New Tillamook State Forest Campground To Give Off Highway Vehicle Users A Better Overnight Experience (Photo) - 03/13/26

Tillamook State Forest, Ore.—Oregon Department of Forestry recreation staff are working hard to transform the Diamond Mill off highway vehicle (OHV) staging area into the Tillamook State Forest’s newest campground. The campground is set to open April 1.

“Diamond Mill is in the heart of some of the most active OHV usage areas in the Tillamook State Forest,” said Ben Burns, ODF’s Recreation Facilities Manager. “Historically, Diamond Mill has been a staging and parking area for mostly single track (motorcycle) trail users. Now we are revamping it into a full-fledged campground.”

The campground will have 16 sites and the option for a camp host site. There are new picnic tables, fire grates, site posts and signage, along with an existing double-vault pit toilet.

“We brought in boulders, soil, gravel, vegetation and contoured the area to make the sites feel more private and give campers a better overnight experience,” said Burns.

“It was a bit of free-for- all with parking before,” said Burns. “This will improve traffic flow and safety in the campground.”

Before, the use fee was $5 per car per night, now the improved sites are $20 a night like other ODF state forests campgrounds.

“For this first year the campground ground will remain a first come first served area. Then, we will consider user feedback and might go to a reservation system in 2027,” Burns said.

Burns and his staff are ready to see their hard work pay off after a typically challenging Oregon winter of wet, windy and cold weather.

“ODF staff and South Fork Forest Camp crews have been working really hard in sometimes difficult weather to transform the area, and we are excited to have it ready for the April 1 opening,” said Burns. “This is just a great area in the heart of the Tillamook with miles of trails to explore and the campground is family friendly; we even have a kids’ track right beside the campground.”

For more on Diamond Mill and other state forests recreation opportunities see: Oregon Department of Forestry : Recreation, education & interpretation : Recreation, education & interpretation : State of Oregon

Adaptive Management Program Committee Meets March 16 - 03/09/26

SALEM, Ore. — The Adaptive Management Program Committee (AMPC) will meet virtually at 1:30 p.m. on Monday, March 16. To join, please use the Teams video conference information found on the agenda.

The committee’s agenda includes:

• Independent Research and Science Team (IRST) Co-chairs amphibians literature review & scoping proposal
• IRST clarifying questions on amphibians questions 3

The meeting is open to the public to attend 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 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.

Tillamook Forest Center To Hold First Ever Volunteer Open House (Photo) - 03/05/26

Tillamook State Forest, Ore.—The Oregon Department of Forestry’s Tillamook Forest Center (TFC) will hold a Volunteer Open House Saturday from 1-3 p.m.

“Volunteers are a key part of the team that makes the Tillamook Forest Center such a great place for our visitors,” said Denise Berkshire, Director of the TFC.  “People ask us a lot of questions about how to volunteer and what volunteers can do here, so we thought it would be great to have a dedicated day to explain how folks can share their love of the forest.”  

During this first ever Volunteer Open House potential volunteers will get a behind-the-scenes tour of the center, meet the TFC’s friendly team, and learn how they can help share the forest’s story with visitors.

There are three main roles for volunteers at the TFC: field trip assistant, information desk greeter, and facilities and grounds assistant.

“If you want to inspire the next generation then consider helping out as a field trip assistant during our forestry field trips programs,” said Berkshire. “If you love to talk with people and want to be the welcoming face of the center then an information desk greeter is a great fit.  On the other hand, if you like to work outdoors or like to organize and tidy up then volunteering as a facilities and grounds assistant might be for you.”

And once you find your perfect fit at the open house you can apply on-site Saturday. To register for the Volunteer Open House, email:  TFC.InterpretationandEducation@odf.oregon.gov with your name and potential interest area.

Consider bringing others along for the day even if they are not ready to volunteer. They can see the innovative programs and hands-on exhibits in the 13,500 square-foot center. The goal of the TFC is for visitors to gain a greater understanding about what a forest is, how it works, and forest history. Discover the power of fire through the award-winning film Legacy of Fire, the miracle of the salmon lifecycle, and the resilient, dynamic, and productive nature of state forests.

 There is also plenty to explore outside the center including: A 40-foot-tall fire lookout tower that offers a unique view of the area and the surrounding forest canopy. A 250-foot-long suspension bridge over the Wilson River and interpretative trails that lead from the building, through the woods and along the river, providing insight into the past, present, and future of the forest. Plus, much more. 

Committee For Family Forestlands Meets March 11 - 03/04/26

SALEM, Ore. — The Committee for Family Forestlands (CFF) will meet virtually on Wednesday, March 11 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. To join virtually, please use the Teams video conference information found on the agenda. 

