OFRI eNews: April/May 2026 | | Welcoming spring in Oregon's forests | |
Spring in Oregon’s forests arrives with a kind of energy you can feel — buds breaking, creeks running, and fresh green pushing through every canopy layer. It’s a season that invites us back outside to appreciate what we have: the lush forest landscape, birds returning and the first wildflowers brightening the forest roads and trail edges.
It’s also a powerful reminder of how dynamic our forests are, and how much stewardship, science and collaboration go into keeping them resilient so they can provide wildlife habitat and recreational opportunities, support nearby communities, and produce renewable wood products.
That momentum is reflected in our work here at OFRI. It’s been a busy spring for us, and this edition of our newsletter reflects this. As you’ll see, it’s packed with stories and updates that highlight the projects and events helping to shape forest stewardship across the state. I’m grateful to all our partners and readers and hope this issue leaves you as energized and hopeful as a sunny spring day under Oregon’s trees.
For the forest,
Jim Paul
Executive Director
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A worker in a yellow hardhat hammers in a sign on a forested hillside with a stunning vista of a snowy mountain and newly planted trees poking up from the ground. Suddenly, the camera pans over and the tiny seedlings grow swiftly before our eyes into towering giants as a deer gazes up and butterflies flit overhead.
The wondrous scene appears in one of OFRI’s two new animated educational advertisements that started airing last month. They’re part of a campaign aimed at informing Oregonians about the importance of replanting trees after logging to sustain forests — and all the benefits they provide — for future generations. The animated ads are airing in television markets statewide, as well as on streaming services and social media, through early June.
Although OFRI’s educational advertising program has long been a part of its work to advance the public’s understanding of the social, environmental and economic benefits of Oregon’s forests, this is the first time the Institute has produced animated ads. The animation was created for OFRI by the Portland-based video production and animation studio Deep Sky. OFRI and Deep Sky worked for nine months to complete the suite of animations.
The ads, called “Forests for All” and “What We Can’t See,” can be watched on OFRI's YouTube channel. Both spots direct viewers to the Institute’s main website, OregonForests.org, where they can learn more about reforestation, carbon sequestration and sustainable forest management, among other topics.
| | Summit to focus on forest sector workforce development | |
OFRI, in partnership with the Western Forestry & Conservation Association (WFCA), will host a two-day summit in May focused on strengthening Oregon’s forest sector workforce.
The OFRI Workforce Summit, scheduled for May 13-14 at the Riverhouse Lodge in Bend, will bring together leaders from across the forest sector to examine the current workforce landscape, identify challenges and gaps in education and career pathways, and develop practical, collaborative recommendations and next steps for supporting sector workforce development.
The summit is free to attend and is open to all interested participants. It will coincide with WFCA’s Mapping the Course conference, which will take place May 11-13 at the Riverhouse Lodge, but attending the conference is not required to participate in the OFRI Workforce Summit.
Registration for the OFRI Workforce Summit must be completed by April 23 through WFCA’s website on the Mapping the Course and OFRI Workforce Summit webpage. Along with registration details, the webpage includes an agenda for the conference and summit, as well as information about the venue and lodging.
| | OFRI hiring director of business operations | |
OFRI is hiring a new director of business operations to fill a vacancy that will be created by the retirement of Kathy Storm this summer.
The state of Oregon is accepting applications for the position, which directs OFRI’s office administration and supports its executive director, staff and board of directors in the development of programs and projects to carry out the Institute’s mission and objectives. Responsibilities include coordinating all administrative and business operation activities of OFRI, including financial, secretarial, general office, records processing and clerical-related tasks.
Applications for the position are due April 27. A full job description and application requirements can be found on the Oregon job opportunities website.
| | Training offers guidance on restoring oak habitat | |
Oregon’s oak habitats are vulnerable. Over time, invasive plants have spread, native oak stands have declined and changing conditions have made it harder for oak trees to thrive across the Willamette Valley and beyond.
OFRI is partnering with Pudding River Watershed Council and The Oregon Garden to offer a one-day training, called “Right Tools, Right Place: Combating Invasives & Restoring Oak Habitat,” that’s designed for landowners who want practical, real-world strategies for restoring Oregon white oak habitat and improving overall forest health.
The training will take place on April 24 at The Oregon Garden in Silverton and highlight restoration work in the botanical garden’s oak grove. It will focus on choosing the right tool for the right place, whether that includes thinning, mastication, prescribed fire or other management approaches.
Participants will take part in a field tour to better understand how mechanical treatments can support oak restoration and long-term habitat management, including live demonstrations of brush clearing, the use of an air curtain incinerator and the opportunity to speak with an arborist.
