Class 1 (September 10): Getting to know your property: trees and forests to know on the Oregon Coast
Video recording of Class 1 click here (This is a large media file and might take a while to download)
Homework and Follow-up from Class 1:
Follow-up for Week 1 class:
- Check out Common Trees of the Pacific Northwest website: https://oregonstate.edu/trees/name_common.html
- Check out range maps for your favorite trees: https://databasin.org/galleries/5e449f3c91304f498a96299a9d5460a3
- Here is a recap article about ecoregions, forest types and stands: http://blogs.oregonstate.edu/southcoastfieldforest/2020/08/26/what-kind-of-forest-do-you-live-in/
Just for fun:
- Select a tree on your woodland and see if you can “key it out” using the online dichotomous key: https://oregonstate.edu/trees/dichotomous_key/index.html
- Try out a free plant identification app on your smart phone (PlantSnap, Plantnet are a few examples) compare the result with the online key.
Prework for next class:
- Complete the My Stewardship values exercise ( this link has been corrected)
If you are interested in creating a management plan for your woodland:
- Read Management Planning for Woodland Owners: Why and How
https://catalog.extension.oregonstate.edu/sites/catalog/files/project/pdf/ec1125.pdf
Class 2 (September 17): Getting to know your property: assessing your site and your goals
Video recording of Class 2 click here
Follow-up from Class 2:
Check out the digital resources
- ORmap, assessors database: https://ormap.net/gis/index.html
- Soil Web: https://websoilsurvey.sc.egov.usda.gov/App/HomePage.htm
- Google Earth Pro: https://www.google.com/earth/versions/
- Lidar: Dogami: https://gis.dogami.oregon.gov/maps/lidarviewer/
- Ecotrust- forest planner: http://forestplanner.ecotrust.org/
- Site productivity http://blogs.oregonstate.edu/treetopics/2019/04/26/size-matters-a-brief-look-at-site-productivity-and-what-it-means/
- Precipitation: https://prism.oregonstate.edu/normals/
- Forest Management Planning website: http://blogs.oregonstate.edu/forestplanning/
Pre-work for next class:
Wildlife in Managed Forests: https://oregonforests.org/sites/default/files/2020-06/63654_OFRI_Managed%20Forests_Forests%20as%20Habitat_2020-web.pdf
Introduction to Wildlife on Private Lands: view the video here
Know Your Forests, wildlife page: https://knowyourforest.org/learning-library/creating-a-home-for-wild-animals
Class 3 ( September 24): What’s going on in your woods: wildlife use of forests
Video recording of Class 3 click here
Homework and Follow-up from Class 3:
Check out the digital resources:
https://www.dfw.state.or.us/maps/compass/index.asp
https://myodfw.com/wildlife-viewing/species/birds
https://oregonforests.org/content/forest-laws
https://oregonforests.org/sites/default/files/2017-05/FactSheet14_Wildlife.pdf
Read an article on incorporating fish and wildlife into management planning: : http://blogs.oregonstate.edu/southcoastfieldforest/exploring-woodland-wildlife-for-your-management-plan/
Pre-work for next class:
Explore the 2019 Aerial Survey story map: https://arcg.is/1m9Dbv
Story maps show geographic data with photos and information. The Aerial survey story map represents forest health detections across Oregon and Washington and provides background information on the various forest health issues. As you scroll down this story map, you will be able to view photos and descriptions of each forest health issue with an associated detection map. Find your general location on the map to see what specific insects and diseases (and other damage agents) that are causing tree mortality and damage in your area.
Read a short article: A healthy forest is no accident https://oregonforests.org/node/716
Drought maps: Drought makes forests more susceptible to insects and disease, check out the drought maps (note you can look at historic time periods) https://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/
Class 4 (October 1): What’s going on in your woods: forest health
Video recording of Class 4 available here
Homework and Follow-up from Class 4:
References to drill down further
Forest Health Highlights in Oregon – 2019. Detailed summary of forest issues in Oregon
https://www.oregon.gov/odf/Documents/ForestBenefits/Forest-health-highlights-report-2019.PDF
Sudden Oak Death Dashboard. This sites maps detections and treatment areas in Curry County:
https://geo.maps.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/0f46fdf6ff50415d92b636d859e70461
Sudden Oak Death Prevention, Recognition and Restoration. A guide for homeowners, small woodland owners, resource managers, conservation groups:
https://catalog.extension.oregonstate.edu/em9216
Post class homework
Forest health detective
- Do you have any examples of dead and dying trees on your property?
- Describe the setting.
- Slope, aspect, is the tree in dense forests, on the edge?
- Describe the species, and general size (diameter and height).
- Describe the symptoms.
- Is/are the tree(s) completely dead?
- Describe any symptoms on foliage/needles.
- Describe any symptoms on trunk/base of tree.
- Using what you learned in class, do you have any preliminary thoughts on what is causing the symptoms?
- Any other observations?
