Forests held in trust for Indian tribes across the nation are woefully underfunded by the federal government, according to a report issued Thursday by a panel of experts. The report was issued by a panel led by John Gordon, former dean at Yale School of Forestry, and John Sessions, professor of forest engineering at Oregon State University.
A recent study in the Journal of Forestry now offers managers a tool to help them identify regions exposed to multiple forest threats. The tool uses a novel 15-mile radius neighborhood analysis to highlight locations where threats are more concentrated relative to other areas, and identifies where multiple threats may intersect. It is a technique that may have never been used before to describe forest threats, according to the researchers. Lead author Jeff Kline and co-lead Becky Kerns are FES faculty.
On June 6 eight intrepid souls braved extreme heat, drought, and the tyrannical rule of Dr. J to pick up trash, pull weeds, prune dead branches, and spread wood chips around the grounds of Peavy Hall. Thanks to students Maya Gidding, Carrie Black, Aldo Nava, Todd Bertwell, Adahy, and Luis Martinex and faculty members Liz Cole and John Bliss (yes, THAT John Bliss). Todd and Aldo deserve special awards for participating in almost all the Service Days held while they've been students at OSU. Thanks to all for their help in enhancing the grounds of the College and supporting continued development of our teaching arboretum.
The OSU College Forests and OSU Extension Service, Benton County, are hosting the first National Get Outdoors Day event at Peavy Arboretum north of Corvallis. This free event, scheduled from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, will offer a variety of activities designed to engage first-time visitors and connect youth with the outdoors.
Dr. Ann Bartuska, USDA Deputy Under Secretary for Research, Education, and Economics, visited OSU’s College of Forestry May 28 to learn firsthand about the quality and breadth of CoF research and Extension programs and how USDA funding is being used throughout the College. Bartuska toured the labs where Kaichang Li’s research produced the soy-based, formaldehyde-free adhesives inspired by the strong, water-resistant bonds that mussels use to cling to ocean-battered rocks. John Sessions and the Northwest Advanced Renewables Alliance (NARA) team gave an update on the effort to create renewable aviation biofuels from forest residues biomass. Jim Johnson and Mary Sisock teamed up with woodland owner Sara Leiman to showcase the impact of the award-winning Ties to the Land Extension program that focuses on intergenerational forest succession planning. And Matt Betts closed out the afternoon with a captivating discussion on the world-class research examining biodiversity in young forest plantations.
FireScience.org recently named its top fire science instructors in the United States for 2013. Forestry professor and OSU Extension Specialist Janean Creighton is currently working to create a Fire Science Exchange Consortium serving forestry research for five northwest universities in Oregon, idaho, and Washington. The project will delve in fire and forest issues related to global warming.
While today's drought is on our minds, a look back to the great drought of 2000-2004 (and even into 2008 in parts of the West) provides a perspective to consider. And, if climate warming continues to wear away at our atmosphere, there may be "megadroughts" in our future. All this is the meat of a "Natural Geoscience" report co-authored by AmeriFlux former science director Beverly Law, an Oregon State University College of Forestry professor of global change biology and terrestrial systems.
Each spring, Provost Sabah Randhawa invites OSU Academic Deans to nominate graduating seniors to speak at the Commencement Dinner hosted by President Ed Ray. This year’s senior is none other than the College of Forestry’s Todd Bertwell! Todd is a Forest Management student who was selected to speak out of every nomination University-wide. The College of Forestry is very proud. He will speak at the dinner on Saturday, June 15 about what Oregon State University has meant to him and his life. Congratulations, Todd!
At the 2013 annual meeting of the Oregon Society of American Foresters (OSAF), Gary Batliner, a senior in forest management in the College of Forestry at Oregon State University (OSU), received the 2012-13 OSU Outstanding Student Award. The award is presented to an OSU forestry student who is a member of the Society of American Foresters (SAF) and participates regularly in OSU SAF activities, takes a leadership role in the student chapter, and who demonstrates good academic standing, good citizenship, and excellence in extracurricular and professional work activities. Congratulations Gary!
Meet Michael P. Nelson, Ruth H. Spaniol Chair of Renewable Resources and Lead Principal Investigator for the HJ Andrews Experimental Forest. When Michael talks about his work, he mentions carcasses and cadavers to a startling degree — startling because Nelson is not a physician or a veterinarian or even a biologist. He’s a philosopher.
College of Forestry
Oregon State University
Corvallis, OR 97331-5704
Phone: 541-737-2004
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