As we head into the summer months, OFRI has plenty to share in this edition of eNews.  

It’s been a busy spring for us this year, with some well-deserved staff recognitions. We are also about to go through a significant transition with the upcoming retirement of Kathy Storm, a 23-year OFRI employee who has been foundational to keeping everything running smoothly here for her entire career as our director of business operations. Kathy will be missed, but we are all wishing her well in her next adventures! 

The start of summer also means, of course, that fire season is upon us — so be safe out there. With predictions of the potential for more severe fire conditions this year, we need to be all the more vigilant in our forests. The Oregon Department of Forestry website is a great resource for finding the latest information about fire season, as well as links to other fire-related resources.  

We hope you enjoy this edition of eNews, and that you have a great summer season! 

For the forest,

Jim Paul

Executive Director

After 23 years serving in an important administrative role at OFRI, including overseeing the budget development process, finances, human resources and procurement, Kathy Storm, the Institute’s director of business operations, will retire at the end of July.  

Before joining OFRI, Storm worked for the Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) in Forest Grove in the accounts payable department and as a backup forest fire dispatcher during wildfire season. After six and a half years at ODF, Storm was looking to advance in her career when she got a call from OFRI’s executive director at the time, who encouraged her to apply for and ultimately hired her for a new administrative position at the Institute.  

When she first started working for OFRI, the Institute also had an executive assistant and a staff accountant. After both were laid off during a round of budget cuts, their job duties were wrapped into Storm’s position. That’s when she started becoming more involved in managing OFRI’s budget and finances. It was a role that she not only enjoyed but excelled in, earning the Institute the state controller’s Gold Star Certificate, which recognizes state agencies for timely and accurate financial reporting, every year for more than two decades.  

In addition to repeatedly earning the Gold Star Certificate, Storm says she’s particularly proud of her work to revamp the Institute’s administrative rules, archive board meeting materials that date back to when the agency was founded in 1991, organize staff retreats and board tours, and lead the remodel of OFRI’s downtown Portland office and later oversee the move and remodel of its current office in southwest Portland.  

“It’s been a great job that’s challenging and rewarding all in the same day,” she says. 

Although she’s looking forward to going on weekly hikes, attending Oregon Ducks football games and track meets, and traveling both domestically and internationally, Storm says after she retires, she’ll miss her coworkers, who feel like family to her: “We’re all so close. It’s more than just workmates; we’re closer than that.” 

Storm’s grandfather was a logger who helped plant the Tillamook State Forest, and she and her husband, Rex, are small woodland owners, so keeping Oregon’s forests healthy has always been important to her. After retirement, she plans to spend more time caring for her forestland. “It’s kind of full circle in a way,” she says.

About 200 students from 22 high schools across Oregon, as well as a few from California, participated in the 2026 Oregon Envirothon competition OFRI hosted on May 1 at The Oregon Garden in Silverton.  

During the competition, students formed 39 small teams who worked their way through a series of stations throughout The Oregon Garden, where they were tested on their knowledge of environmental sciences, including aquatic, forest and wildlife ecology; soils and land use; and a rotating current issue. This year’s current issue was nonpoint source pollution mitigation.  

“The Rogue Pack” team from Logos Public Charter School in Medford won first place, earning them the chance to compete with 25,000 high school students from the United States, Canada, China and Singapore at the NCF-Envirothon being held July 19-25 in Starkville, Mississippi. Eagle Point High School’s “Climate Crew” and Churchill High School's “Water Fairies” came in second and third place, respectively. 

OFRI is the sole sponsor of Oregon Envirothon and relies on the help of volunteers to put on the competition each year. To learn more about volunteering, visit the Oregon Envirothon website.

OFRI, in partnership with the Western Forestry & Conservation Association (WFCA), hosted a two-day summit in May focused on strengthening Oregon’s forest sector workforce.  

The OFRI Workforce Summit, which took place May 13-14 in Bend and coincided with WFCA’s Mapping the Course conference, brought together leaders from across the forest sector, as well as in K-12 and post-secondary education, 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.  

Speakers included representatives from major forest products companies in Oregon and forest sector trade associations, along with the Oregon Department of Education, the Higher Education Coordinating Commission, Oregon community colleges and universities, and youth corps programs. Summit participants also broke out into smaller groups to discuss unique workforce challenges and potential solutions for various subsectors, including forest operations and support, forest products and manufacturing, and forest management. 

There were many productive conversations throughout the summit, and OFRI plans to release a report summarizing the discussion and identifying next steps to help address Oregon’s forest sector workforce challenges.  