Registration for the training through SimpleTix is required. Ticket prices range from $10 to $20 and include discounted rates for students, seniors and Oregon Garden members. The cost of the tickets includes admission to the training, refreshments and a sack lunch.
| | New animation showcases invisible forestry | | |
OFRI has produced a short stop-motion animated video showcasing how carbon is distributed and stored in forests, from living trees to harvested timber.
The one-minute animation, called “Carbon in Oregon’s Forests,” highlights how not all natural forest processes can be seen. “Invisible forestry” concepts, such as photosynthesis, log decomposition or carbon distribution, can be difficult to visualize and are virtually impossible to capture with live-action filming techniques. Animation can help bring those unseen processes to light and broaden the public’s understanding of them.
OFRI intern Emma Knapton, who studied stop-motion animation at the Pacific Northwest College of Art in Portland, created an animated educational video to visually explain one of these invisible forestry concepts, the carbon cycle. Carbon is unseen to the human eye, yet it is distributed throughout the forest. The animation, which Knapton created with forest products such as paper and log rounds uses the latest forest carbon storage data to explain how carbon can be found in everything from live trees to the litter on the forest floor.
The animation is available on OFRI’s YouTube channel. Viewers can also learn more about the animation process and get a glimpse behind the scenes by visiting OFRI’s blog and social media accounts.
| | Lecture series to conclude with panel discussion | | |
The Oregon State University (OSU) College of Forestry’s 2026 Starker Lecture Series, which has explored the history of the university’s statewide network of 10 research forests and how perspectives and stewardship have shifted with new knowledge and pressures, concludes in May.
This year’s lecture series addresses the theme of “Learning From the Landscape: A Century of Forest Research Discoveries.” The series kicked off in January and wraps up with a panel discussion on May 20. The panel discussion is open to the public, free to attend and will be held from 4-5 p.m. in the Peavy Forest Science Center on OSU’s Corvallis campus. There will also be the option to attend remotely via Zoom.
The panel will focus on “Managing Forests for Multiple Values in a Changing World,” and the discussion will be moderated by Mark Swanson, associate professor and interim director of the OSU research forests. Panelists include Colby Drake, natural resources department manager with the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde; Brent Klumph, associate director of operations, OSU research forests; Jenna Baker, recreation and engagement manager, OSU research forests; and Stephen Fitzgerald, former director, OSU research forests.
OFRI is a co-sponsor of the Starker Lecture Series. More information about the series is available on the OSU College of Forestry website.
| | Urban & Community Forestry Conference scheduled for June 4 | | |
Registration is now open for the 2026 Oregon Urban & Community Forestry Conference, scheduled for June 4 at Venue 252 in downtown Eugene.
OFRI is a co-sponsor of the annual conference, which is hosted by the nonprofit organization Oregon Community Trees in partnership with the Oregon Department of Forestry and U.S. Forest Service. This year’s theme is “We Thrive When Trees Thrive,” and sessions will explore the intersection of urban and community forestry and human health. The agenda includes poster presentations by students and professionals in the field showcasing their research and case studies surrounding trees and health.
The conference’s keynote speaker will be Geoffrey Donovan, a natural resource economist with the private consultancy firm Ash and Elm Consulting LLC. When he was a researcher based at the U.S. Forest Service’s Pacific Northwest Research Station, Donovan published a study that found each tree planted in Portland by the nonprofit Friends of Trees was associated with significant reductions in non-accidental and cardiovascular human deaths.
Early bird pricing for conference tickets ends on April 17. Tickets include conference entry, lunch and a networking social hour, and can be purchased through Oregon Community Trees’ website.
| Conference tour highlights sustainable forestry | |
A group of attendees from the International Mass Timber Conference, which is held in Portland each spring and attracts visitors from across the country and world to Oregon, went on a field tour last month that OFRI helped organize to highlight sustainable forestry practices used in the state.
The 45 tour participants visited Hampton Lumber’s Big Creek Tree Farm near Knappa in Clatsop County on March 31. The tour offered the opportunity for attendees to visit the woods, observe active logging operations, and learn how working forests in Oregon provide sustainable building materials while also supporting wildlife, water and local communities.
OFRI co-sponsored the tour together with the Oregon Forest Industries Council and in partnership with tour host Hampton Lumber.
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In other news...
OFRI earns Gold Star
Oregon’s Chief Financial Office has awarded OFRI its Gold Star Certificate for the 2025 fiscal year. The award recognizes state agencies that provide accurate and complete fiscal year end information in a timely manner. This marks the 25th year OFRI’s fiscal team has earned the honor.
