<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40">
<head>
<meta http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=us-ascii">
<meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 12 (filtered medium)">
<style>
<!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Calibri;
panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:blue;
text-decoration:underline;}
a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:purple;
text-decoration:underline;}
p.MsoPlainText, li.MsoPlainText, div.MsoPlainText
{mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-link:"Plain Text Char";
margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:"Courier New";}
span.PlainTextChar
{mso-style-name:"Plain Text Char";
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-link:"Plain Text";
font-family:"Courier New";}
span.EmailStyle19
{mso-style-type:personal;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:windowtext;}
span.EmailStyle20
{mso-style-type:personal-reply;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
color:#1F497D;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
font-size:10.0pt;}
@page Section1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in;}
div.Section1
{page:Section1;}
-->
</style>
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapedefaults v:ext="edit" spidmax="1026" />
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapelayout v:ext="edit">
<o:idmap v:ext="edit" data="1" />
</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]-->
</head>
<body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple>
<div class=Section1>
<p class=MsoNormal><a name="OLE_LINK17"></a><a name="OLE_LINK11"></a><a
name="OLE_LINK1"></a><a name="OLE_LINK18"></a><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Oregon
Department of Forestry<span style='color:#1F497D'><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";color:#1F497D'>NEWS
RELEASE<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><a name="OLE_LINK9"></a><a name="OLE_LINK10"></a><b><span
style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>State Forest Stewardship Coordinating
Committee meets March 18 in Salem<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>March 15,
2010<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Contact:
Kevin Weeks (503) 945-7427<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>The Oregon
Department of Forestry (ODF) will update coordinating committee members this
week on a project to assess Oregon’s current forest resources.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:8.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>The 2010
State of Oregon Statewide Forest Assessment and Resource Strategy is designed
to identify Oregon’s current forest resources and develop a strategy for
integrating federal, state and private forestry programs to address concerns
including wildfire, keeping forests working as forests, diversity of forest
habitats for fish and wildlife, prevention of invasive species and managing
climate change. The Statewide Forest Assessment will identify high priority
areas within Oregon for taking action. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoPlainText><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>The
discussion about the Forest Assessment and Resource Strategy project will occur
Thursday March 18, 2010 from 9:30am to 12:30pm at the Oregon Department of
Forestry headquarters in Salem, 2600 State Street (Operations Building D,
Santiam meeting room) during a meeting of the State Forest Stewardship
Coordinating Committee. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>The agenda
includes review of a draft product for the Oregon Forest Atlas project and
discussion for identifying priority landscapes for interpreting forest data in
the Statewide Forest Assessment.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Members of
the public are invited to attend and participate in the meeting. <a
name="OLE_LINK8"></a><a name="OLE_LINK3"></a><a name="OLE_LINK4"></a><a
name="OLE_LINK5"></a><a name="OLE_LINK6"></a><a name="OLE_LINK7"></a>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. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>The 2008 Farm
Bill passed by Congress contained an amendment to the Cooperative Forestry
Assistance Act requiring states that receive Farm Bill funding perform the
forest assessment study by mid-2010, with updates at five-year increments after
that. States are also required to report on the effectiveness of how federal
funding was used in priority regions. The Farm Bill funds the U.S.
Department of Agriculture, which in turn provides funding for many ODF services
in urban and community forestry, forest health protection, forest stewardship
and state fire assistance through the U.S. Forest Service’s State and
Private Forestry Program.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Additional
information about forest management in Oregon is available on the ODF website: </span><a
href="http://www.oregon.gov/ODF"><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>www.oregon.gov/ODF</span></a><span
style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Oregon’s
forests are among one of the state’s most valued resources, providing a
balanced mix of environmental, economic and social benefits. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>###</span><span
style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Kevin Weeks<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Public
Information Officer<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>ODF Agency
Affairs Office<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>(503)
945-7427<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:11.0pt;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
</div>
</body>
</html>