In other news...

Oregon Family Forest Convention set for June 25-27 

The Oregon Small Woodlands Association (OSWA) and Oregon Tree Farm System will host their 2026 Oregon Family Forest Convention at the Big K Guest Ranch in Elkton. OFRI is a co-sponsor of the convention, which will include four field tours on June 25, educational sessions on June 26 and the Oregon Outstanding Tree Farmers of the Year Tour on June 27. More information about the convention is available on OSWA’s website. 

Next OFRI board meeting is July 16  

The OFRI board of directors will hold their next meeting on July 16 at the Chemeketa Eola event center in Salem. A meeting agenda will be posted on the board meetings and materials page on OFRI’s website. All OFRI board meetings are open to the public and include the opportunity for public comment.  

OFRI’s animated ads win awards    

OFRI’s two new animated ads have each earned silver in this year’s Telly Awards, which honor excellence in video and television across all screens. The ads, titled “What We Can’t See” and “Forests for All,” were recognized in the Animated Marketing and Communication: Sustainability and Environment category. Both were broadcast across Oregon on television, streaming services and social media this spring, and can be viewed on OFRI’s YouTube channel. 

Woodward named among Outstanding Alumni   

The Oregon State University (OSU) College of Forestry has selected OFRI Deputy Director and Director of Forestry Julie Woodward as one of its 2026 Outstanding Alumni. The annual award honors alumni for their impact on their fields and contributions to the future of forestry. Woodward, who holds a Master of Science degree in natural resources education and extension and dual bachelor’s degrees in forest management and business administration from OSU, was recognized along with two other Outstanding Alumni at the College of Forestry’s 2026 Dean’s Dinner on May 28. 

Bajandas selected for leadership institute  

OFRI Public Affairs Manager Inka Bajandas has been chosen to join the 2026-27 cohort of the Association for Communication Excellence (ACE) Leadership Institute. Bajandas is one of 17 outstanding agricultural and natural resources communication professionals from across the country who will spend the next year together developing leadership competencies through the program. The Leadership Institute is a part of ACE, an international professional development organization for communications professionals who extend knowledge about agriculture, natural resources, and life and human sciences. 

World Forestry Center hosting “ForestFest”    

The World Forestry Center will host ForestFest, a free, family-friendly day filled with hands-on discovery, creativity and outdoor fun in the heart of Portland’s Washington Park, on July 18. Being held in partnership with the U.S. Forest Service and its Forests250 initiative, this year’s event highlights 250 years of public lands stewardship and the vital role forests play in our lives. It will feature free admission to the Discovery Museum, interactive “kid zones,” wood-themed crafts, games, and live demonstrations from forestry professionals and community partners. Learn more about the event on the World Forestry Center website. 

Another difficult year for trees    

Oregon trees are in for another difficult year with conditions this spring already similar to those in 2015, when the state experienced peak high temperatures and drought, according to the Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF). Due to climate change, trees in Oregon have been experiencing chronic stress from hot droughts for at least a couple of decades. Find more information about the impact of drought on trees in this publication available on ODF’s website. 

Associated Oregon Loggers hires new VP    

The Associated Oregon Loggers (AOL) has hired Joe Justice as its new executive vice president. Justice will succeed Rex Storm, who has served in the role since 2019 and is retiring after 31 years with the statewide trade association. Justice joins AOL after serving as a region manager for Manulife Forest Management. He is also completing his second term on the Oregon Board of Forestry. Learn more about the leadership transition in this AOL news release. 

2026 Oregon Family Forest Convention and Outstanding Tree Farmers of the Year Tour

June 25-27, Elkton 

Oregon Garden 25th Anniversary Celebration Dinner

June 28, Silverton 

Oregon Garden 25th Anniversary Week – History Day

June 29, Silverton 

Oregon Garden 25th Anniversary Week – Education & Ecology Day

June 30, Silverton 

Oregon Garden 25th Anniversary Week – Community Day

July 1, Silverton 

Oregon Garden 25th Anniversary Week – Family Day

July 2, Silverton 

Oregon Garden 25th Anniversary Week – July 3rd Celebration & Fireworks Show

July 3, Silverton 

OFRI Board Meeting

July 16, Salem 

ForestFest Free Day at the Discovery Museum

July 18, Portland 

Small Woodlands, Big Ideas: Exploring Forest Products in Oregon (Teacher Workshop)

Aug. 19, Buxton 

Tree School Umpqua

Aug. 21, Roseburg