As society continues to face growing climate and sustainability crises, the Oregon State University College of Forestry aims to create a better future through education, research and outreach programs that address the most pressing issues related to forest conservation and management. To advance that mission, Oregon State University and the Oregon Department of State Lands are working collaboratively to develop a vision for transforming Oregon’s famous Elliott State Forest into a publicly owned world-class research forest.

The Elliott is a critical oasis for several imperiled species such as the marbled murrelet, northern spotted owl, elk and coho salmon. Twenty-two percent of Oregon wild salmon come from its streams and coastal old growth in the Elliott is prime nesting habitat for the threatened marbled murrelet.

“We look forward to furthering our work with the State Land Board, the Department of State Lands, Oregonians and stakeholders on the next steps to create a research forest plan that will provide benefits to all Oregonians,” said Tom DeLuca, the Cheryl Ramberg-Ford and Allyn C. Ford Dean of the College of Forestry. “From a scientific standpoint, the Elliott would provide OSU the ability to conduct large, landscape-level experiments that can endure time and be practical, relevant and collaborative.”

As an 80,000+ acre living laboratory, the Elliott will help the College of Forestry answer the fundamental question: What is the best landscape-scale approach to providing society with sustainable wood resources without compromising biodiversity, ecosystem functions, climate resilience and social benefits?

Located in Oregon’s coastal range near Reedsport, the Elliott is currently managed to benefit the Oregon Common School Fund.

In December 2018, the State Land Board requested that OSU, in partnership with the Oregon Department of State Lands, explore the Elliott’s potential transformation into a state research forest managed by OSU and the College of Forestry.

Since then, OSU has worked with Department of State Lands and a range of stakeholder groups and community members to develop a vision for turning the forest into a world-class research location while also benefitting important public values such as recreation, conservation and local economies.

The proposal, consistent with the Land Board vision for the forest, includes:
• Keeping the forest publicly owned with public access.
• Decoupling the forest from the Common School Fund, compensating the school fund for the forest and releasing the forest from its obligation to generate revenue for schools.
• Continuing habitat conservation planning to protect species and allow for harvest.
• Providing for multiple forest benefits, including recreation, education, and working forest research.

In December 2020, after receiving an update from OSU on the research forest plans and process, the Oregon State Land Board voted to continue evaluating how to transform the Elliott into a research forest.

“We are appreciative of the support Governor Kate Brown and the rest of the State Land Board have expressed for the College of Forestry’s research vision for the Elliott State Forest,” DeLuca said. “The Elliott provides a unique opportunity to conduct needed research that can address challenges and inform decisions that will help us sustain ecosystems and economies.”

Over the past two years, efforts have included the work of an OSU-led exploratory committee; extensive input from an advisory committee of stakeholders convened by the Department of State Lands; multiple public forums; and conversations with tribal governments, local governments, stakeholder groups and other interested Oregonians.

The university and the state will continue to engage with constituents to refine and develop details of the research forest concept. The planning will consider governance and financial issues that must be resolved before OSU would approve assuming management of the Elliott.

To learn more about the Elliott State Forest and the research forest exploratory process, visit the Department of State Lands and OSU websites.

This story was part of the College of Forestry’s 2019-2020 Biennial Report.

As director of the Mechanized Harvesting Laboratory for the College of Forestry, Kevin Lyons, the Wes Lematta Professor of Forest Engineering, spends a lot of time thinking about the sophisticated machinery involved in mechanized forest harvesting systems. He also spends a lot of time thinking about the people who operate them.

“Forestry is, of course, about the forests,” Lyons says. “But it’s ultimately about the people. Competing demands for forest resources drives the need for management, and this relies on knowledgeable professionals.”

The mission of the Mechanized Harvesting Laboratory (MHL) is to increase the knowledge of modern mechanized harvesting systems. It does this by combining state-of-the-art computer-based forest harvesting machine simulation, mechanical analysis, operations research and field-based research. By increasing knowledge, the MHL hopes to reduce environmental impacts due to harvesting forest products, increase worker safety, reduce the cost of harvesting and increase the value of the products.

In addition to Lyons, the MHL includes faculty members Woodam Chung, professor and Stewart Professor of Forest Operations, Francisca Belart, assistant professor and extension specialist, John Sessions, Distinguished Professor, Strachan Chair of Forest Operations Management and Jeffrey Wimer, senior instructor and Strachan Faculty Scholar of Logging Technology.

“A lot of the work is about dealing with people and behavior,” Lyons says. “It’s about protecting people on the ground but also working with people to train their decision-making and reactions.”

