The Lookout Newsletter Banner
Summer 2016  |  Volume 10, Number 3
Inside this issue
Save the date!

 

ODF logo

 

 

TFC logo
Tillamook Forest Center
Inspiring people to connect with the Tillamook State Forest.
TFC Staff
Director
Fran McReynolds
 
Interpretation & Education Coordinator
Denise Berkshire
 
Lead Interpreter/ Educator
Luke Wahl

Interpretation & Education Specialists
Cam Amabile
David Pearson
 
Student Interns
Danielle du Plooy
Ben Post 
 
Visitor Services Coordinator
Jen Warren
 
Facilities Coordinator
Darryl Anderson
 
Facilities Specialist
Doug Muck
   
Executive Director, Tillamook Forest Heritage Trust
Ross Holloway

Follow the TFC on Facebook
Follow the TFC on YouTube
The Lookout has a new look!
We hope you enjoy this new version of our newsletter. Please share with your friends and family.
New state forest recreation rules in place for summer
Camping at the Gales Creek Campground in the Tillamook State Forest
New state forest recreation rules aim to reduce conflict and protect resources
On any hot summer day it's not uncommon to find a line of dusty cars and trucks waiting for a riverside spot in the Tillamook State Forest off of Highway 6. As wildfire officials prepare after three severe wildfire seasons, ODF recreation staff are working nonstop to ensure increasingly-popular State Forests are enjoyable for all, as once-hidden gems now fill with hundreds of visitors.
 
Through a series of advisory group meetings representing public and private stakeholders, an overdue evaluation of the agency's recreation fee structure and campsite capacity was conducted leading to fee revisions and rule changes.
 
"As we continue to host significantly more people at our state forest recreation areas, we've worked to put rules and structure in place to create an enjoyable experience for all of our visitors while protecting natural resources and seeking longer-term solutions," said Stephanie Beall, Recreation Coordinator for the ODF Forest Grove District.
 
These fee revisions and camping rule changes include:
  • Revised fees: drive-in sites are $15 per night; walk-in sites are $10 per night; group sites are $50 per night. Extra vehicles will be charged $5 per night, per vehicle.
  • Campsite limits: 8 people, 2 vehicles unless otherwise posted
  • Campers must physically occupy campsites each night during the length of their stay.
  • Sites cannot be reserved in advance except for group campsites at select campgrounds.
These fee revisions are the first in more than twenty years as Oregon's State Forests continue to be the most financially equitable option for local communities looking to experience and enjoy the outdoors for a reasonable price. Other revisions regard permitting for large commercial events, livestock feed, and ODF's rights to remove abandoned property. Additional resources may be found on the Oregon Department of Forestry website.
From the Director
Forest Family Reunion guests helped us celebrate the center's 10th anniversary.
The Forest Family reunion on April 2nd was a great way to kick off the TFC's 10th anniversary celebration year. A beautiful spring afternoon with friends of the TFC included tree planters, donors, teachers, and other community members along with past and current TFC/ODF employees. Thanks to all for making a memorable occasion.
 
The first three months of special exhibits and events have brought many first-time visitors to the TFC and we are seeing familiar faces as well. Over the summer and into the fall, you will want to mark your calendar for changing exhibits as well as Return from the Burn in August and a celebration with the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde in late September.
 
Reservations are limited for the not-to-be-missed inaugural Root Ball fundraiser on September 17. This unique experience includes dinner on the TFC's bridge over the Wilson River, which will be specially lit and decorated for the occasion, special activities, and silent and live auctions. For more information about the Root Ball click here.
Fran McReynolds
News of the Trust Tillamook Forest Heritage Trust logo
Tillamook Forest Heritage Trust Board Members invite you to join them for the September 17 inaugural Root Ball, an unforgettable dinner and evening of activities on the bridge at the Tillamook Forest Center. Starting June 30, make your reservation and help build the Tillamook Forest Center's Education Pavilion.
 
The Trust is also seeking tax-deductible donations of items such as art, gift baskets, wine, vacation stays, gift certificates, and other things suitable for the silent and live auctions at the Root Ball. To make a donation, or for more information, contact the Tillamook Forest Heritage Trust at (503) 815-6800 or on the web: donate .
Join our team!
Front desk volunteers are integral to our operations
Our outstanding front desk volunteers help make it all possible. Join us!
Have you fallen in love with the Tillamook Forest Center? Help us share the love!
 
