Carbon – Better in the Woods or the Wood Product?

Maureen Puettmann: WoodLife Environmental Consultants
Consortium for Research on Renewable Industrial Materials Director of Operations

Elaine Oneil: Executive Director of the Washington Farm Forestry Association
CORRIM Director of Science & Sustainability

Date: Friday, January 11, 2019
Time: 6:30-8:30 pm
Location: Corvallis/Benton County Library

Join Elaine and Maureen, both Small Woodlands Owners, as they discuss the science, policy, and practice of Forest Carbon in Oregon. Learn to view your woodlands through the lens of Life Cycle Assessment, which measures the environmental impacts of production, use, and disposal of forest products. Explore management options to optimize Carbon Sequestration on your property.
Educate yourself, so you can educate others. It’s Good in the Woods.

Hi, everyone.

Fern Hill Land Clearing is currently working on a recently logged site, mulching approximately 140 slash piles.  During this time, they will be setting up demonstrations.  If you are interested in seeing the Forestry Mulcher in action please contact Brian at Fern Hill Land Clearing to set something up. His phone number is 503-556-2897.

Mark Dreyer, CCSWA President

A summary:

The Plant Nutrition in Forestry tour on Saturday, September 15, 2018 raised more questions than answers but managed to make a group of approximately 25 interested tree farmers have a lot to think about. Mark Gourley is an expert on nutritional balancing for the production of healthy Douglas fir trees in our coastal range. Mark shared his many years’ experience in planting and establishing trees in the coast range at multiple plots, focusing on nutrition and supplements for improved tree survival and growth. Mark shared his different test methods, supplements, plant spacing, and types of spray as well as spraying methods. The attendees were given hands-on opportunities to compare tree growth, needles, and tree health in the small test plots which led to discussions on the impact of soil compositions especially as related to phosphorus, nitrogen, sodium, and potassium, among other minerals. Being thoughtful of the relational effect of balanced nutrition was a key part of the talk. Mark was encouraged to give a follow up next year with a Plant Nutrition 2.0 tour as it was felt beneficial to all who attended to have the shared knowledge of his expertise.

By Jeremy Felty

On July 21st, 115 participants arrived at the Gaebel Tree Farm in North Plains for a Neighbor to Neighbor Woods Tour. In 2017, the Gaebel’s were the Washington County Tree Farmers of the Year. The tour was sponsored by the Gaebels and the Washington County Small Woodlands Chapter. It was funded by a grant to OSWA from Oregon Forest Resource Institute. The topics covered at the tour included, an overview of pond maintenance, food plots, portable sawmilling by family friend Clint Michael; the topic of commercial thinning was covered by Steve Cafferata; road design and culvert installation was covered by local ODF stewardship forester Nate Agalzoff and Tualatin Watershed Council representative, April Olbrich; and Big Horn Logging’s, Mark Stanley covered the active logging on the property.

Connie and Rich Gaebel discusses the family and property history.

In 1979, Rich and Connie Gaebel purchased this property as a rural place to live, a get-a-way and a place to hunt. It is the southern 40 acres of an original 160-acre parcel. Access required building a 60-foot clear span bridge. The 160 acres had been logged at the turn of the century and again in the 1950’s but never replanted. It was mostly brush, hardwoods and scattered young conifers. It was also used as a horse trail riding area with access to the coast range. Old logging skid trails abound and evidence of an old rail road grade running parallel to the creek was also evident. There is an old saw mill location close to the old rail road grade.

By 1981, Rich with help from friends and family built a road, bridge, cleared and planted 3 acres. By 1985 they had cleared and planted an additional 14 acres. Rich and Connie tried raising cattle and Christmas trees. In 1994 they converted the Christmas trees to forestry. Rich installed culverts where the road crossed three small creeks. One was recently replaced with a 36” fish passage culvert.

ODF Stewardship Forester Nate Agalzoff and April Olbrich discuss the culverts on the road system

In the late 90’s, they installed a wildlife pond with water right’s and wildlife food plots primarily for deer, elk occasionally visit the site. In 2003, he logged and cleared three small areas, totaling 1.6 acres, and planted Cedar trees in groves. They were thinning in 2016 and are now thriving. Rich and Connie became very active in the Washington County Small Woodlands chapter in 1980.

Family friend Clint Michael explains the irrigation system, pond, and specialized dam system

The tour concluded with a catered lunch

By Jeremy Felty

On June 30th in conjunction with OSWA’s Annual Meeting, 150 participants visited the 79-acre Cafferata Family Forest located in Lane County, hosted by the Cafferata family, OSWA’s Lane County Chapter, and Oregon Tree Farm System. It was funded by a grant to OSWA from Oregon Forest Resource Institute. Steve and Wylda Cafferata have owned this property since 2009. The tour focused on topics that the Cafferatas deal with on a daily basis, including thinning on the property, the presence of wildlife on the property, the controlling of unwanted vegetation, various reforestation strategies, and the importance of keeping the family involved.