Over the years, great advancements have been made in the development of computer-based forest harvesting machine simulators. The MHL recognized the potential for these systems in research and education, and in 2019 and 2020 partnered with John Deere to add one John Deere frame simulator and ten John Deere desktop simulators to the MHL’s existing Ponsse frame simulator.

The MHL has the capacity for virtual 3D visualization in addition to traditional viewing screens. The simulators include wheeled cut-to-length forest harvesting systems and tracked full-tree systems. The John Deere terrain editor can quickly generate a 3D simulation of the terrain and populate it with a variety of stand conditions, roads, and other features. The desktop simulators are portable and can go on the road for workshops and off-campus research.

The MHL is currently taking advantage of the harvesting machine simulators in two research projects. Lyons’ team is conducting research to determine how to effectively use the simulators to optimize learning and to deliver distance education to forest professionals. In addition, the research group is examining issues related to worker safety and risk assessment.

“It is difficult to conduct research in hazard recognition and worker risk assessment on active logging sites,” Lyons explains. “It is expensive and time consuming to set-up staged events and hazardous to be near active machinery in a forestry setting.”

The harvesting machine simulators combined with the terrain editor provide Lyons the opportunity to simulate many safety incidents quickly to a level that research subjects find sufficient to see the hazards and to assess the risk.

“The combination of being able to build terrains and forests, visualize the machine operating in the forest, and actually run the machine controls provide valuable experiential learning opportunities,” Lyons says.

Lyons compares the experiential and interactive teaching he does in the MHL to coaching soccer.

“People learn by doing,” he says. “Coaching soccer is about creating age and skill-appropriate opportunities for people to experience success and to learn by playing. The same is true for the harvesting machine simulators utilized in the lab.”

While the traditional use of harvest machine simulators is to train machine operators, explains Lyons, the MHL believes the harvesting machine simulators have the potential to reach a much broader audience.

“Foresters and engineers can work with the simulators and terrain builder to better recognize opportunities and to improve their road and cutblock designs,” Lyons says. “Landowners can view harvesting their land with various combinations of machinery and silviculture systems. Researchers can use the simulators to create environments in which to conduct research considering machine design, safety and operations.”

The MHL has developed several undergraduate courses that utilize the harvesting machine simulators, including a course that introduces the harvesting systems and develops scenarios for analysis as well as a course covering worker safety that includes both a focus on people and system design.

“One of the challenges with forest engineering and logging is it’s a complicated and uncontrolled environment,” Lyons says. “You have to make on the ground decisions that affect safety.”

Lyons views his job as one that helps people make better decisions.

“At the heart of it, a person is running the system,” Lyons says.

This story was part of the College of Forestry’s 2019-2020 Biennial Report.

Oregon State University College of Forestry PhD candidate Patricio Alzugaray Oswald’s favorite aspect of forestry is growing new life.

“I love being outdoors growing seedlings and planting trees regardless of the objective,” he said. “They can be for restoration, conservation, timber production or wildlife habitat. I just like growing trees and creating a new stand and new life after a disturbance.”

As a PhD candidate majoring in sustainable forest management, Alzugaray has been working with his major advisor, assistant professor Carlos Gonzalez-Benecke, to study how to improve Douglas-fir seedlings’ root morphology and physiology to improve reforestation success.

His current research studies initial root development and physiology of Douglas-fir and western hemlock seedlings grown in two different container types: a standard styroblock versus a new biodegradable, plantable container called Ellepot. The new container is more environmentally friendly than a styroblock because container residues during the nursery production process are minimized.

“Usually, at containerized nurseries, broken styroblocks are a huge pile of debris,” Alzugaray explained. “By using a biodegradable container, you don’t have much residue. Also, you don’t have to sanitize them every season so you save energy.”

Alzugaray’s entire career, including two stints at OSU, has been linked to growing and planting seedlings.

Alzugaray first arrived at OSU in 1999 as a master’s student and graduated in 2002 with his MS in Forest Science. Following graduation, he returned to Chile, where he’s originally from, working initially as a researcher in a government agency and then for a private company, becoming the operations manager of the largest nursery in Chile. His relationship with Gonzalez-Benecke began in Chile when Gonzalez-Benecke and an Oregon based forest company visited Alzugaray at his job and Alzugaray gave them a tour of the nursery. Later that year, Gonzalez-Benecke reached out with questions about Eucalyptus seedling production, resulting in Patricio returning to school to get his PhD with Gonzalez-Benecke at Oregon State.

