Forestry ed begins with solid info
OFRI's mission is to educate the public about forests, forest management and wood products, and train forest landowners in sustainable forest management practices.
New educational products created in January and planned for later this spring are helping us deliver on our mission.
Our most popular publication, the pocket-sized Oregon Forest Facts and Figures 2013, came off the presses in January and was mailed to elected officials, policymakers and opinion leaders throughout the state. On Jan. 2, we launched our fourth website in less than 12 months, KnowYourForest.org, which should be of tremendous help to small woodland owners. Also, we completed a seven-minute companion video to The 2012 Forest Report now available for viewing on our websites and YouTube.
Coming up, you'll want to plan to attend the first of this year's Starker Lectures on Feb. 28, featuring bio-products expert Shri Ramaswamy. Forest landowners can avail themselves of a March 14 workshop on "Wildlife in Managed Forests." And on April 18, OFRI is co-sponsoring a scientific conference on the paired watershed studies being conducted by Oregon State University and a host of partners.
All in all, solid information is available now and coming soon that will help OFRI achieve its mission.
Paul Barnum
Executive Director
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Pocket-sized Oregon Forest Facts & Figures booklet updated and revised for 2013
The new, third edition of Oregon Forest Facts and Figures packs acres of forest information into a pocket-sized package.
Fully updated and revised for 2013, the 32-page booklet covers forest ownership and timber harvest, wood products manufacturing, the increasing fire risk in Oregon's dry forests and much more. It also includes new economic data from The 2012 Forest Report, OFRI's comprehensive study of the forest sector economy in Oregon.
"We hope this handy little book will occupy a space on the desk of every elected official and journalist in Oregon," said Mike Cloughesy, OFRI director of forestry. "In fact, it's for anyone who wants to know about forestry in our state."
OFRI gleaned the data from state and federal government resources and other authoritative sources. Three pages of endnotes provide citations for all the information.
"I'm dedicating this booklet to the 76,000 people who work in Oregon's forest sector," said Cloughesy, who coordinated the update.
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 Strong launch for KnowYourForest.org
Statistics for a new website that OFRI launched in January reveal high interest, with more than 600 viewers so far. Visitors spent an average of nearly 10 minutes browsing the content, which is aimed at helping family forest landowners manage their land.
The site, KnowYourForest.org, is a clearinghouse of information that covers topics ranging from logging to wildlife habitat to wildfire protection.
"We're gratified by the positive response," said Mike Cloughesy, OFRI director of forestry. "We worked really hard to develop content that we felt forest landowners would find helpful. As we ramp up our marketing efforts, we anticipate even greater use of the website."
In Oregon, more than 140,000 family forest landowners care for almost 4.7 million acres of forestland - about one-third of Oregon's private forestland and about 15 percent of the state's total forestland.
KnowYourForest.org is a project of the Partnership for Forestry Education. OFRI is part of this group, along with Oregon's Committee for Family Forestlands.
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New video based on The 2012 Forest Report puts a human face on forest economics Perhaps you've been waiting for the movie.
Or is there another reason why you haven't read OFRI's 180-page economic study of the forest sector, The 2012 Forest Report?
Well, wait no longer. The movie is here! OFRI has produced a seven-minute companion video that takes you on a journey through Oregon's forests. In the video, some folks who know the woods extremely well talk about what's necessary for the forest sector to take full advantage of the economic recovery.
Watch the video now on YouTube. Or order a DVD.
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Learn practical skills to handle forestland wildlife challenges
Learn hands-on techniques for managing wildlife on forestland at an all-day workshop March 14 in Albany. "It won't be getting any easier to manage wildlife," said Fran Cafferata Coe, a biologist and forest landowner who is organizing the workshop. "Increasing pressure to convert forestland to other uses means less habitat. That creates challenges for those managing the remaining habitat." The Wildlife in Managed Forests: Practical Skills Workshop will cover fish-passage law, wildlife damage, how to manage elk, how to deal with herbivores and more. It's for family forest landowners, professional foresters, wildlife biologists and students. The workshop is being hosted by the Society of American Foresters, and co-sponsored by OFRI, the Oregon Society of American Foresters and the Oregon Chapter of The Wildlife Society. The fee, including lunch, is $40 for SAF members, $45 for nonmembers and $25 for students. For details, email annie@forestry.org. Registration form |
OSU lectures look at biomass energy
A series of lectures at Oregon State University will explore the potential to produce energy from slash, mill residue and other forest biomass.
The Starker Lecture Series at the OSU College of Forestry kicks off Feb. 28 with University of Minnesota professor Shri Ramaswamy talking about forest biorefineries.
Other lectures later in the spring will cover aviation biofuels, environmental considerations of biomass energy and Oregon's experience with biomass energy. The series wraps up with a field trip on May 30.
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OFRI exec takes The 2012 Forest Report on the road to Salem Chamber forum Oregon urgently needs to find a balanced solution to restore dry-side forests and help rural economies, OFRI Executive Director Paul Barnum told the Salem Chamber of Commerce on Jan. 14.
Barnum gave about 140 Salem business leaders an overview of the forest sector's importance to the state economy, based on OFRI's The 2012 Forest Report. He concluded by encouraging continued political action to end the era of passive management of federal forests.
"Many were surprised by the amount of federal forestland and the lack of active forest management currently taking place on this land. This reality is an education needed for all Oregonians," said Jason Brandt, chief executive officer of the Salem Chamber.
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Oregon Forest Resources Institute · OregonForests.org
The Oregon Legislature created the Oregon Forest Resources Institute in 1991 to improve public understanding of the state's forest resources and to encourage environmentally sound forest management through training and other educational programs for forest landowners. OFRI is funded by a dedicated harvest tax on forest products producers.
Click here to add or remove an email address.
Copyright © 2013, Oregon Forest Resources Institute. All Rights Reserved.
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Watershed conference
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Loggers Fallon and Hagedorn honored
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Auction benefits forestry education
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Get Outside:
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