In This Issue:

Starker Lectures

SAF Leadership

OFRI Speakers Bureau

Biomass website

This year’s lecture series will focus on the role Oregon plays in world forests and forestry and the importance of the forest to society from local to international levels. The lecture series coincides with International Year of Forests, designated by the United Nations Forum on Forests Secretariat.

The following Starker Lectures will be presented in Corvallis:

• Gary Hartshorn on Feb. 3, 3:30-5 p.m.
  Global Perspective on World Forests
• Paul Owen on Feb. 17, 3:30-5 p.m.
  World Wood Products Market
• Ed Pepke on March 31, 3:30-5 p.m.
  The State of the World's Forests
• Ben Cashore on May 3, 3:30-5 p.m.
  A Global View of Policies Impacting Forests and Forestry

The following Starker Lecture will be presented in Portland:

• Melanie R. Kirk on April 7, 3:30-5 p.m.
  Connecting People and Forests: A Global Perpective on Urban Forests
• Capstone Field Trip on May 20, 9 a.m. – 3 p.m.

For complete schedule, locations, registration and speaker information, visit the series home page. The Starker Lecture Series is sponsored by the Starker Family and supported by the OSU College of Forestry and OFRI.

All Society of American Foresters members from Washington and Oregon are invited to participate in this Pacific Northwest Leadership Conference in Hood River, Ore. Jan 20-22.

The program will allow you to learn how to run an effective business meeting, gain exposure to SAF bylaws, understand our role in national/regional policies, discover the SAF Northwest Office, hear about the duties of SAF officers and SAF programs, and get to know new and old friends alike.

Past, present and incoming leadership will discuss:

• Roles and responsibilities
• Best practices
• Future growth of the two chapters 

All chairs, chair-elects, Chapter officers, Student Leaders and State Executive Committee members are encouraged to attend.

For more information about the conference and field workshop, contact Shaun Harkins at 541-267-1855 or Shaun.Harkins@plumcreek.com. You can also learn more and download a registration form here. Registration deadline is Jan 12.

The OFRI Speakers Bureau has been a great tool for bringing the message of forest management to civic organizations throughout Oregon. Of course, one big reason for its success has been the great team of volunteers.
                              
OFRI is inviting anyone interested in becoming part of the program to attend a training session Thursday, Jan. 20, from 3 to 5 p.m. at the Best Western in Hood River. This is the afternoon before the 2011 Pacific Northwest Leadership Conference.

Newcomers, as well as current Speakers Bureau volunteers, are encouraged to attend. New presentations and materials will be provided.

Contact Jordan Benner at benner@ofri.org, 971-673-2951 to register.

Woody biomass continues to be a potential triple win for Oregon; restoring forest health, meeting green energy objectives and revitalizing rural economies. Governor-elect Kitzhaber has named a biomass energy team to be lead by:

• Matt Donegan, Forest Capital Partners
• John Shelk, Ochoco Lumber
• Russ Hoeflich, The Nature Conservancy

The original charge to the Biomass Transition team proposed four key focus areas:

• State investment in biomass and jobs
• Clearing a path for bioenergy in Oregon
• Providing the technical knowledge and training a workforce, and
• Identifying near-term and long-term bioenergy resources, projects and possibilities

After preliminary meetings, two primary goals have been established by the transition team:

• Identify a strategy for securing greater certainty in merchantable timber harvest, along with biomass supplies, through federal forest ecosystem restoration.
• Recommend opportunities to develop and expand woody biomass markets.

A new website is being created to help gather input for the Governor’s biomass transition team. The website will include resources from OFRI, Oregon State University, Oregon Department of Energy, and Oregon Department of Forestry.The input section and resources will be available at
johnkitzhaber.com.

We’re interested in learning what information matters most to you. As the Internet becomes the go-to place for daily information, it got us thinking. Does the same hold true for you and forestry information?

Please take a moment to complete a three-question survey that will give us an indication of how you look up forestry information.

Take the survey.