Smoke Management Rulemaking Advisory Committee Meets Sept. 23 - 09/17/26

A series of rulemaking advisory committee meetings has been scheduled to discuss updates to the smoke management rules.

This will include multiple work sessions and opportunity for public comment.

The next meeting is scheduled for Sept. 23. There will be a period for public comment at 2 p.m. To join, please use the Teams video conference information found on the agenda. 

You can view the previous meetings on the website. More may be scheduled in the future. All meetings will be held virtually and are open to the public. 

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 contacting Shelby Berry at 503-949-5181.

MEDIA ALERT: Sixth Graders From Clatsop County Get Hands-on Experience In Possible Forestry Careers. - 09/17/26

Sixth graders from Clatsop County get hands-on experience in possible forestry careers. Anticipate approximately 400 students from area schools will rotate through 10 different stations.

What: Watch students from all Clatsop County schools participate and rotate through 10 different stations: tree planting, plant identification, wildland fire fighting, wood products, fisheries, recreation, wildlife rescue, restoration, fungi in the forest and tree measurements.

Visuals: See students receive hands-on training on how to plant trees, use a fire hose to hit a target, learn about on-site local fish, take a hike, ID plants and much more.

People on-site available to interview: Students and teachers, experts from the Oregon Department of Forestry, Oregon State University Extension Service, Oregon Parks and Recreation, Clatsop County Fisheries, Lewis and Clark National Historic Park, Wildlife Center of the North Coast, Oregon Women in Timber, Hampton Lumber, Nuveen Natural Capital, North Coast Watershed Association as well other local volunteers.  

When: Thursday, September 24, 2026

Time: 9 a.m.–1 p.m. Best visuals and station rotations occur 9 a.m.–noon. Note: This is a two-day event but photo release and coordination for spokespeople are for Sept 24 only, NOT the first day, Sept. 23.

Where: ODF’s Demonstration Forest and Arboretum adjacent to the Clatsop County Fairgrounds and ODF’s district offices. Address for ODF office: 92219 OR-202, Astoria, OR 97103

Please send an RSVP by end of the day Sept. 22 so we can plan to have people available for interviews. All stations are outdoors so dress for the weather that day. RSVP to Jessica.NEUJAHR@odf.oregon.gov.  For more information contact: Jessica Neujahr, ODF public affairs, (503) 983-3367 (cell phone good for day of the event too). If your schedule changes, we can accommodate last-minute coverage.

Fast facts background and purpose:

• The event has been hosted by the Clatsop County natural resource community since 1960.
• More than 400 students attend each year.
• Top goal is to get students interested in exploring and learning about the broad career opportunities in forestry and natural resources.
• Highlights the partnerships it takes to manage forests for all Oregonians.

List of stations:

Latest Survey By Air Of Oregon’s Forests Reveals Drought Underlies Many Tree Health Issues (Photo) - 09/16/26

SALEM, Ore. – A new report on the state of health of Oregon’s forests is now available. Based on an extensive aerial survey of Oregon’s forests completed by the Oregon Department of Forestry and the USDA Forest Service, the report shows that while tree death and damage was lower last year than the 10-year average, drought is still a key stressor of Oregon’s forest trees, making it harder for trees to defend against insect pests.

The full 2025 report is available at https://www.oregon.gov/odf/documents/forestbenefits/fhh-report-2025.pdf

ODF Forest Entomologist Christine Buhl helped produce the report. She said drought is often paired with rising temperatures. “Together these are often the underlying cause of tree deaths in our state. Drought reduces tree growth and lowers their defenses against insect pests and some diseases, which healthy trees may otherwise resist or tolerate.”

Lower than average death and damage

The report stated that 2025 saw a return to typical precipitation amounts, but spring was the fourth driest on record. A total of 181,500 acres showed death or damage of some kind from one or more causes. The damage was well below the 10-year average and less than half the peak year for damage in 2022. That year, 1.8 percent of Oregon’s 30 million forested acres showed signs of death or damage, compared to 0.7 percent in 2025 and 0.8 percent in 2024.

