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| Timber operators map industry's survival |
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2006/2/6
How can the public's perception of forestry management be improved, especially among the state's newcomers, urban dwellers and students?
That was the question posed Thursday to nearly two dozen foresters and timber landowners by the Oregon Forest Resources Institute, or OFRI, a public agency established by the Oregon Legislature in 1991 to improve public understanding of forestry management and encourage sound forestry through landowner training. The institute is funded by a tax imposed on forest products and is paid by forest products producers.
"This is an opportunity for the payers of the tax to help OFRI -- to give the OFRI board the opportunity to hear from the stakeholders," said Sue Diciple, the meeting's workshop facilitator.
The gathering at Roseburg's Holiday Inn Express attracted timber managers from across Douglas County and from counties north and south as well. It was one of three meetings that OFRI is conducting over the next two weeks to strengthen the logging industry's image.
"As Oregon becomes more urban, that becomes increasingly important," said Leslie Lehmann, OFRI's executive director.
Roseburg's meeting precedes meetings in Bend and in Portland. The forest institute re-strategizes its public message in workshops conducted with forest products producers every five years.
Another goal of the institute is to update timber producers of ever-changing environmental regulations regarding the industry.
Placing education about the timber industry in schools and in urban areas was the workshop's overall theme.
"We have a tremendous opportunity in education," said Ray Jones, vice president of resources for Roseburg Forest Products.
Jones added, however, that the industry has been forced in the past to spend money fighting "undesirable measures" in the Legislature rather than improving education efforts.
Dennis Creel of Hampton Affiliates in Salem pointed out that the country has become polarized with left and right issues and the timber industry has been affected by it. He said the state should install a forestry curriculum in its schools and educate children that timber is a sustainable resource and logging practices like thinning are important for maintaining healthy forests and depleting fire fuels.
"The masses don't understand how they get their food or houses," Creel said.
Lew Howe, timber lands manager for Silver Butte Timber Co. in Riddle, explained how his aunt in Minnesota is convinced that replanting doesn't occur after timber harvests in the Northwest, no matter how hard he's tried to convince her otherwise.
It's a story that other timber operators say they've heard in Oregon's metropolitan areas and even in rural communities -- more reason they say OFRI needs to increase education efforts.
Some attendees suggested teaching people that timber lands on 50-year rotation harvests could become permanent urban developments if landowners can't profit from their timber investments.
"The best way to keep forests from being converted is to keep them economically viable," said Paul Chapman, area manager for Campbell Group of Eugene.
Don Hardwick, vice president of resources for Swanson Group, said OFRI has to advertise more on TV and campaign aggressively with tools like the Internet and iPods if it expects to reach more young people.
"I don't think you do that with brochures and things that make them come to you," Hardwick said. "It's got to be short, it's got to be concise."
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| Source:http://www.oregonnews.com |
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