The Eastern Oregon Regional Forest Practice Committee will meet Wednesday, Dec. 5 starting at 10 a.m. for the purpose of selecting the Operator of the Year for eastern Oregon from among three nominees. The meeting will be held via conference call. There will be an opportunity for public comment near the beginning of the meeting. Members of the public may call into the meeting by contacting ODF’s Susan Dominique at 503-945-7502. Requests for an interpreter for the hearing impaired or other accommodations for persons with disabilities should be made at least 48 hours prior to the meeting. Questions about accessibility or special accommodations for the meeting can also be directed Dominique at 503-945-7502. Regional Forest Practice Committees are panels of citizens – mandated under Oregon law – that advise the Oregon Board of Forestry on current forestry issues and forest management approaches. Three Regional Forest Practice Committees, serving the Eastern, Northwest and Southwest and regions of the state, were created by the 1971 Oregon Forest Practices Act. Under Oregon law, a majority of the committees’ members must be private forest landowners and logging or forest operations companies. Oregon’s forests are among one of the state’s most valued resources, providing a balanced mix of environmental, economic and social benefits.  Additional information about ODF’s Regional Forest Practice Committees is available on the Oregon Department of Forestry’s web site: http://www.oregon.gov/ODF/Board/Pages/RFPC.aspx.