“I met Patricio back in 2017 when we visited the nursery he was working at in Chile,” said Gonzalez-Benecke. “Nine months later, he moved to Corvallis with his family and started his PhD with us. He is an example of professionalism, perseverance and passion for his career.”

When Alzugaray returned to Corvallis for the second time in 2018 to pursue his PhD, he came with his family, including his wife Claudia and high school-aged triplets Maria Jesus, Benjamin and Sofia. He said it’s been a great experience to be here with his family and have his children get to know a new culture. During 2020, his children had a first-hand view as they watched their father pursue his education goals.

“With the pandemic, my children have witnessed the effort that dad has put into getting his degree,” Alzugaray said. “The entire family has made sacrifices to get on this journey, and every day we are getting closer to a happy ending.”

Alzugaray was recently hired by Weyerhaeuser as the Aurora Nursery Leader. While maintaining a full-time job, he continues as a graduate student working after hours on his PhD project.

Alzugaray plans to graduate from OSU in 2021 and hopes to continue doing what he loves most about forestry, growing seedlings and creating new life, either in research, teaching, conservation or industry.

This story was part of the College of Forestry’s 2019-2020 Biennial Report.

When the devastating westside wildfires swept across Oregon over Labor Day, the Oregon State University Forestry and Natural Resources Extension Fire Program was ready to respond. The program was created earlier this year to reduce wildfire risks and prepare and create fire-adapted infrastructure, communities and landscapes.

One of the program’s key objectives is education and outreach, and extension staff and regional fire specialists immediately provided resources and support to those affected by the Oregon fires.

One reason they were able to meet community needs quickly is because of the structure of the program. The program’s regional fire specialists live in the communities in which they work, which means they’re uniquely equipped to address and support the concerns of their communities and geographies. It also means they are invested in protecting the community’s resources.

Led by fire program manager Carrie Berger, there are currently four regional fire specialists located in different areas of Oregon, including the Southwest, Central, Willamette Valley and the Cascades, and the Southeast. The program also includes statewide fire specialist Dan Leavell. Since Oregon is ecologically diverse, representation across the state is needed to address the different risks and strategies to reduce catastrophic wildfire. The regional fire specialists intimately understand the specific geographies, fire regimes and climates of their assigned locations, in addition to the social and ecological dimensions. The program plans to add two regional fire specialists in the future, bringing the total areas covered to six.

Tremendous work went into the placement of these regional fire specialists to live and work in areas of strategic focus across the state. Multiple partners in Colleges across OSU utilized GIS to determine locations across Oregon that were at highest risk for catastrophic fire. The College of Forestry continues this GIS work to develop relative fire risk and situational assessments for each geographical area.

The Extension fire program focuses a significant amount of effort on proactive measures, including educating communities, planning, and supporting fire-adapted infrastructure. One component of its educational outreach is the development and integration of fire science into Oregon’s K-12 curriculum. After the recent wildfires, the program proved it also can inform Oregonians on fire ecology and behavior, explain the different types of fire and forest management, and provide an opportunity for people impacted by fires to connect.

The program, along with agency and organization partners, facilitated a virtual listening session to hear from those affected by the fires. Over 400 people attended the call to listen, learn and ask questions of staff and partners like the Oregon Department of Forestry and Oregon Health Authority. In addition to obtaining information and resources for next steps, the call acted as a space for people to share their experience and receive support.

After the listening session, the fire program hosted a series of post-fire recovery webinars, developed tools and educational materials for dealing with the effects of fire, and conducted site visits to assist homeowners and landowners.

The recent and extreme fires highlight how the Extension fire program can educate and prepare Oregonians and our diverse landscapes to be fire-adapted, resilient and support a safe and effective wildfire response.

“The fires that happened over Labor Day weekend were devastating. Many people lost everything in those fires,” says Carrie Berger, fire program manager. “We need to change the culture of fire and be more proactive, not reactive. The fire program will be part of Oregon’s wildfire solution.”

More information on OSU’s Forestry and Natural Resources Extension Fire Program is available online. 

As skies turned red and large scale fires tore through Oregon’s forests and communities, Oregon State University College of Forestry researchers stood ready to share research and answer questions from reporters. They also sprung into action to support the state’s response, developing research proposals to help inform future policy decisions.

The College of Forestry produces fire-related research that expands knowledge about fire history and ecology, fuels treatment (thinning and prescribed fire), and risk analyses to help inform future decisions. The College also explores some of the important social dimensions present in fire research, like work in governance, social justice and equity, and how to improve livelihoods.

