Oregon Community Trees

New Urban Forestry Undergraduate Degree

2011-05-13T14:58:00.000-07:00

After many years of planning, Oregon State University (OSU) is unveiling a new urban forestry undergraduate degree program. Effective this summer, OSU students can work towards a new Bachelor of Science degree in Natural Resources with a major option in Urban Forest Landscapes. You can visit catalog.oregonstate.edu to learn more about the requirements of this new option.

A parallel degree through the OSU Horticulture Department will follow in the coming years. This new degree option has been the result of a long cooperative effort between Oregon Department of Forestry and OSU, and two of the three new college courses behind it were supported in part by a USDA Forest Service Western Competitive Grant award to ODF to address urban/rural interface issues.

Even more exciting is the fact that this new Urban Forest Landscapes option should soon be available online to distance education students through OSU’s award-winning Ecampus program. Please spread the word to anyone you know who may be interested in an online urban forestry degree.

Register Now for Urban Forestry Events and Save $$

2011-04-26T13:45:00.000-07:00

The following upcoming urban forestry events have early registration deadlines ending soon…register now and save on registration fees:

“Community Trees for Healthy Streams” is the topic of the annual Oregon Urban & Community Forestry Conference, being held Thursday, June 2, 2011 at World Forestry Center in Portland. The featured speaker is Dr. Susan Day, Urban Forestry Professor from Virginia Tech. Dr. Day will be joined by a number of speakers from communities around Oregon who will be sharing practical tips and techniques for managing tree and stormwater issues. Register online at oucf2011.eventbrite.com

“The Summer Arboriculture Short Course” organized by Oregon State University and the Oregon Department of Forestry, will be held on June 17-18, 2011 on the OSU campus in Corvallis. This event will use a mix of classroom instruction and field trips using the trees on OSU’s beautiful campus. This is a great course for anyone interested in preparing to take the ISA Certified Arborist exam. Register online at hort.oregonstate.edu

“Working in the Urbanizing Landscape: Changing Roles for Natural Resource Professionals” is a two-day workshop being held May 23-24, 2011 in Beaverton. This event will prepare natural resource professionals to address the challenges of a rapidly changing wildland-urban interface. Through this professional development opportunity, natural resource professionals will discover how to effectively manage for sustainability in the interface by meeting the needs of interface landowners and remaining relevant into the future. For details or to register, visit: westernforestry.org

Using Trees to Manage Urban Stormwater Runoff

2011-03-15T07:16:00.000-07:00

Registration is now open for COMMUNITY TREES FOR HEALTHY STREAMS. Discounts apply if you register before May 15.

Grant's Getaways: Oregon's Heritage Trees

2011-02-04T09:08:00.000-08:00

Grant McOmie and Paul Ries show off some of Oregon's most notable specimen trees. Enjoy.

Learn more about Oregon's Heritage Trees and get a map at Oregon Travel Information Council's website.

2011 Oregon Urban and Community Forestry Awards!

2011-01-25T21:11:00.000-08:00

Oregon Community Trees (OCT) is pleased to announce the 18^th annual

Urban and Community Forestry Awards for 2011. Join OCT, the Oregon Department of Forestry and the USDA Forest Service in recognizing the accomplishments of individuals, groups and businesses that have been leaders in the efforts to enhance and maintain Oregon’s community forests by taking a moment to fill out the attached nomination.

Click here for nomination form.

High Desert Green Industry Conference

2011-01-21T13:03:00.000-08:00

If you supply, design, maintain or manage landscapes in the Intermountain West, you will want to be in
Redmond, OR on February 9 & 10, 2011
to attend the

19th Annual High Desert Green Industry Conference!

Consider these reasons why you don't want to miss this event:

Reward yourself for being frugal. Thanks to our generous sponsors, registration fees have been maintained at the same low rate for years!
Connect with green industry suppliers from throughout the Northwest during the one-day trade show.
Attend a comprehensive schedule of educational classes covering topics relevant to your career and your business.
Attend a Master Class or two for a deeper learning on a specific topic. Classes run from 2 - 4 hours.
You won’t want to miss our keynote speaker Ed Beaulieu, chief sustainability officer at Aquascapes, Inc. His work has been featured in Better Homes and Garden, Architectural Digest, and he has made several appearances on HGTV and DIY channel shows. He will discuss sustainability of water resources, rainwater harvesting and stormwater management.
Earn professional recertification and continuing education credits, if you are an Oregon-licensed pesticide applicator, landscape professional, or a certified arborist.

REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN!
Register Online or by phone at 541-548-6088

Come and enjoy High Desert sunshine and high elevation snow! Central Oregon's remarkable winter climate and outdoor recreation activities await you!

Details at http://extension.oregonstate.edu/deschutes/hdgi/home

Community Trees For Healthy Streams

2010-12-28T13:40:00.000-08:00

Oregon Urban & Community Forestry Conference is June 2, 2011

Mark your calendars for Thursday June 2, 2011, to attend the Oregon Urban and Community Forestry Conference, being held at the World Forestry Center in Portland.

This year’s theme “Community Trees For Healthy Streams” focuses on the role and value of trees in managing stormwater runoff from urbanized areas, where roads impact natural resource quality as well as our own safety and well-being.

The keynote speaker for the event will be Dr. Susan Day, urban forestry professor from Virginia Tech. Dr. Day is a well known speaker on improving tree health and canopy cover in land development and urban design issues and how root/soil interactions affect the contribution of trees to urban ecosystems.

Other speakers from around the region will share practical examples of how their cities have managed stormwater using community trees. Look for complete details via email later this winter, or visit www.oregoncommunitytrees.org.

