Tag Archives: Forests

Special funding boosts ODF grants to protect threatened private forests from development pressure

A grant program administered by the Oregon Department of Forestry is now taking applications to protect privately owned forests from development pressure. “The Forest Legacy Program provides grants to protect private forests either through a conservation easement or outright purchase,” said Christina Helige, ODF’s Forest Legacy Program coordinator. Source: Special funding boosts ODF grants to […]
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Philomath sawmill to close, lay off 100, in third mill shutdown

A Canadian timber company will shut down operations at its Philomath sawmill, eliminating about 100 jobs in the small community west of Corvallis, Interfor Corp. said Friday. It will become the third Oregon sawmill to close since the start of the new year. Hampton Lumber closed its Banks mill and laid off 58 in January […]
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A scientist in Louisville is compiling data on trees and human health 

State Library Ed. Note: If you cannot access this story via the link below, state employees can access this Washington Post story HERE via the State Library’s subscription to the US Newstream database. Alternatively, state employees can contact us for access: LibraryHelp.SLO@slo.oregon.gov or 503-378-8800. Aruni Bhatnagar looked up. “This tree right here, it’s got a lot of good leaves so you […]
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Conversation with a conservationist about Oregon’s timber future

As the Oregon Board of Forestry nears a decision on a habitat conservation plan for western Oregon state forests, the Headlight Herald sat down with the Wild Salmon Center’s Oregon Policy Program Manager Michael Lang to discuss the plan, forest conservation and the recent Hampton sawmill closure in Banks. Source: Conversation with a conservationist about […]
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Invasive English holly not so jolly for Pacific Northwest forests

English holly certainly looks festive this time of year, but as recently reported in High Country News, the invasive plant poses a significant threat to Pacific Northwest forests. Source: Invasive English holly not so jolly for Pacific Northwest forests

Wild turkey populations are declining – biologists have some theories on why 

State Library Ed. Note: If you cannot access this story via the link below, state employees can access this Washington Post story HERE via the State Library’s subscription to the US Newstream database. Alternatively, state employees can contact us for access: LibraryHelp.SLO@slo.oregon.gov or 503-378-8800. In many parts of the country, turkeys are on the decline in the wild — but scientists […]
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Climate change is hastening the demise of Pacific Northwest forests

Deep inside a forest in Oregon’s Willamette Valley stands a dead “Tree of Life.” Its foliage, normally soft and green, is tough and brown or missing altogether. Nonetheless, the tree’s reddish bark, swooping branches and thick, conical base identify it as the Pacific Northwest’s iconic western red cedar. Source: Climate change is hastening the demise […]
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OSU study blends art and science to learn about past landscapes 

When you look at a painting in a gallery or museum, you can’t always tell how much of what’s portrayed is accurate or how much artistic license has been taken. But a new study from Oregon State University shows that some 19th-century landscape paintings are accurate enough to aid scientists who are researching historical forest […]
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Private Forest Accord supports Oregon’s small forestland owners

The new Private Forest Accord, which received bipartisan support in the state Legislature, goes into effect in January for forestland owners with less than 5,000 acres. In July, it went into effect for larger forest operations. A major component of the PFA is it increases the size of riparian management areas next to rivers, streams […]
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Does summer mean less fun in the sun, more fire anxiety for Oregonians? 

Many have heard the iconic catch phrase of U.S. Forest Service mascot Smoky Bear: “Only you can prevent wildfires!” As Oregon nears the anniversary of the catastrophic Labor Day fires of 2020, like the Riverside Fire that devoured 138,054 acres of rural Clackamas County, the question lingers: How do we prevent wildfires? Source: Does summer […]
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