May Is Wildfire Awareness Month (Photo) - 04/27/26

SALEM, Ore. –After an uncharacteristically warm winter, Oregon is experiencing various levels of drought and a record-low snowpack. May and June rainfall, or lack thereof, determines whether the state faces an early start to fire season. If the spring drying trend persists, the combination of these conditions sets the stage for extremely active and challenging wildfires this summer. Keep Oregon Green, in partnership with federal, state, tribal and local fire and emergency response agencies will be spreading the word about the steps we all can take to prevent the start of careless, unwanted wildfires this summer. Emergency response agencies encourage all Oregonians to take steps now to create defensible space around homes and outbuildings and become familiar with evacuation procedures.

Each year, over 70% of Oregon’s wildfires are started by people. Many are a result of escaped campfires and debris burn piles or overheated equipment and vehicles casting sparks or catching fire. During the 2025 fire season, the Oregon Department of Forestry reported that people were directly responsible for sparking 740 wildfires that burned over 20,000 acres. Any spark can gain traction in dry vegetation, spread quickly and impact lives, personal property, and the many benefits provided by Oregon’s scenic natural areas.

Before heading outdoors this summer, be sure to contact the agency or landowner who manages the land at your destination for an update on current fire restrictions or bans. Everyone should be familiar with these restrictions before building open fires or using equipment that could ignite a wildfire.

One Spark Changes Everything

Keep Oregon Green has been fighting wildfire with publicity since 1941. This season, the Association is unveiling a new campaign theme: ‘One Spark Changes Everything’. It highlights how everyday choices can either spark a negative or positive outcome. The campaign calls on the public to recognize risky outdoor behaviors that can lead to wildfires and predict the effects of their actions. Campaign artwork, PSAs, and additional wildfire safety tips can be found at keeporegongreen.org and various social media platforms.

Coming soon: More Wildfire Awareness Month tips

During May, a new wildfire prevention topic will be shared each week to help homeowners and outdoor enthusiasts learn how to prevent their outdoor activities from sparking the next wildfire. For more information, visit the websites for Keep Oregon Green at www.keeporegongreen.org, the Oregon Department of Forestry at www.oregon.gov/odf, and the Oregon State Fire Marshal at https://www.oregon.gov/osfm/education/pages/prevent-wildfires.aspx.

Follow Oregon wildfire news and prevention updates on social media: @keeporegongreen, @ORDeptForestry and @OSFM

Compliance Monitoring Program Committee Meets April 30 - 04/23/26

SALEM, Ore. — The Compliance Monitoring Program Committee will hold a virtual meeting Thursday, April 30, from 9 to 10:30 a.m. To join virtually, please use the Teams video conference information found on the agenda.

The committee’s agenda includes:

• Roads and steep slopes pilot study updates
• Story map overview  

The meeting is open to the public to attend online via Teams. Requests for an interpreter for the hearing impaired or other accommodations for persons with disabilities should be made at least 48 hours before the meeting by emailing Marta Frias-Bedolla.

The CMP Committee assists in efforts to monitor compliance with Forest Practices Rules. The committee advises ODF regarding monitoring projects and procedures. View more information on the CMPC webpage.

New Technology Helps Improve Threatened Species Surveys In State Forests (Photo) - 04/15/26

Tillamook State Forest, Ore.—Oregon’s state forests are home to a wide variety of wildlife including two threatened bird species, the northern spotted owl and the marbled murrelet.  As part of the Oregon Department of Forestry’s (ODF) compliance with the federal and state endangered species acts, ODF surveys where these species are and develops a plan to protect and enhance their habitat.

“Right now, we use call-back surveys to determine where spotted owls are,” said Mike Davis, an ODF state forest biologist. “As the name implies, we go out in the forest and broadcast owl calls and wait for them to respond, following a protocol accepted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS).” The USFWS administers the Endangered Species Act and monitors compliance with it.

Most of the field call-back survey work is done by contract biologists and has some limitations.

“For owls, the surveys are conducted at night and typically for just that one night at each location,” said Davis. “There are safety concerns too: driving dark gravel forest roads, hiking into the mature forest stands where owls typically are without any trails, and traversing steep, rugged terrain. Then standing or hiking for hours, oftentimes in the rain.  It is not easy work nor a fun experience some nights.”

Another recent concern that limits the effectiveness of call-back surveys is the encroachment of the invasive barred owl into traditional spotted owl areas.

“The barred owls are basically bullying the northern spotted owls out of their preferred habitat,” said Davis. “We are seeing spotted owls at atypical higher elevations now and calling back less and less because that call alerts barred owls to their location.”