Public invited to assist in new Oregon state forester recruitment

2010-11-12T13:46:00.000-08:00

Nov. 10, 2010
Contact: Twyla Lawson, Dept. of Administrative Services
503-373-7677, Twyla.LAWSON@state.or.usmailto:Twyla.LAWSON@state.or.us>

Recruitment for a new Oregon state forester is underway, and Oregonians are invited to share their thoughts on the attributes they think the next state forester should have. The Board of Forestry has posted a brief survey online. It takes only a few minutes to complete and will help the board as it recruits candidates for this important position.

The survey can be found at: www.surveymonkey.com/s/DOF http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/DOF>. It must be completed by Sunday, Dec. 12.

All responses to the survey will be compiled and used to develop an ideal candidate profile, which the board will reference throughout the selection process.

The board launched a plan last Friday to recruit candidates for the position, with a goal of having a new state forester in the post early next year.

The recruitment process includes the online survey to collect public input, as well as stakeholder and Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) employee forums with the finalists, and an opportunity for incoming Gov. Kitzhaber or his representative to meet with the finalists.

Nancy Hirsch, chief of ODF's State Forests Division, has been designated to serve as acting state forester until the position is filled.

Oregon's state forester carries out the Board's overarching policies through leadership of the Oregon Department of Forestry. The state forester serves as director of the department, which provides services including preventing and fighting wildfires, managing state-owned forests, enforcing natural resource protection laws on private forestlands, advising landowners, and providing urban forestry assistance.

The agency has 647 employees and a two-year budget of $303 million.

The state forester also assists and represents the board and department in identifying and resolving policy issues and in working with interest groups, the state legislature, and others.

Put Some Roots Down with Tualatin Riverkeepers

2010-11-04T15:33:00.000-07:00

Habitat Restoration Event - Saturday Nov 13, 9am-Noon

This Community Restoration Event hosted by Tualatin Riverkeepers at Munger Lane Natural Area on the Tualatin River near Scholls. Munger Natural Area is home to wildlife such as beaver, river otter, mink and red tail hawk. Restoring this natural area will increase opportunities for wildlife to find food and shelter. Planting native plants and removing invasive weeds will reduce erosion and ultimately improve water quality in the Tualatin River.

BRING
Water Bottle, Dress for the Weather, Sturdy Shoes or Boots!

TRK WILL PROVIDE
Tools, Gloves, Instruction and Gratitude!

Directions to Munger Farm from I-5: Take exit 289 and head west on Nyberg Rd. (turns into Tualatin-Sherwood Rd.). Go through the 99W intersection in Sherwood. After the intersection Tualatin-Sherwood Rd. becomes Roy Rogers Rd. Go 1.5 miles on Roy Rogers Rd. and take a left onto SW Scholls-Sherwood Rd. Follow SW Scholls-Sherwood Rd. through many turns. At a 90 degree turn in SW Scholls-Sherwood Road, turn right onto SW Munger Lane. Drive down Munger Lane and follow the road to the right at the bend and you’ll find the site on your left.

Directions to Munger Farm from Hillsboro & Forest Grove: Take Hwy. 8 to Hwy. 219. Follow Hwy 219 to Highway 210. Left on Hwy. 210. Follow Hwy. 210 to SW Scholls-Sherwood Road and go right. At a 90 degree turn in SW Scholls-Sherwood Road, go straight onto SW Munger Lane. Drive down Munger Lane and follow the road to the right at the bend and you’ll find the site on your left.

Restoration Project Background
Munger Natural Area is public land held by Metro Parks and Greenspaces. Munger Natural Area is one of the many amazing natural areas acquired by Metro with monies from a public bond measure passed in 1995.

Tualatin Riverkeepers have been very successful leveraging funds for restoration on Metro properties and encouraging community involvement.

Tualatin Riverkeepers is a community-based organization working to protect and restore the Tualatin River watershed though public education, restoration, citizen advocacy and access to nature.

RSVP to vicki@tualatinriverkeepers.org

Questions? Call Vicki at 503-620-7507.

Stormwater, Parking Lots & Trees - November 4

2010-10-27T13:57:00.000-07:00

Brian Wegener of Tualatin Riverkeepers will give a presentation on the impacts of stormwater runoff on urban streams and how planting trees in parking lots can help mitigate for those impacts at the POrtland Community College Sylvania Campus at 11:00 am on November 4, 2010. The presentation will take place in the Spruce Room of the Amo D. Bernadis College Center building.

PCC Sylvania is embarking on a significant redevelopment of their campus for sustainability. A large pat of this project will be focused on reducing stormwater runoff. Approximately 30% of the campus is covered by parking lots. Wegener will present a summary of research and demonstration projects on using structural soils and trees to reduce stormwater runoff. He will also present information on how to ensure that trees will thrive in the hostile environment of a parking lot.

Tualatin Riverkeepers is working with PCC Sylvania to develop service learning opportunities around urban stormwater management and habitat restoration.

