONT></SPAN></SPAN> </P>
<P class=MsoPlainText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2"><SPAN style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1"><FONT
size=3><?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns =
"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:place
w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName w:st="on"><B style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Linn</SPAN></B></st1:PlaceName><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial">
<st1:PlaceType w:st="on">County</st1:PlaceType></SPAN></B></st1:place><B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal"><SPAN style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"> tree
farmers recognized for excellence<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns =
"urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office"
/><o:p></o:p></SPAN></B></FONT></SPAN></SPAN></P><SPAN
style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK1"></SPAN><SPAN
style="mso-bookmark: OLE_LINK2"></SPAN>
<P class=MsoPlainText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p><FONT size=3> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><FONT size=3>November 23,
2009<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><FONT size=3>Contact: Kevin Weeks, (503) 945-7427
<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><FONT size=3> <o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><FONT size=3>The purpose behind the Fun Forest Tree
Farm is in its name. The managers of the <st1:PlaceName
w:st="on">Linn</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType w:st="on">County</st1:PlaceType>
tree farm have been named <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:State
w:st="on">Oregon</st1:State></st1:place>’s Outstanding Tree Farmers of the Year
for 2009. The Oregon Tree Farm System on Monday recognized Jim Cota, Robbie
Melcher and Scott Melcher during a ceremony at the <st1:PlaceName
w:st="on">World</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceName
w:st="on">Forestry</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType
w:st="on">Center</st1:PlaceType> in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City
w:st="on">Portland</st1:City></st1:place>.<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p><FONT size=3> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><FONT size=3>Cota and the Melchers operate the
1500-acre forest near Sweet Home. The partnership acquired the land in 1999,
replanting many areas previously harvested and in need of tree regeneration. The
tree farm, growing a mix of mostly conifers, in addition to wood production
provides recreation services such as camping, ATV trails and fishing sites.
<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p><FONT size=3> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><FONT size=3>The <SPAN
class=950150900-24112009>tree </SPAN>farm also places a focus on outreach and
education to the central <st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Linn</st1:PlaceName>
<st1:PlaceType w:st="on">County</st1:PlaceType> region, including working with
<st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Sweet</st1:PlaceName>
<st1:PlaceType w:st="on">Home</st1:PlaceType> <st1:PlaceType w:st="on">High
School</st1:PlaceType></st1:place> on redeveloping a forestry program for
students.<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p><FONT size=3> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><FONT size=3>“It’s a fun place to be,” said Jim Cota.
“I especially hope kids can come here and develop the same love for the land
that I have.”<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p><FONT size=3> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><FONT size=3>Cota said the <SPAN
class=950150900-24112009>tree </SPAN>farm also sought out the technical
assistance of the Oregon Department of Forestry for establishing fire ponds to
make water accessible in remote areas of the <SPAN
class=950150900-24112009>tree </SPAN>farm, thus lowering the potential for a
catastrophic fire at <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName
w:st="on">Fun</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType
w:st="on">Forest</st1:PlaceType></st1:place>.<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p><FONT size=3> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><FONT size=3>Local chapters of the Oregon Small
Woodlands Association select the County Outstanding Tree Farmers of the Year in
<st1:place w:st="on"><st1:State w:st="on">Oregon</st1:State></st1:place>. The
<st1:place w:st="on"><st1:State w:st="on">Oregon</st1:State></st1:place> winner
is selected by a team of professional foresters from the public and private
sectors.<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p><FONT size=3> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><FONT size=3>The Oregon Department of Forestry, an
active partner of the Oregon Tree Farm System, helps landowners manage their
forestlands to ensure that family-owned tree farms achieve economic,
environmental and social benefits.<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p><FONT size=3> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><FONT size=3>More information on the Oregon Tree Farm
System is available at <B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">www.otfs.org</B>.<o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p><FONT size=3> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><FONT size=3>Additional information about the Oregon
Department of Forestry is available at <B
style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal">www.oregon.gov/ODF</B><SPAN
style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN><o:p></o:p></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p><FONT size=3> </FONT></o:p></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><FONT size=3>###</FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><FONT face=Arial
size=3></FONT> </P>
<P class=MsoPlainText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><FONT size=3>Photo available on
request.</FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><FONT size=3></FONT></SPAN> </P>
<P class=MsoPlainText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><FONT size=3><SPAN class=950150900-24112009>Kevin
Weeks</SPAN></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><FONT size=3><SPAN class=950150900-24112009>Oregon
Department of Forestry</SPAN></FONT></SPAN></P>
<P class=MsoPlainText style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN
style="FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><FONT size=3><SPAN class=950150900-24112009>(503)
945-7427</SPAN></FONT></SPAN></P></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>