This makes the call-back protocols less effective and had ODF looking for better methods to survey the birds.

“In 2022 we started experimenting with Autonomous Recording Units (ARUs),” said Davis. 

ARUs are devices that automatically record environmental sounds such as bird calls, frog choruses, or other wildlife vocalizations over extended periods without the need to have a human present.

“ARUs have many advantages,” said Davis. “They can be left out in the field several weeks or more, set up and retrieved from the field anytime, record multiple species, and can be analyzed back in the office.”

The units are designed similar to a trail camera, but instead of a camera they have a microphone. They also run on batteries and have removable memory cards.

 “We bring the cards back to our office and run specialized software that processes the audio recordings,” said Davis. “It converts the sound waves into spectrograms, which are visual representations of frequency over time. Each species’ calls produce distinct patterns on these images, allowing software to identify and differentiate vocalizations.”

ODF is optimistic ARUs could save on survey costs too.

“We spend roughly $2 million a year on northern spotted owl surveys and another $500,000 on marbled murrelets,” said Corey Grinnell, Biological Support Unit Manager for ODF’s State Forest Division. “ARUs with rechargeable batteries, memory cards and the software costs are coming in the $600-$700 range per device.”

ODF currently has 23 ARUs but plans to deploy more and move away from sole reliance on call-back surveys.

“We are waiting for the USFWS to approve a final protocol for using ARUs,” said Grinnell.  “Once that happens, we can integrate them more into our management plans.”

Another big change for the biologists will be state forests moving to a new Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) that is expected to be approved by the USFWS and NOAA Fisheries later this year after a several years-long development and approval process. The HCP will give ODF 70 years of certainty in how ODF manages for 17 terrestrial and aquatic species, including northern spotted owls and marbled murrelets, as it manages state forests.

“The entire point of the HCP is to keep this working forest working,” said Grinnell.

The HCP combined with improving technology has the potential to give managers better data to better manage the forests. State forests by law must provide social, economic, and environmental benefits to Oregonians.

“Our goal is to create healthy productive forests, high-quality habitat for native fish and wildlife, clear cool water, benefits and revenues to rural communities and timber related economies, as well as recreation and educational opportunities,” said Grinnell. “To do that we embrace cutting edge technology to improve our data in the most cost-effective way.  “ARUs are one tool to do that. We are always on the lookout for better, faster, cheaper ways to get biological data to help us make the best management decisions.”

For more on Oregon’s state forests see: Oregon Department of Forestry : State forests : Forest resources : State of Oregon

Fairview Has Become Oregon's Newest Tree City USA (Photo) - 04/14/26

FAIRVIEW, Ore. –The Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) announced this month that the City of Fairview has become Oregon’s newest Tree City USA community. ODF administers the Tree City USA program in Oregon, which is sponsored by the national Arbor Day Foundation.

The program recognizes cities that manage public trees according to best practices and work to improve their urban canopy. To qualify, towns must meet four core standards: maintaining a tree board or department, establishing a tree care ordinance, spending at least $2 per capita on urban forestry activities, and celebrating Arbor Day. Over 3,600 communities nationwide are recognized, including 69 in Oregon.

Located in eastern Multnomah County just east of Gresham, Fairview has about 11,000 residents. Incorporated in 1908, the community has transitioned from farming to mainly residential and commercial. Almost one in four residents speaks a language other than English at home. About one resident in eight is foreign born.

Fairview Mayor Keith Kudrna said of earning the designation, “The City Council is excited to put the Tree City USA designation into action by supporting the care and planting of our public trees, including street trees. We see this less as a recognition than a commitment to enhance our city’s tree infrastructure for the long-term benefit of our community.”

ODF Community Assistance Forester Allison O’Sullivan said Fairview’s city staff have worked diligently to meet the qualifications to become a Tree City USA.

“They have a very active Community Development Department and supportive City Council, who understand the importance of looking after and expanding their tree canopy to ensure a healthy, thriving community and to work towards resiliency in the face of a hotter, drier climate and new pests and diseases,” said O’Sullivan.

She cited these examples:

The City of Fairview’s Tree Technical Work Group is working in collaboration with ODF’s Urban and Community Forestry (UCF) team to review and update Fairview’s tree lists and tree ordinance.

This effort is being led by Sarah Selden, Fairview’s Community Development Director, in an effort to make the tree lists more accessible and the tree ordinance more aligned with urban forestry best management practices, such as growing a diverse urban forest.