Fall Tree Planting

2010-10-19T16:46:00.000-07:00

Fall Tree Planting

Fall is easily my favorite time of year. I love the smells, the muted (and sometimes dazzling) colors, and the sideways arc of a warm autumn sun. I love the crisp mornings. This is harvest time- when we take stock of all our hard summer’s work. It’s a time of reflection… and I don’t know if it’s because I’ve spent more of my life in school than out, but I see fall as a time of new beginnings. It’s a time to promise oneself that this fall you’ll get a head start on that research paper rather than wait until the last minute (good luck!).
What better way is there to celebrate this time of starting afresh than planting a tree? I know this is typically a springtime tradition; we even celebrate Arbor Day at the end of April! But, the bigleaf maple outside my window knows differently. For the last couple of weeks it’s been dropping its samaras, and in another couple of weeks it’ll be covering those seeds with a blanket of leaves.
Through this natural process, those seeds will have all winter to undergo stratification, and the early spring to germinate and establish a root system that more or less matches the development (and demands) of their aboveground parts.
We can more effectively establish young trees if we capitalize on this natural cycle. But what else can we do to help establish the trees we choose to plant?
• Choose healthy trees at the nursery. Look out for root-bound pots and girdling (circling) roots. As a general rule, I typically choose trees with a smaller tree to pot ratio (more roots & fewer leaves). Not only are these trees less apt to have girdling root issues, they’re also a bit more drought tolerant. Even better, try to find bare root, or balled-and-burlapped trees!
• Invest some time in prepping the roots before putting the tree in the ground. Straighten out any girdling roots, and see if you can ‘tease out’ the roots and get them started on an outward radial path.
• PAY CLOSE ATTENTION TO PLANTING DEPTH! Make sure you can see the top of the root buttress above the soil when the tree is planted. Trees that are planted too deep develop all sorts of nasty problems- most of which are eventually fatal.
• Give them a drink. Even in winter things can get a little dry. New trees with developing root systems need a bit more water than their established mature counterparts.
For a bit more information, see the attached PDF on planting procedures. Now get out there and plant a tree!

PDF over here!

A Message From Congressman Blumenaur

2010-10-01T18:08:00.000-07:00

A Message from Congressman Blumenaur

Graham Oaks Nature Park Opens in Wilsonville

2010-09-21T09:58:00.000-07:00

Graham Oaks Nature Park opened September 18 in Wilsonville, marking milestone for Metro’s voter-approved Natural Areas Program.

The 250-acre park features restored oak woodlands, three miles of trails and a rich cultural history.

Three miles of trails lead visitors through restored oak woodlands, wetlands and a conifer forest rich with wildlife – and a legacy of Native American tribes and farmers who once used this land.
Two voter-approved natural areas bond measures allowed Metro to purchase and restore the 250-acre site, and develop it as one of the region’s most sustainable parks. Graham Oaks is the third major park opened by the Metro Natural Areas Program – and one of the region’s largest new parks in several decades.

“At Graham Oaks, returning to the past is creating a better future for Wilsonville and the surrounding community,” said District 3 Metro Councilor Carl Hosticka, who represents the area. “Visitors will experience the oak trees, wildlife and sense of serenity that defined this landscape centuries ago.”

Before the land was logged and farmed, birds flocked, mammals prowled and camas lily bloomed. Kalapuyan tribes likely used this site to dry blackberries, salal berries and huckleberries, gather fresh strawberries and raspberries, and hunt deer and elk. Plentiful oak trees provided acorns, an important food staple that was soaked, ground and cooked.

During the 1880s, the land was purchased by Marion Young and his wife, Lily Ann – daughter of John Graham, who established Graham’s Ferry and ran a mail delivery steamboat across the Willamette River. The family grew hops, filberts, corn, potatoes and grass crops.

The land was sold to the state during the 1950s. Over the years, development options included a National Guard maintenance facility and two women’s prisons. A landfill proposal triggered the activism of descendent Dorothy Young Lehan, who passed along her ideals to daughter Charlotte Lehan. As mayor of Wilsonville from 1996 to 2008, Lehan advocated a different future for her ancestors’ land.

Metro purchased most of Graham Oaks using funds from a 1995 bond measure designed to protect natural areas. A 2004 increase in Metro’s solid waste disposal tax raised money to develop three nature parks, including Graham Oaks. The park received additional support from Wilsonville’s “local share” portion of Metro’s 2006 natural areas bond measure, and a $500,000 grant from Oregon State Parks and Recreation.

“The dedication of Graham Oaks Nature Park is the culmination of decades of work on the part of many people,” said Lehan, who is now a Clackamas County commissioner. “For me personally, it is also an important part of my family history. I know that many descendants of John Wallace Graham are excited about being here for the dedication.”

The park has changed dramatically since Metro acquired it. Wheat and clover were replanted with more than a hundred million seeds of wildflowers and grasses. Metro also worked with volunteers and contractors to plant 150,000 trees and shrubs historically found in the Willamette Valley, including thousands of oaks. Over time, the young trees will recreate historic oak and pine woodland and savanna, and replenish wetlands and conifer forests. The transformation will benefit species such as the Western bluebird, which rely on oaks and prairies.

Graham Oaks was designed and constructed with the environment in mind. Pervious pavement in the parking lot manages stormwater and removes pollutants; solar panels on the restroom feed into the City of Wilsonville’s electric grid; the picnic shelter features an eco-roof. And the Pacific Northwest economy received a boost from locally sourced materials, such as Columbia River Gorge basalt stonework at the plazas and a pre-fab restroom from Roseburg.

The park also showcases several trails, including an early section of the regional Tonquin Trail. It eventually will link Wilsonville with Sherwood and Tualatin – connecting natural areas, neighborhoods, schools, jobs, shopping centers and transit stops along the way. Metro is seeking public input on possible routes for future sections of the Tonquin, with questionnaires available online at www.oregonmetro.gov/tonquintrail.

Graham Oaks’ trails have at least one ready-made audience: children at Boones Ferry Primary School, Inza R. Wood Middle School and the CREST environmental education center, operated by the West Linn-Wilsonville School District. Students at this cluster of schools, next to the park, have studied the history and wildlife of Graham Oaks.

“The Graham Oaks Nature Park provides a multi-generational benefit to area residents and visitors now and in the future,” said Wilsonville Mayor Tim Knapp. “From wetlands to meadows and upland forests, Graham Oaks will offer nearby school students and those who study or enjoy nature an easily accessible park that highlights authentic elements of our Willamette Valley heritage.”

