Oregon Dept. of Forestry

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News Release

Forest Trust Land Advisory Committee Meets Virtually On Feb. 21 -02/14/25

SALEM, Ore. -- The Forest Trust Land Advisory Committee will meet virtually on Friday, Feb. 21 at 10 a.m. To join, please use the Zoom video conference information found on the agenda.

 

The committee's agenda includes:

  • Personnel/staffing updates

  • Planning context

  • Modeling updates

  • Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) updates/new information

 

Public comment is scheduled at the beginning of the meeting. To submit written comment, email ftlac.comment@odf.oregon.gov. Written comments sent at least 48 hours before the meeting will give the FTLAC time to review and consider information. Comments submitted after that window of time will be sent to the FTLAC after the meeting, entered into the record and posted online. Comments are not accepted after the meeting concludes.

 

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 503-945-7200 or by email at forestryinformation@odf.oregon.gov.

 

The Forest Trust Land Advisory Committee is comprised of seven county commissioners representing 15 Oregon counties where state forestlands are located. The FTLAC is a statutorily established committee that advises the Board of Forestry on matters related to forestland managed by ODF. View more information on the FTLAC webpage.

Smoke Management Advisory Committee Meets On Feb. 13 -- Meeting Updated To Virtual Only -02/11/25

SALEM, Ore. -- The Smoke Management Advisory Committee will meet virtually on Thursday, Feb. 13, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. To join virtually, please use the Zoom video conference information found on the agenda.

 

The committee's agenda includes:

  • Welcome and roll call

  • Committee business

  • Committee & agency reports

  • Smoke Management Unit FY24 budget overview & discussion

  • Fall burning overview

  • Rule review committee discussion

  • Action item review/next meeting

The meeting is open to the public to attend virtually. There will be a period for public comment in the morning. 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.

 

View more information on the SMAC webpage.

 

Created by the Legislature in 1989, the five-member committee assists and advises the Oregon Department of Forestry in carrying out its Smoke Management Program. Members are appointed by the State Forester to serve a two-year term, which is renewable.

Oregon Ranked #2 In The Nation For Firewise Sites -02/11/25

Salem, Ore.--With 298 Firewise USA sites in good standing, Oregon is again ranked number two in the nation for number of Firewise USA sites. In 2024, Oregon added 32 new sites to create more fire-adapted communities.

 

Oregon is also honored to share the first Firewise USA site in the country that is located in two states, along the Oregon and California border in Lake County.

 

Along with being number two as a state in 2024, Oregon is also home to the number four and number five counties with the most sites in the nation: Jackson County with 74 sites and Deschutes County with 78 sites. These accomplishments would not have been possible without the dedication of community members and those that led the charge. 

 

What is Firewise USA? Firewise USA is a program that helps guide communities in the process of protecting their homes and neighborhood from wildfire. The program is run by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and co-sponsored by the National Association of State Foresters and U.S. Forest Service. The Oregon Department of Forestry is responsible for administering the program in Oregon and is a resource to help communities create a community wildfire protection plan, find grants to fund projects, and give expert advice.

This work is not done alone. Through the help of ODF's partners, community coordinators, and local fire departments, we all work together to complete assessments and help the community develop action plans for implementing wildfire risk reduction activities.

 

How does a community become a Firewise community? Starting the journey to become a Firewise USA site is as easy as picking up the phone and calling your local ODF office. Only a minimum of eight dwellings are required, meaning that your street, neighborhood or town can be a Firewise USA community.

 

What are the benefits of becoming a Firewise site? By becoming a Firewise site, you can educate your community and work to become more wildfire resilient. As a Firewise site, you have access to several wildfire partners, like the Oregon Department of Forestry, to help you in securing grants, getting advice, help in coordination and more. Most importantly, you create strong relationships with your neighbors under the common goal of protecting your community from wildfire.

 

The continuation and growth of the Firewise USA program in Oregon is just one way we can create more fire adapted communities and protect our neighbors.

Smoke Management Advisory Committee Meets On Feb. 13 -02/06/25

SALEM, Ore. -- The Smoke Management Advisory Committee will meet Thursday, Feb. 13, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the ODF Headquarters, Building C, Tillamook Room, 2600 State Street, Salem. To join virtually, please use the Zoom video conference information found on the agenda.

 

The committee's agenda includes:

  • Welcome and roll call

  • Committee business

  • Committee & agency reports

  • Smoke Management Unit FY24 budget overview & discussion

  • Fall burning overview

  • Rule review committee discussion

  • Action item review/next meeting

The meeting is open to the public to attend either in person or virtually. There will be a period for public comment in the morning. 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.

 

View more information on the SMAC webpage.

 

Created by the Legislature in 1989, the five-member committee assists and advises the Oregon Department of Forestry in carrying out its Smoke Management Program. Members are appointed by the State Forester to serve a two-year term, which is renewable.

