Medford Moulding

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Originally uploaded by World Forest Institute

Paul McKay and Lara Stinger toured Fellows around Medford Moulding’s mill and veneer slicing operation. Click on the group for more photos.

Camping and Yurts and Dunes!

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Originally uploaded by World Forest Institute

Fellows visited Siuslaw National Forests Dunes recreation area. Click on Deepak and Angie for more pics.

Biscuit Fire

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Originally uploaded by World Forest Institute

Fellows visited the Siskiyou National Forest, home of the 2002 Biscuit Fire. The Biscuit Fire burned nearly 500,000 over 4 months, and the cost of suppression efforts totaled over US$150 million (more than 7 times the annual budget of this national forest). In the years following, there were several salvage sales that were the source of conflict for the public, even though they represented a very small percent of the burn. Forest Supervisor Joel King and Partnership Coordinator Paul Galloway discussed their experiences working with communities and activists with Fellows while touring the Biscuit. Fellows were impressed by their positive attitudes and proactive approaches of involving the local community in forest management. Click on the trees for more photos.

Now that's a big tree!

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Originally uploaded by World Forest Institute

Fellows visited Redwoods State Parks in California to see the world’s tallest trees. Click on the Stout Tree for more pics.

Siuslaw National Forest

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Originally uploaded by World Forest Institute

Over the past decades, federal forest management in the Pacific Northwest has undergone a dramatic shift from providing large volumes of timber to conservation values. With new demands from the public, managers have placed more emphasis on ecosystem restoration and watershed health. Fellows visited a much discussed national forest, the Siuslaw.

The Siuslaw is praised as a prime example of collaboration between environmental groups, local communities, and USFS managers. One-third of all harvest on the Siuslaw falls under Stewardship Contracting, which permits the forest to retain receipts from sales and return the value of these harvests to restoration. Project proposals are approved by a diverse group of stakeholders. Resulting projects have primarily focused on habitat improvement and stream restoration.

The majority of stewardship harvests are accomplished via thinning, which pleases environmentalists and avoids the controversy of the clearcut. Sales are rarely appealed in the Siuslaw and stakeholders on all sides appear content. Click on the photo for more pics.

Investing Globally in Forestland

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Originally uploaded by World Forest Institute

On September 10-12, 2007 WFI held its first Global Series event in the “Who Will Own the Forest?” series of summits. The event entitled “Investing Globally in Forestland,” was attended by 275 representatives from the forest industry, TIMOs, pensions and investment community and consultants. The conference examined potential benefits and challenges to investing in timberland and was directed to investors in U.S. properties and to issues encountered by investors in acquiring offshore properties.

21 speakers from various countries presented, including WFC directors Colin McKenzie, Dennis Neilson, Bill Bradley, Ken Hines, Jeff Nuss and Rick Smith. Sponsorship for the event was at an all-time high of 18 corporations and associations: American Forest & Paper Association, Forest Capital Partners, The Forestland Group, Forest Systems, Green Crow, Green Diamond Resource Company, Hancock Timber Resource Group, John Hancock Bond and Corporate Finance Group, MetLife Timberland Finance Group, Moss Adams, Port Blakely Tree Farms, RMK Timberland Group, Royal Bank of Scotland, Stimson Lumber Company, Stoel Rives, Sutherland Asbill & Brennan, Timberland Investment Resources, and TimberWest.

The success of the event highlighted that interest in timberlands as an asset class remains strong. With land values in North America rising, many investors are now eyeing opportunities offshore.

Click on WFC President Gary Hartshorn for more photos.

Rehabilitation at Reed Canyon

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Originally uploaded by World Forest Institute

Reed Canyon Manager Zac Perry toured Fellows around the Reed College Canyon to discuss ecosystem resoration, or rehabilitation, the term that Zac prefers. This 28 acre area contains the headwaters for the Crystal Springs Creek. Unmanaged until 1999, Canyon rehab began with an alumnus grant. Fellows examined some of the projects in the canyon, which involve fighting invasive species such as himalayan blackberry, english ivy, wild clematis, and morning glory. Also of great interest were recently installed fish ladders, which appear to be working as salmon returned for the first time last year. More information can be found at the Reed Canyon website at: http://web.reed.edu/canyon/. Click on Ma removing some english ivy to see more photos.