“Grand opening festivities are very exciting, but their purpose goes beyond a single day of celebration,” said Acting Metro Council President Carlotta Collette. “I know the community will be inspired to return to Graham Oaks over the years to enjoy the park, help care for the landscape and watch the trees grow.”

Trends in Nursery Crop Development

2010-07-01T19:45:00.000-07:00

Dr. Ryan Contreras, Assistant Professor, Horticulture Department, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR.

Ryan discusses Oregon State’s nursery crop breeding program focusing on development of sterile forms of invasive or potentially invasive species as well as induced sterility of species that produce large amounts of litter from fruit or seed, and the contribution of plant breeding to diversity in landscapes.

Urban Forestry: Trends in Nursery Crop Development from Brian Wegener on Vimeo.

Forestry awards recognize Oregonians committed to community tree care

2010-05-28T17:39:00.000-07:00

Ambitious tree planting efforts and innovative approaches to community development are among the success stories that will be recognized at this year’s Urban and Community Forestry conference.

Now in their 17th year, the awards, jointly hosted by Oregon Community Trees (OCT) and the Oregon Department of Forestry, recognize the accomplishments of individuals, groups, and businesses who go the extra mile to enhance and maintain healthy community forests.

This year’s recipients are slated to be recognized at the annual Oregon Urban and Community Forestry Conference Thursday June 3rd, at the Oregon Garden Resort in Silverton. State Senator Richard Devlin will present two of the awards.

Award categories and recipients

Citizen Volunteer and Civic Organization: Roberta Schwarz and the White Oak Committee
Roberta Schwarz of West Linn is being recognized in the volunteer category for her work with the White Oak Committee over four years, raising over a million dollars to purchase and preserve part of a rare Oregon white oak savanna property ripe for development. The committee itself is also being honored as an award recipient in the ‘Civic Organization’ category. Senator Richard Devlin and Representative Scott Brunn both sent letters of nomination and support for this project.

Professional: Nancy Buley
Nancy Buley, Marketing and Communications Director for J. Frank Schmidt & Son Co., one of Oregon’s, and the nation’s premier nurseries, will be honored with a Professional category award for her years of tireless advocacy for trees. She recently completed a visit to all of Oregon’s congressional and senate offices in Washington, D.C., lobbying for tree planting legislation with the Alliance for Community Trees and Portland’s Friends of Trees.

Development: Pringle Creek Community, Salem
The Pringle Creek Community of Salem is recipient of an urban forestry award in the Development category. The community successfully preserved more than eighty percent of the site’s existing trees during development. The community is being recognized for its innovative approaches to trees, landscaping, and homebuilding. James Santana, Director of Development, will accept the award.

Government: Clean Water Services – Randy Lawrence
Randy Lawrence and Clean Water Services earned an urban forestry award in the government category for their strong track record in tree planting in the Tualatin River Watershed. Lawrence’s “Tree for All” program set an unusual goal to plant 2 million trees in 20 years in the Tualatin River watershed, and they are currently ahead of schedule.

President’s Award: Ed Jensen
Ed Jensen, who serves as Associate Dean for Academic Affairs at Oregon State University’s College of Forestry, is receiving the President’s Award for his long record of accomplishment in the fields of education, outreach, and advocacy. Jensen advises and educates students, and is a co-author of the popular color-illustrated handbook “Trees to Know in Oregon.” Jensen also develops, conducts, and evaluates natural resource education programs for various audiences at the college. Oregon State University dean Hal Salwasser calls Jensen “an exceptional teacher and mentor who makes trees the focus of his talents.”

Professional category: Jennifer Wilson and the Wetlands Conservancy
Jennifer Wilson of Tualatin is the recipient of a 2010 Oregon Urban and Community Forestry award in the professional category. The Wetlands Conservancy planted more than 10,000 bare root native wetland species, shrubs, and plants – as well as 5,000 willow and dogwood cuttings this past spring. “Jennifer has a passion for opening the eyes of children to the natural world around them,” adds Rick Zenn, president of Oregon Community Trees.

Business category: Ascending the Giants
Ascending the Giants is an ongoing series of expeditions led by two arborists, Brian French and Will Koomjian, to measure the largest tree of each species. The team is able to capture some of the first and only footage inside the canopies of these remarkable trees. For its cutting edge photographic and video work at sharing the stories of the ecological importance of champion trees, Ascending the Giants will receive OCT’s Business category award.

Oregon Tree City of the Year: McMinnville
OCT’s efforts to advocate for planting and caring for trees in the state extends to wanting to give special recognition to those cities who take extra steps to assure trees are planted, protected and maintained in their communities.

McMinnville, host of OCT’s March quarterly board meeting, is the 2010 winner of the Oregon Tree City of the Year award. Mayor Rick Olson and Planning Director Doug Montgomery both work hard to assure that this historic community keeps its charm and attractive livability by caring for its tree resources.

Better communities through tree care

“Oregon Citizens are indeed fortunate to have such an effective group of citizens leading the way to improved lives and better communities through tree planting and care,” says OCT President Rick Zenn.

"These recipients are to be commended for their efforts to improve the livability of our cities," said Paul Ries, manager of ODF's urban forestry program. "Their actions are notable for showing creativity, initiative, and leadership in community tree care programs that all cities can aspire to and achieve.”

Anyone can make nominations for the awards, which are given annually for leadership in community and urban forestry.

For information on how to make a nomination for next year’s awards, contact Oregon Community Trees at www.oregoncommunitytrees.org or the Oregon Department of Forestry’s Urban and Community Forests Program.