The highest percentage of damage or death was seen in eastern Oregon. Union County was worst affected, with 2.4 percent of its forested acres showing death or damage. This was followed by Umatilla County at 1.24 percent and Harney County at 1.12 percent. Coastal counties and those bordering the Coast Range had the lowest percent of death and damage in their forests.

Buhl said a majority (78 percent) of the damage seen from the air this year resulted from the interplay of drought and opportunistic beetles targeting stressed Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii), true fir species (Abies spp.), and pine species (Pinus spp.).

The report also measures other causes of trees being injured or killed, such as diseases, storms, and wildfires.

Levels of tree diseases remain much the same

The report showed the acreage or incidence of common tree diseases were largely unchanged. Researchers noted that this can sometimes be the result of limits to how well such diseases can be detected from the air. An exception is the water mold causing sudden oak death (Phytophthora ramorum). Since its initial discovery near the California border in 2001, it continues steadily spreading north and northwest in Curry County around the community of Port Orford in southwest Oregon by about three to five miles a year.  Sudden oak death infects scores of different shrub and tree species but kills Oregon’s native tanoak trees. The disease is spread by spores blown by the wind to new areas.

The State of Oregon is cooperating with federal land managers to slow the spread by identifying newly infected sites and cutting and burning infested vegetation. Private land is also being treated.

Ground-based observations showed that Swiss needle cast disease remains a problem for Douglas-fir growing in areas with high late-spring atmospheric moisture, primarily in the Coast Range. Despite the name, the disease is caused by a fungal pathogen native to the Pacific Northwest.

“The fungus affects the needles, causing many of them to be shed prematurely,” says ODF Forest Pathologist Gabriela Ritokova. “This produces a sparse crown and 20 to 50 percent  slower volume growth, reducing the amount of timber the tree produces.”

Mild temperatures in winter and spring are believed to favor fungal development, worsening its impact. This is especially true in damp coastal areas formerly dominated by Sitka spruce and western hemlock that have been replanted with Douglas-fir plantations.

On the ground collaborators are also important

Buhl emphasized the importance of on-the-ground collaborators to help round out the full picture of forest health in Oregon. “In addition to data ODF and the USDA Forest Service gather, we rely on Oregon State University Forestry Extension staff from across the state, and collaborate with other natural resource agencies, universities, public and private forest landowners, and members of the public to gather information,” she said.

In the aerial survey, trained observers fly over all forested lands in the Pacific Northwest in fixed-wing aircraft and record damage to trees from all sources. Flights are staffed with one observer on each side of the aircraft. Survey flights typically fly between 1,500 to 2,500 feet above ground level, following a systematic grid four miles apart and traveling at 90 to 140 miles an hour.

The aerial forest health survey is the longest continuous survey of its kind in the United States. It started in 1947 and has been flown every year since. The only exception was in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Data from the annual survey flights in Oregon can be found at https://www.fs.usda.gov/r06/natural-resources/forest-health/aerial-detection-survey

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Tillamook State Forest Road Restrictions Help With Deer And Elk Management During Hunting Seasons - 09/15/26

TILLAMOOK, Ore. — The Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) will resume road restrictions this fall in the western part of the Tillamook State Forest to improve deer and elk escapement during hunting season.

Some roads will be closed to motorized vehicle use during the general archery and rifle hunting seasons in September, October and November. Selected roads in the Trask, Wilson and Nehalem River areas will be gated and signed. Controlled access during the three-month period is designed to reduce hunting pressure in these areas.

Hunters and other recreational users are welcome to access the gated areas by foot, mountain bike, horse or other non-motorized means.

ODF is partnering with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) and Tillamook Chapter of the Oregon Hunters Association in this program. The partnership has been in place for 22 years and the location of gates change year-to-year based on access needs, stand conditions and operations.

Motorized access by ODF staff or contractors working in those areas may occur on occasion. Maps of the road management areas are available at the Tillamook ODF office located at 5005 Third St., Tillamook and on the department’s website. Scroll down the page to “Tillamook State Forest Road Report” to find the maps.

If you have questions about the road management program, contact Nick Stumpf at the Tillamook ODF office, 503-842-2545, or Paul Atwood at the Tillamook ODFW office, 503-842-2741.