The committee’s agenda includes:

• Forest Resources Division update
• Forest Legacy Program update
• Forest Stewardship Program update
• Forest Conservation Tax Credit Program (FCTC) update
• Land trust presentation
• Discuss landowner at large position and co-chair

The meeting is open to the public to attend online via Teams. Accommodations for people with disabilities, and special materials, services, or assistance can be arranged by calling at least 48 hours in advance of the meeting at 503-949-4785 or by email at committee.of.family.forestlands@odf.oregon.gov.

The 13-member committee researches policies that affect family forests, natural resources and forestry benefits. Based on its findings, the committee recommends actions to the Oregon Board of Forestry and the State Forester. View more information on the CFF webpage.

Board Of Forestry Governance Committee Meets March 2 - 02/25/26

SALEM, Ore. — The Board of Forestry Governance Committee will meet virtually at 9 a.m. on Monday, March 2. To join, please use the Zoom video conference information found on the agenda.

The committee’s agenda includes:

• Finalize Board Policy Manual (BPM) language updates
• Finalize agenda development document
• Develop plan to update board governance performance evaluation
• Discuss adding a Roberts Rules/Meeting Protocol section to the BPM
• Plan our presentation for the Board of Forestry (BOF) meeting on March 4
• Schedule next meeting

Accommodations for people with disabilities, and special materials, services, or assistance can be arranged at least 48 hours in advance of the meeting at 503-302-6344 or by email at boardofforestry@odf.oregon.gov.

This standing board committee recommends policies (or policy changes) to the board pertaining to governance issues and processes including the oversight and management of the Board Policy Manual, orientation and training of new board members, the evaluation and improvement of the board, the repository of board materials, and oversight of the written conflict of interest policies, procedures, and review of annual or special statements of board members. Learn more about the committee.

Emergency Fire Cost Committee Meets March 3 - 02/24/26

SALEM, Ore. — The Emergency Fire Cost Committee (EFCC) will meet at 10 a.m. on March 3, 2026, in the Tillamook Room, Building C, Oregon Department of Forestry at 2600 State Street in Salem. To join virtually, please use the Teams video conference information found on the agenda.

The committee’s agenda includes:

• Harvest tax allocation for fiscal year 2027 (FY27) district budgets
• Weather update
• Oregon Forest Land Protection Fund (OFLPF) fiscal year 2025 (FY25) ending balance and current financial status
• Status reports on EFCC work groups
• Fiscal year 2025 (FY25) audit report
• Administrative Branch/Protection Division/Administrator reports

The meeting is open to the public to attend in-person or virtually via Teams. Public comments will be accepted near the end of the meeting. Accommodations for people with disabilities, and special materials, services, or assistance can be arranged by calling at least 48 hours in advance of the meeting at 503-881-8292 or by email at lorna.m.hobbs@odf.oregon.gov.

The Emergency Fire Cost Committee (EFCC) oversees the Oregon Forest Land Protection Fund (OFLPF), established by the Oregon Legislature as a fund with the purpose of providing funds for fiscal year budgets of forest protection districts, investments in supplemental fire prevention, detection or suppression resources that enhance fire protection in the state and issuing loans to the Oregon Department of Forestry or forest protection associations that relate to wildfire costs. View more information on the EFCC webpage.

Board Of Forestry To Meet On March 4 - 02/20/26

SALEM, Ore. — The Oregon Board of Forestry will meet at 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday, March 4. The meeting will be held in the Tillamook Room, Building C, at the Oregon Department of Forestry headquarters, located at 2600 State St. in Salem. The meeting is open to the public and will also be livestreamed on the department’s YouTube channel. 

The board’s business agenda includes:

• State forester introduction
• Legislative session update
• Board of Forestry Governance Committee’s recommendations to the Board Manual and best practices
• Forest Trust Land Advisory Committee comments
• State Forests: Update on the rulemaking process for the Western Oregon Forest Management Plan and Performance Measures
• Governor’s Natural Resource Team update
• Update on the Adaptive Management Program
• Tethered logging rulemaking

The full agenda is available on the board’s webpage.

Signing up for live testimony is required. Instructions are available online. Written testimony will also be accepted. Written comments can be submitted before or up to two weeks after the meeting day by mail to the Board Support Office, 2600 State St., Salem, OR 97310 or email to boardofforestry@odf.oregon.gov. Please include the appropriate agenda item and topic with the submission.

Accommodations for people with disabilities, and special materials, services, or assistance can be arranged at least 48 hours in advance of the meeting at 503-302-6344 or by email at boardofforestry@odf.oregon.gov. 

The Oregon Board of Forestry consists of seven citizens nominated by the Governor and confirmed by the Oregon Senate. Responsibilities include setting management direction for state-owned forests, adopting rules governing timber harvest and other practices on private forestland, and promoting sustainable management of Oregon’s 30 million-acre forestland base. Learn more about the board.