Astoria Community Unites for Earth Day Tree Plantings

2010-05-11T09:06:00.000-07:00

ASTORIA, Ore. – Two hundred new trees for 200 years. That was the inspiration in a community-wide tree planting effort in Astoria on Earth Day April 22. The new trees are a gift that will keep on growing, given to the people of Astoria by Pacific Power in recognition of its 100 years of service and to commemorate the city’s bicentennial in 2011. More than 100 people – everyone from school children to local leaders – helped plant the trees, primarily at city gateways and historical sites.
"This was a special day in Astoria," said Willis Van Dusen, Astoria mayor. "I was proud to be a part of it and to watch our community come together in this effort. These trees will continue to add to the unique character that is Astoria, and will add to our growing legacy of promoting economic development in the city through both historic preservation and sustainability. And, as mayor it gives me a great opportunity to thank Pacific Power for being such a strong partner to our city throughout Astoria’s bad times, as well as the good times like today."
The trees planted April 22 are among 200 donated to the city by Pacific Power as it celebrates its centennial. Astoria was one of the first Northwest cities to get electric lights, in 1885, and one of the four original Pacific Power communities when the company was incorporated June 16, 1910.
In recognition of that century of service, Pacific Power is providing its original communities with a lasting gift, a legacy gift. Working with city leaders and the Astoria Bicentennial Steering Committee, the community tree planting effort was identified as an appropriate gift for Astoria.
"We are so grateful for such a generous and lasting gift – 200 ornamental trees gracing our streets, parks, schools, neighborhoods and cemetery for many years to come," said Arline LaMear, chair, Bicentennial Tree Committee. "We are confident that this gift will also help us attain our goal of being named a Tree City USA in time for our 2011 Bicentennial year celebrations."
"What a marvelous way to kick-off the first official event for Astoria’s Bicentennial Celebration," said Paulette McCoy, director of Astoria’s Bicentennial Celebration. "This gift will be a lasting reminder of Pacific Power’s deep roots in Astoria’s history, and a legacy to appreciate for years to come."
The commemorative trees are all utility-friendly, which means their growth will not eventually lead to problems with any overhead power lines in the area. Varieties include flowering crabapple, cherry, gingko, maple and other ornamentals.
The April 22 event kicked off at the Columbia River Maritime Museum, where volunteers gathered to hear from officials, including Mayor Van Dusen, and to get their tree planting assignments. After plantings were completed in designated sites throughout the city, teams wrapped up the morning with a celebratory lunch.
Approximately 150 of the commemorative trees are designated for public spaces. The remaining 50 were made available for city residents to plant in their yards. This fall, additional trees will be planted at the Maritime Memorial Park once the Shively Fountain is restored and settled in its new location there. Pacific Power is also a sponsor of the restoration of this historic fountain.
"Our thanks go to the mayor, bicentennial committee and community partners involved in this community-wide planting effort," said Pat Reiten, Pacific Power president. Reiten and his management team and local employees were among those planting trees. "It has been a privilege to work alongside the community in planting these trees, just as it has been an honor to serve our customers for 100 years. We will share your pride in watching these trees grow and add to the character of this community for many decades to come."

Register by May 15 for Oregon UCF Conference to get Discount

2010-05-10T20:00:00.001-07:00

2010 Oregon Urban & Community Forestry Conference is June 2-3. Register by May 15 to receive discount. Details at http://www.oregoncommunitytrees.org/2010OregonUCFConf.pdf

Celebrate Oregon Arbor Week April 5-9, 2010!

2010-03-31T17:51:00.000-07:00

Cities, schools, non-profits and citizens will be planting and celebrating trees next week as part of Oregon's Arbor Week. "Trees are important to the quality of life here in Oregon cities because they provide so many economic, environmental and social benefits," says Paul Ries, who manages the Oregon Department of Forestry's Urban and Community Forestry Program. Trees and forests enhance quality of life by providing wood products, fish and wildlife habitat, shade, economic benefits, clean, healthy streams, and by raising property values, adds Ries.

Cities in Oregon celebrate Arbor week in all kinds of different ways...most plant trees, but some cities are creative and celebrate trees from all angles! On April 8, the City of Portland will be celebrating by giving citizens a bird's eye view of the urban forest from the City's bucket truck. The City of Tualatin will celebrate with movies and story time at the library. The National Arbor Day foundation has lots of other great ideas for ways to celebrate Arbor Week.

How is your city celebrating Arbor Week in 2010? Contact your local urban forester to find out!

2010 Oregon Urban & Community Forestry Conference

2010-03-13T17:53:00.000-08:00

Seed to City: The Journey of An Urban Tree
Wednesday, June 2, 2010 - J. Frank Schmidt & Son Nursery, Boring, Oregon
& Thursday, June 3, 2010 - Oregon Garden Resort, Silverton, Oregon

Register today and join us June 2-3 for a real eye-opening journey - both in the field and classroom. We feature more than a dozen expert speakers including Dr. Ed Gilman, special access tours, demonstrations and of lots of opportunities for one-on-one discussion and networking. Seed-to-City is a high value, two day event sure to appeal to the continuing education and training needs of a wide range of urban and community forestry professionals, parks and planning staffs, arborists, landscapers, developers, non-profits, and citizen activists. Please save the dates and pass along this information to colleagues and friends. Register for one day or two and sign up before May 15th to receive a nice discount.

Click for details.

Registration Online.

2010-03-04T20:05:00.000-08:00

Saturday, March 13, 2010

Life in the World’s Tallest Trees:   
An Evening with Stephen Sillett and Robert Van Pelt

Did you see Stephen Sillett's and Robert Van Pelt's work featured in the cover story of last October's National Geographic magazine? Or perhaps you've seen their work on National Geographic "Explorer" TV show?