State Forestland HCP Receives First Federal Permit - 09/11/26

SALEM, Ore.—The Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) received an incidental take permit (ITP) today from the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries, signaling the federal agency’s approval of ODF’s Western State Forests Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP).

"Reaching this major milestone is the culmination of significant work over the past eight years," said Kacey KC, Oregon State Forester. "This permit allows us to manage state forestlands with more stability and consistency because we'll have regulatory certainty under the Endangered Species Act when it comes to the covered fish species. I want to express my sincere appreciation for the time, effort, collaboration and dedication of all partners throughout the process."

State forests are required by law to be managed for social, economic and environmental benefits to Oregonians. The HCP will provide ODF with certainty and consistency when developing and implementing plans that could impact protected species. The plan balances impacts with management provisions that will benefit fish through improved habitat over the long-term.

“This is a win for Oregon on many fronts: The state keeps benefiting from working forests while management activities improve habitat for native fish including salmon and steelhead that benefit Oregon fisheries,” said Lance Kruzic, Oregon Coast and Willamette River Branch Chief at NOAA Fisheries’ West Coast Region. “We appreciate the collaboration, strong science, and practical thinking that demonstrates economic and environmental stewardship can go hand-in-hand.”

“ODF’s management of state forests provides habitat for native fish and wildlife, including threatened and endangered species,” said Mike Wilson, ODF’s State Forests Division Chief.  “The HCP provides an integrated, ecosystem-based approach to species conservation across the landscape. The HCP conservation measures are designed to minimize and mitigate potential impacts from forest management, ensuring species conservation and stability in management activity for the 70-year permit term. The HCP is a more holistic, cost-effective approach to complying with the ESA, while providing valuable forest products, popular recreational activities, and improved fishing opportunities."

The 10 fish species covered in the ITP include:  Three species of coho salmon (Oregon Coast coho, Lower Columbia River coho, and Southern Oregon/Northern California Coast coho), four species of Chinook salmon (Oregon Coast Chinook, Lower Columbia River Chinook, Upper Willamette River spring-run Chinook, and Southern Oregon/Northern California Coastal Chinook), Columbia River chum salmon, Upper Willamette River winter steelhead and eulachon. The ITP also frees ODF from potential legal delays or restrictions for the covered species and helps ensure predictable timber harvest levels in the future. Those revenues not only fund ODF’s management of state forests, but two-thirds of the revenues are shared with the counties and local special districts where the harvest of state forests timber occurs.

“This is a win-win for everyone,” Wilson said.  “Fish win because their habitat is managed and protected for the long-term and ODF gets regulatory certainty and protection from lawsuits, which translates into more certain and predictable economic outcomes for jobs and revenue for essential services.”

Although this is a critical milestone, the department is continuing to work with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service towards issuance of an ITP that will cover additional species under their jurisdiction including the northern spotted owl, marbled murrelet, Oregon slender salamander, coastal marten, and red tree vole. 

“We continue to work closely with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as they finalize the analyses to support their ITP issuance,” Wilson said.  “We anticipate receiving that ITP later this year or early in 2027.  Once we have that permit as well, then all species are covered.”

The HCP began as a collaborative concept that included technical experts and leadership from the Oregon departments of Fish and Wildlife, Environmental Quality, and State Lands, along with Oregon State University.

For more on Oregon’s western state forests HCP, see: Oregon Department of Forestry : Habitat Conservation Plan initiative : About ODF : State of Oregon

For more on NOAA Fisheries ITP process, see: Permits for the Incidental Taking of Endangered and Threatened Species | NOAA Fisheries

Committee For Family Forestlands Meets Sept. 16 - 09/10/26

SALEM, Ore. — The Committee for Family Forestlands (CFF) will meet virtually on Wednesday, Sept. 16 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
• Coalition of Oregon Land Trusts
• Carbon markets and small forestland owners
• Seed Bank overview
• Board of Forestry update
• Review Committee for Family Forestlands charter

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.for.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 To Meet On Sept. 9 - Updated Agenda To Include Executive Session - 09/08/26

SALEM, Ore. — The Oregon Board of Forestry will meet at 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 9. An Executive Session is scheduled immediately following the board meeting. 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:

• Fire season update
• Agency Request Budget 2027-29
• Western Oregon State Forests Management Plan Performance Measures

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

The Executive Session will be closed to the public, except for members of the press who are permitted to attend by law. This Executive Session is held pursuant to ORS 192.660 (2)(f) to consider information or records that are exempt by law from public inspection as well as pursuant to ORS 192.660(2)(h) to consult with legal counsel concerning the legal rights and duties of a public body with regard to current litigation or litigation likely to be filed.

