Forestry Professionals Gather in Southern Oregon, April 30

Many of Oregon’s forestry professionals will gather in Canyonville on April 30-May 2 for the 2014 Annual Meeting of the Oregon Society of American Foresters (OSAF). OSAF members include nearly 1,000 field foresters, administrators, researchers and educators who manage and study the 29.5 million acres of public and private forests throughout Oregon. The theme of the 2014 Annual Meeting is “Defining the Future of Northwest Forestry.” The program includes expert speakers and field trips covering both cutting edge and practical technologies and issues. The program begins Wednesday afternoon at 1:30 p.m. with a keynote presentation by Dr. John Gordon, one of the framers of current Northwest federal forest management policy. Following on Wednesday afternoon and Thursday are four consecutive sessions titled Economics of the Forest Sector: What Does the Forecast Look Like? Silviculture for Wood Production and Habitat Development; Riparian Forest Management: Implications and Opportunities; and The Federal Forests in Oregon: The Path Forward. There are over 20 speakers including Allyn Ford, CEO Roseburg Forest Products; Thomas Maness, Dean of the OSU College of Forestry; Doug Robertson, President of the Association of O&C Counties; Bob Ragon, Director of Douglas Timber Operators; Tom Tuchman, Forestry Advisor to Governor Kit zhaber; and Hal Salwasser, Past Dean OSU College of Forestry. On Friday, attendees will choose from four all-day field trip options, some of which have featured prominently in local and national news this past year: the completed BLM Secretarial Pilot Project; a restoration forestry project on the Tiller Ranger District; public and private restoration efforts on the 48,000-acre 2013 Douglas Complex Fire; and a tour of several local wood products mills. All program events other than the field tours will be held at the Seven Feathers Casino Resort.