These renowned forest canopy scientists are coming to Eugene to talk about their latest research in the world’s tallest forests. Come learn about tall-tree biology, effects of changing climate, canopy ecology, and more! This breathtaking presentation about life hundreds of feet in the air will make you appreciate big trees in a whole new way.

Click here to go to the Mt. Pisgah Arboretum website for the details.

Buy Tickets at Eventbrite.

Tree protection on construction and development sites : a best management practices guidebook for the Pacific Northwest

2010-01-08T10:55:00.000-08:00

A new resource called “Tree Protection on Construction and Development Sites” has just been published by the Oregon Extension Service.

This publication is a guide for protecting, conserving, selecting, maintaining, removing, and replacing trees on development sites in the Pacific Northwest. The guidebook is designed to assist people who work with trees during the development and construction phases of both new and existing projects to keep healthy trees a part of the urban environment through the use of accepted tree care standards and practices. This publication provides best management practices (BMPs) developed and recommended by professional arborists, urban and community foresters, and landscape architects. BMPs are widely accepted practices and standards used by industry professionals and based on the best available research. The guidebook provides basic and practical information about methods to give trees planted or retained on development sites the best chance to survive and thrive during and after the construction process.

Click here to download a 5Mb pdf file of the guide.

2009-12-30T09:06:00.000-08:00

Nominations Open for 2010 Oregon Urban and Community Forestry Awards

Oregon Community Trees (OCT) is pleased to announce the 17th annual Urban and Community Forestry Awards for 2010. Join OCT, the Oregon Department of Forestry and the USDA Forest Service in recognizing the accomplishments of individuals, groups and businesses that have been leaders in the efforts to enhance and maintain Oregon’s community forests (trees and related vegetation growing within a city’s urban growth boundary).

OCT is a non-profit organization that is dedicated to promoting healthy community forests and citizen awareness of urban and community forestry issues statewide. This is your chance to see the individuals or groups in your community that have been instrumental in local tree issues during 2009 are recognized for their efforts. All nominations must be submitted to Oregon Community Trees @ P.O. Box 13074, Salem, OR 97309-1074 to be received no later than March 31, 2010. A nomination application is included with this letter.

Award recipients will be announced during Oregon Urban Forestry Conference, being held at the Oregon Garden, on June 3, 2010. For further information on the Oregon Urban Forestry Awards Program, please contact Mark Snyder, OCT Awards Committee chair, at (541) 682-4819, or by e-mail at mark.r.snyder@ci.eugene.or.us.

Link to Nomination Form (MSWord)

2009-12-23T07:06:00.000-08:00

Call for Presentations - Oregon Urban & Community Forestry Conference
June 2-3, 2010 - http://tinyurl.com/Call4Trees - Deadline for submissions - Jan 22, 2010.

The Oregon Department of Forestry and Oregon Community Trees, in cooperation with the USDA Forest Service, will hold the 2010 Oregon Urban and Community Forestry Conference on June 2-3, 2010. Wednesday June 2nd will be an outdoor field day at the J. Frank Schmidt & Son Nursery in Boring, and Thursday June 3rd will be an indoor educational session at the Oregon Garden Resort in Silverton. The conference planning committee invites potential speakers to submit a presentation proposal for inclusion in the conference program. The theme of this year’s Annual Conference is “From Seed to City: The Journey of An Urban Tree“, focusing on nursery production, species selection, and planting of landscape trees in cities. This annual conference usually attracts around 75-125 urban forestry professionals and advocates.

Download the submission form at http://tinyurl.com/Call4Trees

2009-12-18T18:09:00.000-08:00

Trees & Parking Lots

Parking lots have significant environmental impacts that can be partially mitigated by planting trees. Growing trees in parking lots presents some challenges that can be addressed by giving them enough space. Structural soils can give tree roots the space they need while supporting parking loads and maximizing the number of parking spaces.

Environmental Impacts of Parking Lots
On a naturally vegetated landscape west of the Cascades, rainfall is intercepted by trees or soaks into the ground where much of it is taken up by plant roots. Studies by Chris May at University of Washington show that there is virtually no runoff from a forested landscape.

When it rains on asphalt or concrete, water runs off rather than soaking into the ground. This runoff carries pollutants from brake linings, tires, and automobile fluids, as well as other pollutants from the urban landscape. Nat Scholz at NOAA Fisheries has shown that copper from brake linings is very toxic to our native salmonids. Approximately 20% of impervious area in urban watersheds comes from parking lots.

Storm drains from parking lots are generally connected to a storm sewer system. In many areas, storm sewers dump into the nearest stream. Besides carrying pollutants to these streams, the runoff causes streams to rise quickly during storm events, eroding banks and stirring up sediments and legacy pollutants from the stream bed.

In many larger cities, including Portland, storm sewers connect to the sanitary sewers and go to a wastewater treatment plants. During storms, the combination of sewage and runoff is greater than the capacity of the system and a “combined sewer overflow” occurs, dumping into the nearest river.

Parking lots also contribute to the heat island effect. On a hot summer day, the temperature of an asphalt parking lot can be 50F warmer than the surrounding area. The heat gain from a lighter colored concrete parking lot is less severe.

Overcoming Difficulties of Growing Trees in Parking Lots
Many trees are not adapted to the high temperatures that occur in asphalt parking lots. Soil compaction that typically happens with any paving project is not conducive to tree growth. Trees also need protection from cars, trucks, shopping carts and other equipment that might collide with a tree in a parking lot.

Numerous studies correlate tree growth with the volume of soil available to them. One way of accommodating tree growth in parking lots is to provide large tree wells. Where land costs are prohibitive, “structural soils” can provide a healthy growing medium that can support parking loads. Trees thrive in structural soils 3’-4’ deep and 10’ or more wide.

