Foresters: Connecting Forests, Products, People
April 26-28, 2017
Embassy Suites, Washington Square, Tigard, Oregon
Northwest Oregon is home to arguably the foundation of modern forestry in Oregon – caste by the Tillamook Burn and forged in the aftermath by foresters and citizens of Oregon that struggled to prevent the destructive fire cycle and replant the Burn. Northwest Oregon is also incredibly diverse – ranging west to east from the magnificent and productive coast range forests to the beautiful and structurally diverse forests of the western Cascades. Nestled between these forests is Oregon’s largest metropolitan area with its unquenchable desire for the use of, and products from these surrounding forests. This is the backdrop for this year’s Oregon SAF annual meeting on April 26-28 at Washington Square’s Embassy Suites Hotel – co-hosted by members of Portland and Tillamook-Clatsop Chapters.
Foresters: Connecting Forests, Products, People kicks off with a plenary session that is highlighted by a keynote address from Oregon’s own Clark Seely, SAF’s immediate past-president. The session includes presentations surrounding our major themes: wood products, wildlife, research, and public perception of forestry. The day’s activities conclude with an icebreaker, giving you an opportunity to network with fellow professionals and visit with the meeting’s vendors. New during the icebreaker will be a student/mentor social.
Day two starts with the traditional Alumni Breakfast, followed by concurrent sessions. All presentations are scheduled on the half-hour, allowing attendees to bounce between sessions throughout the day. During the morning, session #1 is titled Communication/Leadership – showcasing several powerful presentations on the topic and highlighted by a presentation summarizing SAF’s implementation of the North American Forest Partnership by Matt Menashes, our CEO of SAF. Session #2 explores Forest Management and features a variety of forest management-related presentations.
After a lunch break, session #3 focuses on Timber Harvesting and includes an introduction into tethered logging and other relevant topics. Concurrent session #4 is titled Technology and covers a host of topics including FIA, drones, remote sensors, Phodar, FVS, and new GPS technology. The day concludes with OSAF’s traditional Awards Banquet, where we honor the contributions of our peers to the Society.
Friday begins with the Pep-up Breakfast, followed by OSAF’s business meeting where OSAF leaders highlight current activities and accomplishments of state SAF leadership. At 9:00 am members adjourn to one of three outstanding field tours: Horning Seed Orchard and Hopkins Demonstration Forest; Tillamook State Forest Revisited; or Portland, City of Wood. The first tour takes you east into the foothills of the Cascade Mountains, the second west to the coastal forests, and the third focusing on innovative wood technology including cross-laminated buildings in the City of Portland.
Registration: Melinda Olson – 503-224-8046
Program: Program Chair Mike Cloughesy
General questions: General Chair Bob Deal