Researchers are active nationally and internationally, tracking and contributing to science and understanding. They bring this knowledge to their undergraduate and graduate students in the classroom and labs. Meanwhile, OSU’s world-class Forestry and Natural Resources Extension Program is the final, critical link, distributing information beyond the campus and helping communities become more fire-adapted.

Some of the ways the College of Forestry’s fire research work aides Oregonians includes:

The research helps guide the way towards a more fire-adapted future and contributes to a more collaborative and productive science-informed conversation about how we co-exist with fire.

The Oregon Society of American Foresters awarded four members of Oregon State University’s College of Forestry with prestigious awards at their 2020 Annual Meeting. Stephen Fitzgerald, Professor and Extension Specialist and Director of OSU Research Forests, received Forester of the Year. Dr. Jim Rivers, Assistant Professor in the College of Forestry, Forest Engineering, Resources and Management Department, received the Research Award. Lauren Grand, Oregon State University Forestry and Natural Resources Extension Agent for Lane County, received the Young Forester Leadership Award. Samuel Zamudio received SAF’s OSU Student Award.

Stephen Fitzgerald, SAF Forester of the Year

This award is presented annually to a member of the Oregon Society of American Foresters who has been recognized by their peers for contributing to both the profession and the public through application of their professional skills to the advancement of forestry in Oregon and through public service that benefits their community or some larger segment of society.

Fitzgerald is a dedicated and experienced forester, manager, and extension specialist. His knowledge of forestry is unique in that he has been with OSU and the Extension Service since the 1980’s in various positions and locations throughout the state. Throughout, he has been able to provide mentorship to OSU forestry undergraduates and graduate students, as well as forestry peers. His research interests include fire ecology, forest health and silviculture and he is now providing guidance through OSU extension to forestland owners affected by the devastating Oregon fires. Fitzgerald has a M.S. in Education and Training, Forest Management from University of Idaho, a B.S. in Forest Biology from the State University of New York, and an AAS from Holyoke Community College.

Dr. Jim Rivers and Stephen Fitzgerald

Dr. Jim Rivers, SAF Research Award

This award is presented in recognition of outstanding achievement in any branch of science leading to advancement in either the science or practice of forestry in Oregon.

Dr. Rivers is lead researcher in early-seral communities and forest management practices effects on multiple species of wildlife and pollinators. These include:

  • Marbled Murrelet reproductive success
  • Post-fire wildlife demographics and recovery
  • Herbicide treatment effects in managed forests
  • Biological diversity trends over time
  • Animal behavior patterns
  • Snags and harvest residue effects
  • Habitat linkages

Dr. Rivers has produced over 50 peer-reviewed publications and numerous outreach publications. He presents frequently, including at the SAF National Convention in Portland, at forest health conferences, at managed forest landscapes workshops, at early seral biodiversity and management workshops, and fisheries, wildlife, and ecology symposia. He has conducted invited talks for the Oregon Forest and Industries Council, Pacific Northwest Reforestation Council, and National Council for Air and Stream Improvement. His work is funded by both large and small grants from a range of sources, for both basic and applied research. 

He has a Ph.D. from University of California, Santa Barbara in Biology and a M.S. from Kansas State University.

Lauren Grand, Young Forester Leadership Award

The Young Forester Leadership Award recognizes “outstanding leadership by a young forestry professional in the development and promotion of an individual program or project, or for a sustained leadership role benefiting the practice of forestry and the Society of American Foresters.” The award is reserved for people under the age of 40. 

Lauren has been the OSU Forestry and Natural Resources Extension Agent for Lane County since 2016. As the OSU Extension Forester for Lane County, Lauren has demonstrated leadership and produced content and tours to benefit the practice of forestry in the county and the state. Lauren has a B.S. in Environmental Science from University of California, Berkeley and a M.S. in Forest Resources from University of Washington.

Samuel Zamudio, SAF OSU Student Award

The award is presented to an OSU forestry student who is a member of the Society of American Foresters, participates regularly in OSU SAF activities, including a leadership role of some kind, represents the OSU SAF Student Chapter at state or national SAF gatherings, and who demonstrates good academic standing, good citizenship and excellence in extracurricular and professional work activities.

Samuel excelled as the OSU SAF 2020 Student Chapter Vice-President and was responsible for coordinating the Career Fair for the College hosted by OSU SAF. 

Sam graduated in the spring of 2020 with a B.S. degree. 

Congratulations to all of the award recipients!

The College of Forestry’s world-class students and faculty conduct innovative research across the entirety of the forest landscape. Our research happens in labs and outdoors– on public and private lands across the state and in the College’s own 15,000 acres of College Research Forests as well as around the nation and the world. 