WFI Update Now Available for Download

The August 2007 WFI Update is now available to download! In this issue:

• Welcome to new Fellows from Nepal and Australia
  
• Eastern Oregon forest tour at MC Ranch
  
• 11th Annual International Educators Institute
  
• Updates from our Alumni
  

WFI Update can be downloaded here:
http://wfi.worldforestrycenter.org/WFIupdate8.07.pdf

Thanks,
Angie
WFI Program Manager

WFI Welcomes Nepalese and Australian

In August, WFI welcomed Deepak Dorje Tamang from Nepal and Nathan Trushell from Australia. Both of these Fellows signal new partnerships in sponsorship for the Fellowship Program.

Deepak is a senior development specialist with nearly 3 decades of experience working in rural development and environment, including extension, capacity building, planning and monitoring, in Nepal and other countries in South, Central and South-East Asia. He currently heads a non profit organization in Nepal called Search-Nepal (www.searchnepal.org.)

Nepal, with 10 of the 14 highest mountains in the world, suffered environmental degradation, deforestation, and soil erosion from the 1950s-1970s due to poor policies. However, the government and private sector have since worked together for better laws and Nepal has seen much improvement since, especially in reforestation, environmental protection, conservation and biodiversity. Improvements have also been made to promote a variety of forest ownerships, including community, leasehold and private forests. National parks have been created, bringing in much needed eco- and heritage- tourism and mountaineering.

Deepak will spend 12 months researching comparative environmental legislations in the US and other Fellows’ countries in forestry, environment, national parks, conservation and biological diversity. Deepak’s study aims to identify good policy case studies that balance population, environment and development.

Nathan Trushell and his family arrived the same weekend from Australia. Nathan is employed as a regional manager with VicForests, overseeing business operations throughout West Gippsland, Victoria. VicForests was established in 2004 as a government owned business enterprise with responsibility for the commercial sale, harvest and regeneration of the state source within the state of Victoria. Over the last three years the organization has focused on designing and implementing its fundamental business model. This has included the development of a market based sales system for timber from forest resource within the state of Victoria. Over the last three years the organization has focused on designing and implementing its fundamental business model. This has included the development of a market based sales system for timber from state forest via an electronic online sales system (the first in Australia), implementation of mill door sales and the development of a sustainable forest management system certified to the Australian Forestry Standard. VicForests sells approximately 1.6 million cubic meters of native eucalypt hardwood, mainly to domestic processors in the sawn timber and pulp and paper sectors of the forest industry.

Nathan will spend six months exploring commercial forestry promotion and branding strategies within the supply chain. Despite forest management undergoing massive change over the past two decades within Australia, there is still ongoing debate surrounding production forestry, particularly within native forests. Complexities of the economic, social and environmental aspects of forest management make it difficult for evidence or scientifically based information to be easily relayed to key stakeholders. To ensure the security of the industry into the future effective promotional and branding strategies are essential. Upon return to Australia Nathan will take on a new role with VicForests as Business Development Manager and will continue some of this work.

Nathan’s wife Helen and daughters Alex and Megan join him in Portland. Helen, also a forester, is taking a break from work to enjoy the Pacific Northwest while Alex and Megan will attend school in Portland.

Schmidt Nursery Tour

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Originally uploaded by World Forest Institute

Fellows toured Schmidt Nursery with Karl Dawson and the Neighborhood Tree Liaison Program. Click on the photo for more pics.

Environmental Educators and Researchers Work Together at IEI

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Originally uploaded by World Forest Institute

For the 11th year, the World Forestry Center hosted the International Educators Institute. This weeklong study tour is set against the dramatic Pacific Northwest landscape and uses local examples to explore sustainability issues.

A diverse group of participants came together from around the world, including award winning environmental educators and natural resource professionals. Each day a different theme led participants to examine topics related to the Montreal Process, including research, protection, communities, disturbance, and management. Participants also exchanged best practices in forestry education and provided their own unique perspectives on global issues.

The group stayed overnight in the Columbia River Gorge. Long travel days were spent visiting with representatives of the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, Mt. St. Helens National Volcanic Monument, Weyerhaeuser Learning Center, the Portland urban forest, and US Forest Service lands. For many participants, this was their first experience in the Pacific Northwest, as well as with participants from far away places such as Palestine and Denmark.

One of the key components of the program is creating an international network. Participants plan to keep in touch to exchange ideas and information. There are many stories of previous participants working together beyond the week-long course. More photos and information can be found at http://internationaleduca-torsinstitute.blogspot.com/.

