This month, OFRI officially kicked off the development of our 2023 strategic plan. It’s been six years since OFRI’s last strategic plan was developed, and much has changed in the forest sector, and in Oregon, in the years since.

It’ll be an extensive process, concluding in the fall, that will involve a broad range of stakeholder engagement. The work will include an online staff and stakeholder survey, interviews and focus groups. And there will be opportunities for the public to offer feedback as well.

The staff will be working together and with the OFRI Board of Directors to review, update and refine our mission, vision and values, as well as long-term strategic goals, objectives and key initiatives. 

With all the changes, challenges and opportunities forestry is facing, it’s perfect timing to ensure OFRI has a thoughtful and future-facing strategy – to ensure success in our work supporting the forest sector and all the public benefits it provides. We look forward to engaging with as many of you as possible on this process in the coming months.

For the forest,

Jim Paul

Executive Director

This year’s Oregon Envirothon, a hands-on environmental problem-solving competition for high school students, is set to take place May 5 at The Oregon Garden in Silverton.

As the sponsor and organizer of the event, OFRI has been providing professional development for instructors, student field trips, training sessions and study equipment to prepare high school students from across the state for the competition, where they compete in teams of five.

Registration is now open for this year’s Oregon Envirothon, and the Institute is providing reimbursement for overnight accommodations for teams traveling farther than 50 miles each way to participate in the competition. Substitute and bus transportation cost reimbursements are also available to participating schools. The registration deadline is April 21.

During the May 5 competition, students will complete a series of tests at stations throughout The Oregon Garden to demonstrate their skills in natural resource disciplines including aquatic, forest and wildlife ecology, as well as soils and land use. Students will also give oral presentations and be tested on their knowledge of this year’s current issue: “Adapting to a Changing Climate.”

Winning teams may advance to the National Envirothon event and compete for recognition, scholarships and prizes.

For updates on the 2023 Oregon Envirothon, check out the competition website, and its Facebook and Instagram accounts. 

Family forest landowners, foresters, loggers, arborists and other tree enthusiasts from northwest Oregon gathered at Waldport High School earlier this month for the Oregon State University Extension Service’s Tree School Coast.

More than 100 people participated in the day-long mini-college March 4. It featured 24 classes on a wide variety of forest-related topics, including two courses taught by OFRI Director of Forestry Julie Woodward: one on the importance of forests as habitat for wildlife, and another on Oregon’s forest practices rules. Other forestry experts taught classes that covered topics such as identifying native trees on the Oregon Coast, safe and effective chainsaw use, and common forest insect pests in northwest Oregon.

OFRI was a co-sponsor of the event, and hosted a display booth with a selection of educational materials for forest landowners to take home.

The Oregon State University College of Forestry’s 2023 Starker Lecture Series, featuring a series of talks focused on innovation in forestry, continues this spring.

This year’s lectures look at historical changes in forestry, as well as new innovations and technologies in collaborative work. All lectures are free and open to the public, and take place on the OSU campus in Corvallis. The lectures are also available via streaming video.

This month’s lecture on precision forestry by Monika Moskal, director of the Precision Forestry Cooperative at the University of Washington, will take place March 15. The lecture will be held from 3:30 to 5 p.m. in the Starker Forests Classroom, Room 117 at the Peavy Forest Science Center.

The Starker Lecture Series continues through the spring, with lectures planned for April 19 and May 31. More information about the scheduled speakers and lecture topics is available on the lecture series webpage.

OFRI is a co-sponsor of the lecture series, along with the OSU College of Forestry and the Starker family, in honor of TJ and Bruce Starker. 

The OFRI Board of Directors will discuss the Institute’s proposed budget for the 2023-24 fiscal year at a virtual meeting March 16. This will be followed by a public hearing on the proposed budget at the board’s April 20 meeting, which will be held in person in Salem.

The board’s March 16 meeting will start at 9 a.m. An agenda with a link to attend the Zoom meeting is available on OFRI’s board meetings and materials webpage.

A public hearing for the proposed budget will start at 9 a.m. during the board's April 20 meeting at the Holiday Inn Salem, 3301 Market St. NE.

All OFRI board meetings are open to the public and include the opportunity for public comment. 

Get to know our new intern

In a recent post on the OFRI blog, the Institute’s new social media intern, Trey Pokorney, introduces himself and shares why he’s excited about the opportunity to merge his skills and passion for creating social media content with his love for nature. Read his blog here. 

Forest Today & Forever seeking volunteers

The Eugene-based nonprofit forest education organization Forests Today & Forever is seeking volunteers to assist with its spring Forest Field Days for middle-school students. More than 750 students are scheduled to participate in Forest Field Days, and volunteers are needed to help teach them about Oregon’s forest resources. More information about volunteering at Forest Field Days is available on Forests Today & Forever’s website. 

Mass Timber Conference coming to Portland

The International Mass Timber Conference, billed as the world’s largest gathering focused on engineered mass timber wood products, returns to Portland March 27-29. Organizers expect a record attendance of 2,400 people from more than 35 countries, reflecting a growing interest in mass timber building construction worldwide. Learn more about the conference, which will take place at the Oregon Convention Center, and register on the event website. 

Starker Lecture: Precision Forestry: Remote Sensing, Geospatial Analysis and More

March 15, Corvallis

OFRI Board Meeting

March 16, Zoom

Salmonberry Trail Foundation Getting Together Reception

March 21, Beaverton

International Mass Timber Conference

March 27-29, Portland

Soil School

April 15, Portland

Starker Lecture: Innovations in Silviculture and Forest Management in a Changing World

April 19, Corvallis

OFRI Board Meeting and Budget Hearing

April 20, TBD

Oregon Envirothon

May 5, Silverton

Oregon Bigleaf Maple Festival

May 13, Salem

Starker Lecture: Social Innovations to Meet Societal Challenges

May 31, Corvallis