“Any community can apply to become a Tree City USA, and any school or college can apply to receive Tree Campus Higher Education recognition, programs hosted by the Arbor Day Foundation nationally and administered by the Oregon Department of Forestry locally,” said O’Sullivan. “They can email me at allison.osullivan@odf.oregon.gov and I can answer any questions they might have and walk them through the process.”

                                                                               # # #

ADVISORY ONLY--NOT FOR PUBLICATION: 2025 Media Access To Natural Disasters Training Now Available - 04/13/26

The auto-generated credential functionality for the annual training required for journalists to gain unescorted access to natural disaster scenes is now live. The free, one-hour online training course is provided by the Oregon Department of Forestry.

If you haven’t renewed your training credentials for this calendar year, complete the training at https://odftraining.thinkific.com/courses/media-access-2026. After you pass the quiz at the end of the course, the system will automatically generate a completion certificate that serves as your proof of training.

Journalists are encouraged to print two copies of their credentials—one to display in their vehicle and another to keep in their wallet—and to save an electronic copy to their phone or computer, just in case.

House Bill 4087 (2022) granted journalists access to certain natural disaster scenes even if a public safety organization escort is unavailable. The bill’s access provisions apply specifically to natural disaster scenes on non-federal public lands that are also closed to the public due to the disaster.

The HB 4087 guidelines created by a joint committee of public safety and media representatives provide additional important information including personal protective equipment requirements and circumstances when access may be denied.

For more information about HB 4087 and media access to natural disasters in Oregon, check out these resources from the Safe Media Access to Disaster Sites Committee and the Oregon Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists. 

Adaptive Management Program Committee And Independent Research And Science Team Meets April 13 - 04/06/26

SALEM, Ore. — The Adaptive Management Program Committee and Independent Research and Science Team (IRST) will meet at 10 a.m. on Monday, April 13 in the Santiam Room, Building D, ODF Headquarters, 2600 State Street, Salem. To join virtually, please use the Teams video conference information found on the agenda.

The committee’s agenda includes:

• Presentation on HCP Biological Goals and Objectives (BGOs) & Chapter 6
• Presentation on Compliance Monitoring Program
• Presentation on ODFW’s Monitoring Program
• Discussion about the Effectiveness Monitoring Strategy

The meeting is open to the public to attend in-person or online via Teams. Public comments will be accepted near the start of the meeting. Requests for an interpreter for the hearing impaired or other accommodations for persons with disabilities should be made at least 48 hours in advance of the meeting at 503-945-7200 or by email at adaptivemanagementprogram@odf.oregon.gov.

The 13-member committee The Adaptive Management Program Committee helps determine if forest practices are meeting their goals to protect natural resources through a science-based and transparent process. The committee sets the research agenda that the Independent Research and Science Team (IRST) implements. View more information on the AMPC webpage.

Oregon Department Of Forestry Invites Public Comment On State Forest Management Activities - 04/03/26

Salem, Ore. — The Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) is inviting public comment on planned projects, timber sales, and other management activities in state-owned forests.  

Starting April 3 through 5 p.m. May 18, Oregonians can weigh in on draft Annual Operations Plans for state forests on the Astoria, Forest Grove, Klamath Falls, North Cascade, Tillamook, West Oregon, and Western Lane Districts. These plans lay out on-the-ground activities expected to take place in the coming fiscal year.

State forests by law must provide social, economic, and environmental benefits to Oregonians. To achieve the legal mandate, these lands are managed to create healthy productive forests, high-quality habitat for native fish and wildlife, clean water, benefits and revenues to rural communities and timber related economies, as well as recreation and educational opportunities.

Overall goals and strategies for forest resources are established in long-range Forest Management Plans, which are refined into more specific objectives in Implementation Plans. Annual Operations Plans describe discrete activities to achieve the objectives laid out in Implementation Plans. ODF is seeking input on the draft Annual Operations Plans, which can be viewed on the State Forests’  Annual Operations Plans website.

Common topics in the Annual Operations Plans include:  

• Timber harvest operations  
• Recreation improvement and maintenance projects  
• Forest road construction, maintenance, and improvements  
• Reforestation/replanting and young stand management activities  
• Habitat improvement for native species  
• Invasive species management  

The most useful input speaks to these specific activities and whether they are consistent with longer-range plans, offer suggestions to improve efficiency or effectiveness, correct errors, provide additional information, and are solution oriented. Activities that affect fish and wildlife habitat are reviewed by the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, while operations that may affect threatened and endangered fish and wildlife habitat are shared with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.  Activities that may affect sensitive plants are reviewed by the Oregon Department of Agriculture. 