Eastern Oregon Forest Management highlighted at MC Ranch

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Originally uploaded by World Forest Institute

For the second year in a row, the WFI Fellows were invited to observe eastern forest management in La Grande, Oregon, hosted by Harry Merlo at his 13,000 acre MC Ranch, and guided by ranch manager Rex Christensen. The four-day event featured two days of equipment demonstrations led by Tom King of SuperTrak, which modifies Caterpillars into mulching machines that can process large areas of slash into mulch and woody biomass for utilization. Also on hand for the demonstrations were Rick Wagner of the Oregon Department of Forestry and several landowners and contractors.

La Grande is located in northeastern Oregon, in an area referred to as the Blue Mountains. The area is rich in forests, with the majority owned by the federal government. The MC Ranch is nestled within dense stands of ponderosa pine, Douglas-fir, lodgepole pine, and western larch, with smaller volumes of white fir and several hardwood species. Large populations of elk and deer inhabit the land, which is used for hunting. Parts of the ranch are also used for grazing cattle.
The aim of the MC Ranch is to improve forestland quality for commercial, recreational and wildlife purposes. Poor logging practices in the past left large volumes of slash on the ground, posing a fire risk. Traditionally, slash is piled and burned. However, fire risk and rising labor costs led the MC Ranch to experiment with a high-tech solution. SuperTrak equipment can cover 20 acres/day, grinding down dead trees, stumps, and downed logs into mulch chips, reducing the fire hazard, scarifying the soil and crushing pines and seeds to encourage germination, and leaving a layer of mulch on the ground which helps to retain moisture for seedlings. Currently the MC Ranch is able to use the equipment to produce “dirty chips” (with bark) which are sold to utility companies. The landowner believes that co-generation will become an important source of alternative income for timber growers.

After the demonstrations, Rex Christensen took the Fellows on a tour of areas thinned last year, including a stand that was marked by last year’s Fellows in a tree marking exercise. The Fellows even got in a few horse rides, shooting lessons and a chance to try their hand at driving a SuperTrak machine. Each day a traditional wagon train catered dutch oven food. It was an experience not to be forgotten. Click on the SuperTrak for more photos.

WFI Update Now Available for Download

The June 2007 WFI Update is now available to download! In this issue:

• Welcome to new Brazilian Fellow, Mariane Bueno de Camargo
• Site visits to tree breeding, growing sites
• Award for Education Director Rick Zenn
• Site visits to GreenWood Resources, small woodland owners, and SAF and more
• Updates from our Alumni
  

WFI Update can be downloaded here:
http://wfi.worldforestrycenter.org/WFIupdate6.07.pdf

Thanks,
Angie
WFI Program Manager

Education Director Rick Zenn Recognized with Award

The Education Program at the World Forestry Center has earned top honors from Oregon State University and the Oregon Department of Forestry. Rick Zenn, Education Director, received the Mary Rellergert Forestry Education Award in June at a meeting of the Oregon Board of Forestry. The third annual award recognizes individuals and organizations that have made significant contributions to the advancement of education and understanding about forestry.

Rick Zenn has been Education Director at the World Forestry Center since 1990 and has a passion for creating programming that engages people in "hands-on" learning. He is an internationally recognized environmental educator with over 30 years experience in the field as naturalist, guide, program manager and trainer. He has worked on educational initiatives with the Smithsonian Institution, World Wildlife Fund, and the US Forest Service, and has served as advisor to many conservation and education organizations and is a member of the Project Learning Tree National Education Committee.

Students from Portland and beyond have benefited from education programs at the WFC Discovery Museum and at the center’s demonstration forests near Wilsonville and Silverton. The program reaches more than 600 schools and community groups and 10,000 children each year. WFC’s museum, camps, lectures, programs, field tours and forest education events have helped connect kids with trees and forests for more than twenty years.

The award was named to honor The Oregon Department of Forestry’s former Tillamook State Forest Education Coordinator, Mary Rellergert, who passed away in February 2004. Rellergert was a founder of the Tillamook State Forest Education Program, which provides high quality forest learning experiences for K-12 students at the Tillamook Forest Center.

Weyerhaeuser Turner Regeneration Center

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Originally uploaded by World Forest Institute

Quality timber stands begin with quality seed. There are several quality seed orchards in the PNW, where seed was originally selected in the wild for desired characteristics, and subsequent generations were propagated, bred, and tested to provide improved planting stock. Fellows visited with Jerry Barnes at the Weyerhaeuser Turner Regeneration center in Turner. The center aims to provide quality seedlings for reforestation on their own lands and also sell to landowners for a reasonable cost. Click on Mari for more photos.