Dick Courter, OTFS Awards Chairman, presents the 2017 Oregon Outstanding Tree Farmers of the Year plaque to Steve and Wylda

The Cafferatas have a deep back ground in forestry. In 2009, Steve and Wylda, after raising four children and working for 35 years in their professions, realized one of their dreams by purchasing 79 acres of forestland. The land had been logged, replanted haphazardly, and then neglected for decades, so they set to work to bring the land under management. Using their skills, the Cafferatas put together an exemplary forest management plan that was certified to the American Tree Farm System in 2010. The results are great attention to wood, water, recreation, and wildlife and all the other attributes found in a working forest. The entire family, including the third generation, is involved in the management and enjoyment of the property.

Mike Cafferata discusses thinning projects conducted on the property

Every speaker on the woods tour was a member of the family, the goal for the tour was to discuss the topics provided by the certification guidelines provided by the American Tree Farm System. Mike Cafferata spoke about thinning and vegetation management; Fran Cafferata Coe spoke about wildlife on the property; Joe Cafferata spoke about road maintenance and maintaining water quality; Wylda Cafferata spoke about aesthetics, fire protection, and security and access; Steve Cafferata spoke about soils, brush field rehabilitation, and planting; and Sam Cafferata spoke about recreation on their property.

A large crowd gathered for lunch, consisting of OSWA members, fellow tree farmers, guests
from the World Forestry Center, and friends and family

By Jeremy Felty

On June 2nd, 90 participants visited the 190-acre Collin’s tree farm located in Jackson County, hosted by Bill and Marion Collins, the Jackson/Josephine OSWA Chapter, and OSU Forestry Extension. It was funded by a grant to OSWA from Oregon Forest Resource Institute. Bill and Marion Collins purchased their 160 acres in 1969. As hobby farmers, they soon found that they needed an additional 30 acres for pasturing cows and horses. This was the beginning of the 190-acre Double Diamond ranch. However, after 13 years, they decided to switch their focus to their forest land. The dense, vertically challenged forest was transformed over the next 35 years to not only to a healthier environment for wildlife and birds, but also one that is sustainable and less prone to severe wildfires. The key factor was the development of a road system that enabled all age, all species management by selective harvest.

Bill Collin’s begins the event with a short story about the property.

The tour discussed the history of the property, the types of forest management performed by the Collins family, living with the risk of wildfire, and dealing with fire challenges. Speakers included Bill Collins, Alan Campbell, Bill Potterf, Marty Main, OSU Extension agent Max Bennett, and Oregon Department of Forestry employees John O’Conner and Paris Drake. Eleven non-OSWA participants joined OSWA at the conclusion of the tour.

An ODF Fire Suppression Specialist Paris Drake describes the process of building burn piles.

Marty Main describes the multi-age multi-species thinning process utilized by the Collins family.

Bill Potterf describes the removal of ladder
trees while holding a large pole-saw.

Presented by Benton County Small Woodlands Association

Dave Hibbs Cedar Spring Tree Farm

Date: Saturday, October 20, 2018
Time: 8:30 carpool for a 9:00 start. Will be done at noon.

Location: S. Polk County. Details provided upon registration.
RSVP: 541-766-6750 by 10 a.m. Wednesday 10/17/18. Space is limited.

Knowing something about what you have in the woods is important. If you are selling trees, you will want to know the volume in the stands to be harvested. If you are thinking about stand density and thinning, you will want to know how crowded your stands are. Join Dave Hibbs for a hands-on field class that will look at ways to collect and analyze both density and volume data. Sponsored by Benton County Small Woodlands and OSU Forestry & Natural Resources Extension. We will be in the woods most of the time, so please dress accordingly.

UPDATE:

Chapter Valley of the Giants Tour will be held Saturday, Sept. 22. We will meet at Moonshine Park near Logsden at 9 a.m. which has restroom
facilities. From there, we will board buses to take us to our first stop of a scenic overlook where we will discuss riparian issues. Our next stop will be at the Siletz Falls fish trap and ladder with history and current activities. There will be a person from ODFW to talk and answer questions. Lunch will be at our destination at the bottom of the trail. The trail loop is 1 ½ miles. We should return to Moonshine Park by mid aftertoon. Questions call Joe Steenkolk 541-336-2955 or email Judy Pelletier judyp2530@gmail.com

OSWA of Lincoln County is sponsoring a tour to the Valley of the Giants on September 22, 2018.

This is an all day tour. We will meet at Moonshine Park at 9am, then travel 20 miles on a gravel road to the entrance of the 1 ½ mile trail head loop. The trail loops through 40 acres of old growth Douglas fir spared during the forest fire of the mid 1800’s. The trail is somewhat strenuous.

Please bring your own lunch. Drinks and transportation to the site in buses and vans will be provided with discussion of riparian issues at additional stops a long the way and at the Falls Fish Ladder if time permits.

Up to 50 people can be transported.
Transportation is limited so RSVP before Sept. 8.

Please RSVP by September 8 to the OSU Extension Service Office
541-547-6534 or Judy Pelletier at judyp2530@gmail.com

Topics and time TBD.

Marsha Carr and two of her granddaughters, Benton County members, are making an effort to support red-legged frogs.

Red-legged frogs are on the endangered list in California. First the girls drained the pond with some direction from ODFW.

Brian Bangs, shown here, from the Finley Wildlife Refuge showed Kayla Carr what to plant and where. 

Natalie Unrein (also shown here) and Kayla Carr are becoming great future stewards of the land.