Forest Champions Sought For New Volunteer Award (Photo) -01/29/25

Tillamook Forest Center, Ore.--Volunteers have a key role in the success, maintenance and improvement of Oregon's state forests' recreation, education and interpretation sites and programs.

"In 2024 alone, volunteers contributed thousands of hours through the Oregon Department of Forestry and its partner organizations," said Kelly Lau, Executive Director, State Forest Trust of Oregon. "These are the hands and hearts that maintain trails, connect with recreators, and steward the forests we all love."

To honor these volunteer contributions, the State Forests Trust of Oregon launched the Forest Champions Volunteer Awards. This program recognizes individuals and groups who go above and beyond to enrich the visitor experience and care for our state forests.

"If you know a volunteer who deserves to be celebrated then share their story with us," said Lau.  "We've made the process simple, just email me at kelly.lau@stateforeststrust.org."

 Nominations are due by March 3 and the winners will be announced April 26.

For more information on the State Forests Trust of Oregon see: https://www.stateforeststrust.org  For volunteer opportunities available in Oregon's State Forests see ODF's volunteer page: https://www.oregon.gov/odf/recreation/pages/volunteer.aspx

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Adaptive Management Program Committee Meets Feb. 3 -01/27/25

SALEM, Ore. -- The Adaptive Management Program Committee will meet at noon on Monday, Feb. 3 in the Clatsop Room, Building C, at the Oregon Department of Forestry headquarters, located at 2600 State St. in Salem. To join virtually, please use the Zoom video conference information found on the agenda.

 

The committee's agenda includes:

  • Discuss amphibians research questions package (Substantial decision item)

  • Discuss the IRST's scoping proposal on eastern Oregon steep slopes questions

  • Discuss potential modifications to the AMPC charter (Substantial decision item)

The meeting is open to the public to attend in person and online via Zoom. 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.

ODF’s Six Strike Teams Return Home From California After Two-week Assignment (Photo) -01/27/25

SALEM, Ore. -- The Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) welcomes back 70 firefighters who've been assigned to the fires in Los Angeles County, California for the past two weeks. While in California, the six strike teams were split between the Palisades Fire and the Eaton Fire.

 

"We're happy to help however we can when we receive the call from one of our partner states," said Chris Cline, ODF's Fire Protection Division Chief. "By strengthening our inter-state relationships and agreements, we can provide reciprocal support to one another by sending resources through faster channels."

 

The firefighters went to California under state-to-state mutual assistance agreements, which create a reciprocal cache of resources all parties can access when needed. This is especially vital when local and national ordering systems are overtaxed. Partnerships like these are critical to quick, nimble response in today's wildfire environment and can quickly bolster a requesting state's capabilities.

 

"We call this the complete and coordinated fire system," Cline explained. "The relationships built through deployments like these benefit Oregon when our fire season hits its peak."

 

When wildfire activity is low in Oregon, like during winter, firefighters can be spared to help in places experiencing high levels of wildfire. Oregon can and has called on those same states to send firefighters and equipment when wildfires here exceed local capacity. Most recently, Oregon gratefully welcomed 21 firefighters from California to help fill middle management gaps during the 2024 fire season. Overall, Oregon brought in more than 500 people through agreements ODF has with more than 20 states and Canadian provinces and territories.

 

Additionally, sending ODF firefighters on out-of-state deployments helps them grow as firefighters. In addition to expanding their professional networks outside of Oregon, firefighters learn new suppression tactics and gain experience fighting fire in different environments. The skills and lessons learned brought back from these off-season deployments are then applied to better protect Oregonians, communities and our state's natural resources.

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Prevent Wildfire: Remember To Check Your Burn Piles -01/24/25

SALEM, Ore. -- Due to the extended drying pattern we are experiencing and east winds forecasted for this weekend, the Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) encourages anyone who may have completed a debris or slash burn in the past few months to monitor and patrol the burn site.

 

Embers can smolder beneath the surface, even in winter, after a burn and reignite in dry conditions. The National Weather Service is forecasting east winds this weekend with gusts up to 30 mph, which could reignite residual embers and start a fire.

 

If you feel heat at your burn site, drown the site with water, stir, and repeat until it's cold to the touch.

 

"This dry, windy weather is what reminds us that fire can happen in any season, not just summer," Blake Ellis, ODF's Fire Operations Manager said.

 

ODF districts across the state are prepared to respond over the weekend to any new fire starts.

 

Looking forward, similar conditions (light easterly flow and below freezing temperatures overnight) will stick around through the end of the month and possibly into February. For more fire prevention information and tips, visit https://www.oregon.gov/odf/fire/Pages/fireprevention.aspx or https://keeporegongreen.org/.