Read up on the Don’t Move Fire Wood campaign and learn how you can help prevent unknowingly spreading invasive pests.
Class 5 (October 8): Taking care of your woods: management techniques including planting, weed control
Video recording of class 5 available: here
Pre-work for class:
Check out and download, if you desire, some handy resources:
The Care and Planting of Tree Seedlings on Your Woodland https://catalog.extension.oregonstate.edu/ec1504
Successful Reforestation: An Overview https://catalog.extension.oregonstate.edu/sites/catalog/files/project/pdf/ec1498.pdf
Oregon’s Forest Protection Laws : An Illustrated Manual https://oregonforests.org/sites/default/files/2018-02/OFRI_IllusManual_full.pdf
Homework and Follow-up from Class 5:
Vegetation management resources
PNW Weed Management Handbook (Section M. Forestry and Hybrid Cottonwoods): https://pnwhandbooks.org/sites/pnwhandbooks/files/weed/chapterpdf/forestry-hybrid-cottonwoods.pdf
Choosing the right service provider for your family forest: Chemical Applicator: https://catalog.extension.oregonstate.edu/em9171
Introduction to Conifer Release: https://catalog.extension.oregonstate.edu/ec1388
National pesticide information center: http://npic.orst.edu/
Invasive species in forest lands publication series: English Ivy, blackberry, gorse, scotch broom and many more!
English Ivy: https://catalog.extension.oregonstate.edu/ec1595
Blackberry: https://catalog.extension.oregonstate.edu/ec1594
Gorse: https://catalog.extension.oregonstate.edu/ec1593
Scotch broom: https://catalog.extension.oregonstate.edu/ec1598
Class 6 (October 15): Taking care of your woods: tending you woods, thinning and marketing wood.
Video recording of Class 6 here
Prework for class:
Check out the Oregon Forest Resources Institute page on Harvesting Trees, at the end of the article are three videos that show different harvest methods: here
and logging and selling timber: here
Homework and Follow-up from Class 6:
Here is a publication on managing Competition and density in Woodland Stands. It has density guides for various species: https://catalog.extension.oregonstate.edu/em9206
An interesting article on variable density thinning: https://www.fs.fed.us/pnw/sciencef/scifi112.pdf
Read about a case study that describes one family’s experience using active management to convert a mature, even-aged stand to a multiaged stand in this article “Two-aged to Multi-aged Stand Management in the Coast Range” https://catalog.extension.oregonstate.edu/sites/catalog/files/project/pdf/em9082.pdf
We talked a about the D+ rule for thinning. If you would like to view a Washington State University Extension handout that provides these guides, go to their site and in the search directory type “D+ rule”. This will direct your to a downloadable PDF. http://forestry.wsu.edu/resources/ or you can email us and we will send you the PDF as an email attachment.
We talked a lot about the importance of selecting a logger carefully, here is a publication that will help you do that:https://catalog.extension.oregonstate.edu/em9241
We also discussed the concept of hiring a consulting forester to manage all or part of the timber sale process, here is a publication on that subject: https://catalog.extension.oregonstate.edu/em9241
Contracts! Can’t emphasize how important this step is, of course we have a publication on that:https://catalog.extension.oregonstate.edu/ec1192
Small scale harvesting for woodland owners publication (this is a more in depth discussion of what we discussed in class): https://catalog.extension.oregonstate.edu/sites/catalog/files/project/pdf/em9129.pdf
OSU extension has a small spiral bound book available for purchase called Harvesting and Selling Timber (Unfortunately not available in PDF format for downloading). Here is the link if you want to check it out: https://catalog.extension.oregonstate.edu/em9197
Class 7 (October 22): Getting it done: laws and regulations, fire preparedness
Video recording of Class 7: here
Follow-up from Class 7:
Defensible space/wildfire resources
Check out your County’s Community Wildfire Plan here.
Check out this classic ember storm video (this video demonstrates vulnerabilities of a typical home): here
- Before Wildfire Strikes! A Handbook for Homeowners and Communities in Southwest Oregon (EM 9131)
- Fire-resistant Plants for Home Landscapes (PNW 590)
- Reducing Fire Risk on Your Forest Property (PNW 618)
- A Land Manager’s Guide for Creating Fire-Resistant Forests(EM 9087)
- Reducing Hazardous Fuels on Woodland Properties: Mechanical Fuels Reduction (EC 1575-E)
- Reducing Hazardous Fuels on Woodland Properties: Pruning(EC 1576-E)
- Reducing Hazardous Fuels on Woodland Properties: Thinning(EC 1573-E)
Landowner assistance programs
- Oregon Department of Forestry: Helping Landowners (financial incentives and technical assistance programs like bark beetle mitigation, forest stewardship program, etc.)
- Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) (USDA-NRCS)
- Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) (USDA-FSA)
- Emergency Forest Restoration Program (EFRP)
- Soil & Water Conservation Districts (SWCD)
- Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board (OWEB) grants
Certification Programs