Joint SAF Meeting

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Originally uploaded by World Forest Institute

Fellows joined Portland, Salem, and Capital Chapters of SAF for a joint meeting at the Oregon Garden in Silverton. For more photos, click on the Fellows.

Foresters attending local Society of American Foresters (SAF) meetings may have noticed a few new international accents this year as WFI’s Fellows have participated in SAF events around the Portland area. SAF is composed of professional foresters and technicians and gatherings are perfect opportunities for Fellows to network with other professionals.

In addition to regularly attending the Portland Chapter meetings, Fellows have connected with various other regional SAF groups. Earlier this year, Zengwang Ma presented to the Tillamook Chapter about forest restoration in his hometown of Hebei, China. Ma was able to find many similarities between the reforestation work done in Hebei and work completed to reforest the Tillamook after a series of fires 50 years ago. In May, Matt Pope presented to the Longview Chapter and shared his experiences working in radiata pine plantations in New South Wales, Australia.

Fellows also participated in the Oregon SAF state meeting in Bend, Oregon. In addition to hearing speakers and networking, the state meeting included a field tour of east-side fire issues involving stewardship contracting, restoration, and a variety of treatments to reduce fire risk. Fellows plan to be a continued presence at SAF events, including the National Convention in October in Portland.

Annual State Urban Forestry Conference

Fellows attendedthe annual state urban forestry conference, sponsored by Oregon Department of Forestry and Oregon Community Trees in Salem, Oregon. The theme for this year was "How Trees Create Community" and featured speakers include Dr. Kathy Wolf of the University of Washington, Wilsonville Mayor Charlotte Lehan, and many others.

WFI Welcomes Newest Fellow from Brazil

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Originally uploaded by World Forest Institute

On Memorial weekend, WFI welcomed Mariane Bueno de Camargo, the first female Brazilian fellow to join its international fellowship program. Brazilian participation has a long history at WFI, going back to Alexander Battistella from Battistella Ind. e Com. Ltda in 1994, and followed by three others, all from the forest products sector. Claudio Ortolan, an alumnus and currently with Klabin—Brazil's largest paper producer and exporter—was instrumental in arranging Mariane's arrival as WFI's current Brazilian Fellow.

Since her graduation from University of Parana State in 2004, Mariane has been working as a forestry engineer for a number of large multinational companies. She decided to continue her education in combination with her work and recently received a post-graduate engineer’s diploma in environmental sciences from Jaguariaiva College of Parana State University.

In her first job at International Paper Company in Parana State, Mariane’s responsibility was the forest inventory of 30,000 hectares of forest plantation. She also participated in reforestation projects with a focus on pine and eucalyptus species. Following International Paper, Mariane broadened her experience working at RIPASA Company in São Paulo State, where she was responsible for forest harvest and continuous raw material supply chain planning.

Mariane feels honored to be sponsored by Klabin S/A Company which is one of the biggest producers of paper and pulpwood in the world. Her family has a long history with the company—she is the 8th person in her family to work for Klabin.

Mariane will spend one year studying and researching current and potential markets for Brazilian wood products, as well as exploring business trends which affect demand for Brazilian plantation wood. In particular, she will focus on the molding and fencing industries.

In addition to the professional and business opportunities offered by this fellowship, Mariane is thrilled to have the experience of living in and learning about American culture. Mariane is more than sure that her one year fellowship program at WFI will not only greatly influence her future career but also make a huge impact on her personal growth.

Hancock Timber Resource Group

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Originally uploaded by World Forest Institute

Fellows visited with HTRG to visit their Cathlamet properties. Click on Cristopher for more photos.

Belton Tree Farms

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Originally uploaded by World Forest Institute

Family forest owner Mr. John Belton, hosted Fellows for a tour of his 200 acres near Mt. Hood. The land has been in his family for over 100 years, when one of his relatives was a Portland doctor and patients occasionally paid for services with a variety of items, including land. John discussed his management philosophy and objectives with Fellows, which is quite different from other ownership groups that Fellows have visited. John focuses on niche markets for his products, which besides logs, include cherry bark for basket making, alder chips for smoking, and finished products such as picnic tables. Click on John and the salal for more photos.