ODF offers several avenues to comment on Annual Operations Plans:  

• Online comments can be submitted through ODF’s comments page.
• Comments can be emailed to: odf.sfcomments@oregon.gov
• Comments can also be mailed to ODF Public Affairs, 2600 State St., Salem, OR 97310. 

Celebrations Planned Statewide In April For Oregon Arbor Month (Photo) - 04/02/26

SALEM, Ore. – Gov. Tina Kotek has proclaimed April 2026 to be Oregon Arbor Month statewide. This year’s proclamation recognizes the vital role trees play in protecting communities from climate change impacts, particularly extreme heat and rain events.

“Oregon’s Arbor Month is a chance for all of us to pause and appreciate the trees that cool our neighborhoods, protect our health, provide jobs and create clean water and air,” Oregon’s new State Forester Kacey KC said. “This month offers great opportunities for Oregonians to connect with trees, from community tree planting events to facilitated educational walks and so much more.”

A growing body of research, some of it done by Vivek Shandas of Portland State University in Portland, has shown that shade trees can greatly reduce heat. Numerous deaths are traced back to heat events each year. Neighborhoods with a greater percentage of their area covered by trees can be several degrees cooler than those with fewer large trees.

Portland-based researcher Geoffrey Donovan’s research has shown that planting more trees in low-canopy neighborhoods can reduce deaths from cardiovascular disease. Losing canopy can increase human deaths, with the greatest change felt in higher-income neighborhoods when trees that had been protecting residents from air pollution are lost to pests, diseases, or development.

This year’s proclamation states that, “Urban development and preservation of large, healthy shade trees demands a careful balance, because the resilience of our communities, the health and well-being of our residents, and the livability of our cities hinge upon the presence and preservation of such trees. Well-cared-for urban shade trees are literally lifesavers.”

Communities across the state will be adding to urban canopies with tree plantings throughout the month, including in La Grande, Beaverton, Central Point, at Central Oregon Community College in Bend, and elsewhere. There will also be tree art contests, tree walks, a tree book give-away by the State Library, public readings of tree books at the Bandon Library on April 23, and on April 25 the dedication in northeast Portland of the state’s newest arboretum, the Ainsworth Linear Arboretum. It was officially recognized earlier this year by ArbNet as Oregon’s seventh Level 1 Arboretum. ArbNet is the global network of arboreta administered by the Morton Arboretum in Illinois. Find a list of all Oregon recognized arboreta here.

To find an Oregon Arbor Month activity near you, check the website of your local government to see what activities are happening in your area.

                                                                                  # # #

Wildfire Protection Partners Provide New Public Tool To Prevent Escaped Debris Burns - 04/02/26

Wildfire protection partners provide new public tool to prevent escaped debris burns

Debris burning site aims to reduce #1 cause of wildfires

SALEM, Ore.—Outdoor debris burning, also known as backyard debris burning, is the leading cause of human-caused wildland fires in Oregon. On average, the Oregon Department of Forestry responds to about 225 fires each year that result from escaped debris burns.

All Oregonians are encouraged to use the new statewide Before You Burn website or mobile application prior to lighting any debris, whether it be a small pile or in a burn barrel.

Before You Burn provides Oregonians simple, clear guidance on burning regulations and prevention measures for their specific location. The public can sign up for free by either downloading the Before You Burn app (available in both the Apple and Android stores) or visiting the beforeyouburn.net website.

Once on the site, or application, residents are prompted to enter their address. They will be immediately informed on whether burning is allowed for their location. If burning is allowed, they will receive instructions or options on local regulations that must be followed, like registering a burn or filing for a permit.

“We’re hoping that a central resource for all Oregonians will take the guess work out of who regulates burns, and what the process might be for an allowed burn, for residents in any location around the state,” said Levi Hopkins, ODF Protection Division Deputy Chief of Policy and Planning.

ODF and its fire protection and air quality partners have spent the last two years developing this multi-jurisdiction website and mobile application that aims to reduce the number of these preventable wildfires.

Before You Burn is only intended for backyard debris burning. It is not for campfires, agricultural burns, the burning of forest slash from harvest operations, or other types of burning. Residents should contact their local fire or air quality agency for regulations on these types of burning activities.

Ahead of this year’s fire season, ODF would like to remind the public that engaging in prohibited burning may make you liable for wildfire suppression costs. Suppression costs can reach millions of dollars for a single wildfire.

“Checking this new resource is a quick, simple step to take before causing Oregon’s next wildfire,” said Hopkins.

ODF serves as the lead agency for Before You Burn, working in partnership with

Western Fire Chiefs Association, structural fire departments across the state, Keep Oregon Green Association and Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ).

###