Front desk volunteers have a huge positive impact on our capacity to serve. This fun and important role welcomes visitors to the center, answers questions about the history of the forest and recreation opportunities in the area, and helps with gift shop sales. Training is provided and staff support is always nearby.
 
Routine volunteer shifts (once a week, once a month, etc.) are easy to schedule. Volunteers are eligible to join our staff shuttle which travels to and from the ODF District offices in Forest Grove and Tillamook each day.
 
Contact Jen Warren, Visitor Services Coordinator or check our website for more information.
Nature Notes
A summer of special exhibits and fun programs ahead
As the Center's 10th anniversary year continues
Stunning natural materials wreath by Ann Girard.
Celebrate the gifts of the forest in July.
into the summer, monthly art exhibits will reflect on additional stories of the forest.
 
In June, the rivers and streams of the Tillamook State Forest become popular sites as temperatures rise. Our June art exhibit, In Your Wildest Streams, will capture the beauty of these waterways and the wildlife that depends on them with the paintings and carvings of local artists Elaine Norberg and Gerald Sticka.
 
Discover beauty in the small things this July with Found in the Forest, a special exhibit by Ann Girard of Rain Garden Studio featuring intricate wreaths made of Douglas-fir cones, horse-chestnut husks, various lichens, and other natural materials.
 
In August, the Center will join the Tillamook Coast History Alliance's Step Back in Time event with a month-long exhibit highlighting influential relationships between the forest and the people of the Tillamook region. The exhibit will include rarely-seen photographs, wooden cheese boxes, and a 1930 Ford AA flatbed fire truck.
 
Interpretive programs led by our knowledgeable and friendly staff will be offered throughout the summer. You can find out more about all of our summer program offerings online.
A look back...
When the Center opened in 2006, it was the first time the Oregon Department of Forestry had embarked into the world of retail, with Jen Warren, the Visitor Services Coordinator, at the helm. Today, still under Jen's oversight, the gift shop carries a wide array of products, many produced locally and even specifically for the Center, with profits that directly support the Center and its operations.
Big changes in the gift shop over the years
You could be our 500,000th visitor!
Prize for the 500_000 visitor to the Tillamook Forest Center
Next time you are driving along the Wilson River Hwy, between mile post 22 and 23, take a break with us at the Tillamook Forest Center. We have something for everyone; a tower to climb, exhibits to see and touch, trails to walk, a bridge to experience and let's not forget, toilets that flush. Check out our Special Events Calendar to see what's happening next.
 
Plus, you could be our 500,00th visitor! We will be offering a prize to this special person in celebration of reaching this monumental visitor mark, so don't hesitate to stop in and say "hi" on your way up or down the beautiful and historic Highway 6.

A stellar new team in 2016 Welcome Cam_ David_ Danielle and Ben_

Cam Amabile (Seasonal Interpretation & Education Specialist)

Originally from New Jersey, Cam is a recent graduate of Tulane University & an alumnus of the Student Conservation Association working for the National Park Service. She is an avid outdoors-woman with a strong love of PNW ecology.

 

David Pearson (Seasonal Interpretation & Education Specialist)

David is a fourth generation Oregonian and graduated from Portland State University in 2015 with a degree in Geography. Last summer he worked for Oregon Parks and Recreation as a Visitor Experience Program Assistant. David grew up camping, fishing, hiking and skiing throughout Oregon and has a great love of the outdoors in our amazing state.

 

Danielle du Plooy (Student Intern)

Danielle is an international student from South Africa who is studying Environmental Studies, with an emphasis in Sustainable Design, at Pacific University. The culture and African continent has such a different way of living, and it has been wonderful for her to be on this new adventure and surrounded by the beauty of Oregon and the new culture.

 

Benjamin Post (Student Intern)

Benjamin is finishing his third year at Oregon State University (OSU), pursuing a Bachelor's degree in Forest Management as well as an International Degree.  Ben has worked for Oregon Department of Forestry the past two summers as a wildland firefighter in the Western Lane district.  In his free time he enjoys fishing, hiking and reading and is continuously involved with several clubs and organizations at OSU.
 (503) 815-6800    |  (866) 930-4646