Cornell University has been a pioneer in structural soils, with more than a decade of research documenting their performance. Structural soils contain load supporting crushed rock of sufficient size to provide voids for soil, air and water. Screened organic soil is mixed with the crushed rock for the roots to grow in. A soil binder is mixed with the coil and rock to keep the soil in place.

Cornell’s CU structural soil is a patented mix that is licensed to vendors across the country and comes with quality control assurances. Other recipes have been developed across the country using local materials. The University of California at Davis has developed a structural soil using locally available lava rock. Lava rock contains voids for air and water and is not as strong as other rock, so the Davis mixture uses rock of smaller size than other structural soils.

The City of Olympia Washington constructed a successful demonstration project in 2001 using structural soils in a linear tree well 100’ long x 10’ wide x 3’ deep, covered with concrete sidewalks. Three trees reside in 4’ x 4’ cutouts in the sidewalk. Across the street from this demonstration, 4 trees were planted in compacted native soils as a control for the experiment. The results as shown in this Google Earth image 8 years later are impressive.

Trees in parking lots need protection from collisions. Wheel stops are the most typical protection methods. Placement of wheel stops should consider whether a long-bed pickup truck might back into that parking space.

The 5000 Acres Initiative
Tualatin Riverkeepers is working with various partners to initiate a program to plant trees in parking lots for stormwater mitigation. The Tualatin River basin has more than 5000 acres in parking lots that cause runoff that erodes and pollutes streams. One of the goals of this project is to retrofit parking lots without losing parking capacity. Structural soils and linear tree wells designed by Maria Cahill of Green Girl Land Development Solutions a primary feature of the first two proposed project sites. Stormwater monitoring for the first year at these two sites is being contributed by Clean Water Services. Matt Stine of Ash Creek Forest Management is the consulting arborist for this program.

One of the proposed sites is at the Sunset Swim Center, owned by Tualatin Hills Parks & Recreation District (THPRD). THPRD had already planned to replace a ½ acre asphalt parking lot with pervious concrete. Tualatin Riverkeepers was interested in testing the stormwater interception capabilities of native conifers. High temperatures in asphalt parking lots are not conducive to the survival of native conifers, so this site with a cooler concrete parking lot is ideal for this trial.

The other proposed site is at the Mission of Atonement, a congregation of Lutherans and Roman Catholics interested in improving their environmental stewardship. Their current parking lot of gravel and asphalt produces significant runoff that pools offsite on a THPRD site. Linear tree wells with structural soils appear to be an ideal solution for runoff reduction on this site.

Tualatin Riverkeepers is looking for additional local partners for this project. We need to raise an additional $90,000 for the first year of the project and grant applications are pending for most of that. There are research opportunities for graduate students or others wishing to study rainfall interception of trees or performance of linear tree wells and structural soils. Potential partners for funding, in-kind donations, research or installation of trees on a parking lot are encouraged to contact Brian Wegener, Watershed Watch Coordinator of Tualatin Riverkeepers at 503-620-7507 or brian@tualatinriverkeepers.org.

Save the Date - Oregon Urban Forestry Conference

2009-12-05T19:40:00.000-08:00

Block out June 2 & 3, 2010 on your calendar for our Urban Forestry Conference. The theme this year is Seed to City: The Journey of an Urban Tree. We are focusing on the cultivation, planting and care of urban trees. Day one features a tour of the J. Frank Schmidt & Son Co. Nursery and Arboretum. Day two features presentations by the experts at the Oregon Garden Resort.

We have made this two-day conference quite affordable and expect a large turnout. CEUs will be available for professionals. Registration begins March 1.

Details as they become available will be on our website at http://www.oregoncommunitytrees.org/events.html

2009-11-24T07:57:00.000-08:00

Partners in Community Forestry Presentations Now Online
PowerPoints and handouts from the recent national conference held in Portland are now available online from the Arbor Day Foundation.

New Online Urban Forestry Course

2009-11-23T16:23:00.000-08:00

Oregon State University, in partnership with the Oregon Department of Forestry and the USDA Forest Service, is offering an online college course in urban forestry. The course is cross listed as FOR 350 & HORT 350, and will be offered Winter Quarter, 2010 (January through March). Open registration begins on December 7th, 2009.

To learn more, visit http://ecampus.oregonstate.edu and search out FOR 350 or HORT 350.

2009-11-02T15:55:00.000-08:00

Ascending the Giants

at the

NW Film and Video Festival

Ascending the Giants will be playing here in Portland on Saturday, November 7 and again on Thursday November 12, starting at 7:00 PM.

Admission: $5.00

Whitsell Auditorium
1219 SW Park Avenue
Portland, OR 97205

Other Screenings

Colorado Environmental Film Festival
Award: Best Short Documentary by a Pacific Northwest Filmmaker
November 5-7, 2009
Golden, Colorado

Boulder Adventure Film Festival
November 12-14, 2009
Boulder, Colorado

Red Rock Film Festival
November 12-15, 2009
Springdale, Utah

Wild and Scenic Film Festival
January 15-17, 2010
Nevada City, California

Free Nature Education Workshop for Teachers

2009-10-08T07:23:00.000-07:00

Oregon Community Trees President Rick Zenn will lead a free three-session workshop for teachers to learn how to make the most of nature field trips. Rick is a Senior Fellow at the World Forestry Center.

The dates of the workshop are Oct 31, Nov 7 and Nov 13, 2009. Learning Outside the Classroom: Leadership for Successful Fieldtrips is an in-depth 3 day workshop where K-5 educators will discover the power of field trips. This unique 3-session, community-based course will combine the best environmental education practices and learning strategies using activities from Project Learning Tree with the power of planning, managing, and leading an effective, curriculum-driven field trip program for students. Day-long sessions will be held-on site in the World Forestry Center Discovery Museum in Portland. It is expected that registered participants will attend all 3 sessions as they are designed and constructed to build in content and community. OSU Graduate Credit and Substitute Reimbursement is available for this workshop.