Oregon Garden celebrates Earth Day
The Oregon Garden in Silverton will celebrate Earth Day on April 18 by offering free admission to the 80-acre botanical garden and the OFRI-managed Rediscovery Forest. The Earth Day at The Oregon Garden event will feature a variety of exhibitors offering educational activities, including OFRI forest education partner Talk About Trees. More information about the event is available on The Oregon Garden website.
Spring at the Tillamook Forest Center
The Tillamook Forest Center in the Tillamook State Forest is celebrating its 20th anniversary this spring with a new exhibit and educational events for the public, including the chance to learn about wild food foraging and preparing for wildfire. Find more information about current exhibits and upcoming events on the Tillamook Forest Center website.
OFRI-funded publication wins award
The Oregon State University (OSU) Extension Service educational publication Not All Flame’s the Same, which was supported by OFRI funding, has received a national Silver Award through the Association of Natural Resource Extension Professionals. Check out the award-winning publication on the OSU Extension website.
Forests Today & Forever seeking volunteers
The Eugene-based nonprofit organization Forests Today & Forever is seeking volunteers to help serve 1,000 students who will visit their forest education site this spring for hands-on forestry and outdoor education. Each volunteer commitment is about five hours and volunteers are especially needed for the dates of May 5, 8, 14, 15, 19, 21 and 22. For more information and to sign up to volunteer, email coordinator@foreststodayandforever.org.
Oregon Tree Farm System seeking contractor
The Oregon Tree Farm System (OTFS) is seeking an independent contractor to fill an administrative director position that reports directly to the OTFS board of directors and is responsible for fulfilling the values of the organization, which are connectivity, collaboration, stewardship, inclusivity and gratitude. Workload for the position includes both professional forestry and clerical services. Visit the OTFS website for a full position description. Proposals are due May 1.
New World Forestry Center exhibit focuses on innovation
An exhibit at the World Forestry Center in Portland that opened in March highlights the aesthetics of emerging forest-based research, ranging from technology and engineering to design and artist-scientist collaborations. The new featured exhibit, called “Forest Hope Through Innovation,” is included with admission to the World Forestry Center’s Discovery Museum and will be on view there through Aug. 2. Learn more on the World Forestry Center website.
New website aims to help prevent escaped debris burns
Outdoor debris burning, also known as backyard debris burning, is the leading cause of human-caused wildland fires in Oregon. To help reduce the number of wildfires caused by escaped debris burns, the Oregon Department of Forestry has launched a new statewide Before You Burn website and mobile application that Oregonians can consult prior to lighting any debris, whether it be a small pile or in a burn barrel. Before You Burn provides simple, clear guidance on burning regulations and prevention measures for a specific address. Visit beforeyouburn.net to learn more or download the mobile app.
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OFRI Board Meeting and Proposed 2026-27 Budget Public Hearing
April 16, Salem
Forest Fuels Reduction Workshop
April 17, Oregon City
Earth Day at The Oregon Garden
April 18, Silverton
Free Day at the World Forestry Center
April 19, Portland
Right Tools, Right Place: Combating Invasives & Restoring Oak Habitat
April 24, Silverton
Exploring Coast Redwood Management on the Oregon Coast
April 24, Gardiner
Wild Food Foraging
April 25, Tillamook
Douglas Small Woodlands Association Wildflower Walk in the Woods and Native Plant Sale
April 29, Oakland
Before Wildfire Strikes: Improving Wildfire Preparedness in Hood River County
April 29, Hood River
Oregon Envirothon
May 1, Silverton
Wildfire Community Preparedness Day
May 2, Tillamook
Oregon Society of American Foresters Annual Meeting
May 6-8, Coos Bay
Mapping the Course and OFRI Workforce Summit
May 12-14, Bend
Be Wildfire Aware: Free Day at the World Forestry Center
May 17, Portland
Starker Lecture Series Panel Discussion: Managing Forests for Multiple Values in a Changing World
May 20, Corvallis
Oregon Urban & Community Forestry Conference
June 4, Eugene
Benton Small Woodlands Association Outstanding Tree Farmers of the Year Tour
June 6, Philomath
Save the Date: Oregon Garden 25th Anniversary Celebration
June 30, Silverton
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Oregon Forest Resources Institute | |
The Oregon Forest Resources Institute supports the forest sector and the stewardship of natural resources by advancing Oregonians’ understanding of the social, environmental and economic benefits of our forests.
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