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.

ODF Asks Public To Remain Aware And Informed - 09/04/26

Salem, Ore. – The Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) wants to remind Oregonians that even with the weather shifting, Oregon is still in fire season. Several ODF districts have updated their fire danger level and restrictions recently. However, even with the rain, fuels remain dry and warm weather is expected to return next week.

“Typically, Oregon’s fire season doesn’t end until mid-October, and as we know the weather can change very quickly,” said Michael Curran, ODF Fire Protection Division Chief. “We are still seeing new fire starts throughout the state and fire regulations remain in place.”

Remember that if you are responsible for starting a wildfire in Oregon, you are liable for suppression costs. Remain aware and informed by checking your local fire restrictions and fire danger levels.

Wildfire prevention means:

• Debris burning remains the number one cause of human-caused fires in Oregon and is prohibited during fire season. Cover your pile and wait until fire season is declared over before burning. A dry, covered pile is cleaner and safer to burn in the late fall and winter. Visit beforeyouburn.net for real-time updates on burning regulations and safe burning practices.
• Check local restrictions before lighting a camp or warming fire to see if it is allowed.
• Never leave your campfire or warming fire unattended.
• Make sure your campfire or warming fire is OUT COLD. That means drowning it with water, stirring the ashes, and repeating that process until it is cold to touch. If there is any heat coming off the embers, then it can reignite later.
• Don’t park your car over dried grass, and make sure your vehicle or ATV is regularly serviced.
• Make sure your tow chains are not dragging. The metal hitting asphalt while driving can throw sparks into dry grass on the side of the road.

Visit keeporegongreen.org for more wildfire prevention tips.

Board Of Forestry Governance Committee Meets Sept. 8 - 09/02/26

SALEM, Ore. — The Board of Forestry Governance Committee will meet virtually at 1 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 8. To join, please use the Zoom video conference information found on the agenda.

The committee’s agenda includes:

• Board Self-Evaluation (Addendum G)

Accommodations for people with disabilities, and special materials, services, or assistance can be arranged in advance of the meeting by emailing boardofforestry@odf.oregon.gov.

Committee members include Ben Deumling, Heath Curtiss, and Liz Agpaoa.

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 Sept. 8 - 08/31/26

SALEM, Ore. — The Emergency Fire Cost Committee (EFCC) will meet at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 8 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:

• Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26) ending balance
• Financial status of the Oregon Forest Land Protection Fund (OFLPF)
• Weather update
• Administrative rule framework discussion
• Agency and Business Services Division report
• Protection Division report
• Administrator report

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.

Adaptive Management Program Committee Meets Sept. 3 - 08/27/26

SALEM, Ore. — The Adaptive Management Program Committee will meet virtually at noon on Thursday, Sept. 3. To join, please use the Teams video conference information found on the agenda.

The committee’s agenda includes:

• Amphibians questions 1 & 2 into existing research agenda

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 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.

Board Of Forestry To Meet On Sept. 9 - 08/26/26

SALEM, Ore. — The Oregon Board of Forestry will meet at 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 9. 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:

• Fire season update
• Agency Request Budget 2027-29
• Western Oregon State Forests Management Plan Performance Measures

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.

Smoke Management Rulemaking Advisory Committee Meets Aug. 26 - 08/24/26

A series of rulemaking advisory committee meetings has been scheduled to discuss updates to the smoke management rules.

This will include multiple work sessions and opportunity for public comment.

The next meeting is scheduled for Aug. 26. There will be a period for public comment at 2 p.m. To join, please use the Teams video conference information found on the agenda. 

You can view the previous meetings on the website. More may be scheduled in the future. All meetings will be held virtually and are open to the public. 

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 contacting Shelby Berry at 503-949-5181.