The College of Forestry received over $11.2 million in new and continuing awards for FY 2020, an increase of 31% from the previous year and the highest total since FY 2016. The awards support College of Forestry research that advances scientific knowledge critical to the health of forests, people and communities.

Here are some examples of the new awards:

Wood Identification & Screening Center
Sponsor: USDA Forest Service
Principal Investigator Eric Hansen
$1,087,945

Preparing Leaders in Collaborative Forest Management in an Era of Wildfire
Sponsor: USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Principal Investigator Troy E. Hall, Co- Principal Investigators Reem Hajjar and Meg Krawchuk
$178,498

CAREER: Unveiling the role of catchment physiography in the hydrologic response of headwater streams
Sponsor: National Science Foundation
Principal Investigator Catalina Segura
$757,896

Collaborative Research: MRA: A lineage-based framework to advance grassland macroecology and Earth System Modeling
Sponsor: National Science Foundation
Principal Investigator Christopher J. Still, Co-Principal Investigators Daniel Griffith, William Riley, Jesse Nippert, Stephanie Pau, Brent Helliker
$1,489,831 (OSU portion $594,131)

Eager: Using Historic Art to Explore Legacies and Lost Function in Eastern US Forests
Sponsor: National Science Foundation
Principal Investigator Dana Warren, Co-Principal Investigators Peter Betjemann, David Shaw, William Keeton, Isabel Munck
$147,490

Evaluation of Maintenance of Post-Fire Forest Cover in National Forests
Sponsor: USDA Forest Service
Principal Investigator Temesgen Hailemariam
$74,000

Effectiveness of Class II Watercourse and Lake Protection Zone (WLPZ) Forest Practice Rules (FPRs) and Aquatic Habitat Conservation Plan (AHCP) Riparian Prescriptions at Maintaining or Restoring Canopy Closure, Stream Water Temperature, Primary Productivity
Sponsor: California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection
Principal Investigator Kevin D. Bladon, Co-Principal Investigator Catalina Segura
$694,371

Advancing the characterization and management of community wildfire risk
Sponsor: USDA Forest Service
Principal Investigator Meg Krawchuk
$250,000

Reliable achievement of Douglas-fir stand management objectives using real time precision forestry
Sponsor: USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture
Principal Investigator Bogdan M. Strimbu
$313,263

Assistant professor Catalina Segura has received a Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program award to Italy.  She will study rainfall-runoff generation response in spring 2021 at the University of Florence. 

Catalina joined the Department of Forest Engineering, Resources, and Management in 2013 and runs the Watershed Processes Lab. The goal of her research program is to understand the physical processes that control the movement of water and sediment and the effects that the variability of these processes have on water availability, water quality, and stream ecology.

If you’re interested in a career dedicated to improving our forest ecosystems, learn more about our undergraduate and graduate degree programs.

In this lecture, associate professor Mariapaola Riggio introduces us to the sensor network in the George W. Peavy Forest Science Center.  This new building in OSU’s Oregon Forest Science Complex is a pioneer mass timber building showcasing innovative forest products and novel engineering solutions. Data are currently collected from a comprehensive sensor network in the building and investigated to cross-check assumptions made during the design phase. This truly makes it a living laboratory, and the monitoring data will provide many lessons for students, researchers and the mass timber industry.

Professor Riggio has been with the Department of Wood Science and Engineering since 2015. Her research interests include architecture, structural engineering, structural health, timber mechanics, and building design. Her work has led to important collaborations with the University of Oregon and the advancement of mass timber initiatives. Our undergraduate degree in renewable materials and graduate degree in wood science can lead to a career with innovative products and engineering solutions.

—This lecture was part of the College of Forestry’s Stay at Home lecture series, featuring presentations by College of Forestry professors, students, and researchers.

In “CLT industry enters 2020s (to face a different world than imagined),” professor Lech Muszyński looked into his crystal ball to see how the global pandemic is going to impact the future of this budding industry. Cross laminated timber (CLT) is an innovative wood panel product made from gluing layers of solid-sawn lumber together, and has been gaining in popularity.  Will that continue?

Lech Muszyński is professor of novel composite materials and advanced manufacturing in the Wood Science and Engineering department. His work has led to innovations across a number of mass timber products, including cross-laminated timber. Our undergraduate degree in renewable materials and graduate degree in wood science can lead to a career creating innovative products and building a sustainable economy.

—This lecture was part of the College of Forestry’s Stay at Home lecture series, featuring presentations by College of Forestry professors, students, and researchers.