The program is sponsored by the Oregon State University College of Forestry's Oregon Natural Resource Education Program.

CLICK HERE or more information and to register for this workshop.

Redmond Revival

2009-09-30T11:33:00.000-07:00

The re-location of US 97 away from the still beating heart of “downtown” Redmond, Oregon has created exciting new opportunities for community parks and tree planting.

Redmond’s “shovel ready” city arborist Rick Torassa led a fascinating walking tour of new tree planting projects for the directors of Oregon Community Trees (OCT) on a clear, cold Friday morning, September 7.

The new site of the Centennial Park, adjacent to the attractive city hall building on Deschutes Avenue is sure to provide a welcoming, shaded and way cool (with new kid-friendly fountains) gathering spot for community events, lunch breaks, and lucky tourists who are sure to discover this “hidden” gem in Central Oregon.

Placement and maintenance of large new street trees in the central business district created engineering and planting challenges familiar to hard rock miners and high desert gardeners.

With just 12 inches of rain, 300 days of sunshine, and one of the fastest growing populations in the state, this community is clearly going in a new direction while trying hard to do the right thing. Many fingers are crossed that the new trees, sidewalks, curbs, planters, local businesses, and growing number of residents and visitors continue to work together in the future.

Tree loving Redmond City Commissioner Shirlee Evans and the city’s enlightened Public Works Director Chris Doty, joined Torassa to exchange information with the OCT group in the city council chambers. The meeting was also attended by directors Art Anderson (Brooks), Ramona Arechica (Corvallis), John Bellon (Klamath Falls), Brian French (Milwaukee), Greg Giesy (Eugene), Jim Johnson (OSU), Laura Lehman (Sisters), Laura Lesher (Salem), David Odom (Portland), Mark Synder (Eugene), Brian Wegener (Tigard), and Oregon Department of Forestry’s Katie Lompa (Prineville) and Paul Ries (Salem).

The next OCT meeting will be held at Oregon State University on Thursday, December 3.

-- Rick Zenn, President, Oregon Community Trees

Tree Planting Opportunities for Volunteers

2009-09-16T21:02:00.000-07:00

SOLV Clean & Green
Saturday October 10 - 9am - 1pm
Various Sites in Washington and Multnomah Counties

Tualatin Riverkeepers
Saturday, October 17th -9am - noon
Saturday, November 7th - 9am - noon

Get your hands dirty out in Scholls this fall planting some native plants with Tualatin Riverkeepers. TRK has leveraged funds to restore the beautiful 72-acre Metro’s Greenspace property on Munger Lane. We are on our way to completing phase I of this restoration of natural wetland and oak savanna habitat.

Contact Vicki at 503-620-7507 or vicki@tualatinriverkeepers.org for more information.

Friends of Trees - Portland and vicinity
Several opportunities in October and November

OpportuniTREES

2009-09-11T08:41:00.000-07:00

The Oregonian reported that the Arbor Day Foundation is offering free Arizona Cyprus trees via mail. They chose this species because of its drought tolerance. You can read the article online.

I am not sure that this exotic species is the best choice for your Oregon landscape. To help choose appropriate plants for the Willamette Valley, try out the Native Plant finder offered by Clean Water Services.

Until September 30, 2009 the City of Tigard is offering free street trees to its residents.

On October 3 you can buy a wide variety of beautiful native landscape plants for a reasonable price at Tualatin Hills Nature Park in Beaverton. Their website has a list of plants that will be available.

Tualatin Riverkeepers is looking for parking lots in Washington County to plant trees for stormwater management. If you would like to participate contact Brian Wegener brian@tualatinriverkeepers.org.

Green Workshops at Chemeketa Community College

2009-09-01T15:03:00.000-07:00

SPROut is offering 2 all-day workshops this fall:

Ecological Design Principles for Water Treatment on Sept 26

Greenroofs and Living Walls on Oct 3

To register, go to the Natural Resources site at Chemeketa

http://www.chemeketa.edu/programs/natural/#fallhort

The registration info is at the very bottom of the page.

Brief descriptions of the workshops are included in this email, but you can also visit the SPROut website at

www.SPROutOregon.org

Ecological Design Principles for Water Treatment

Ecological design principles have been the basis for many commercially-available, plant-based engineered systems for water treatment such as Living Machines, Eco-Machines, and Lake Restorers. Applications of these principles have been rapidly evolving into new technologies for treatment of rainbarrels, stormwater, greywater, irrigation run-off, and agricultural wastewaters. This course will provide foundations of ecological design, from which you can begin to develop your own systems. The day will begin with a 2-hour lecture on ecological design concepts and various applications for plant-based water treatment. A tour of SPROut’s Ecoreactor will allow participants to examine up-close a model of a plant-based water treatment system in tanks. Participants will then collectively build a table-top version of a tank system. The day will conclude with a tour of the Oregon Garden's treatment wetlands and innovative floating wetlands that integrate ecological water treatment with nursery crop production.

Greenroofs and Living Walls

The day will begin with a 2-hour lecture on green roofs and living walls, covering the basics of roof and wall types, design, layered components, functions, and benefits. Green roofs and living walls will be explored in the context of horticultural applications that provide ecosystem services to the built environment. For the remainder of the morning, the class will tour several projects at The Oregon Garden that apply ecological horticulture to the sustainable landscape, including raingarden, green roof, floating wetland, tunnel green roof, living wall, biofilter strips for parking lots, and constructed wetland bog filters. The afternoon will be split between 2 installations. First, the class will layer and plant a green roof on a tool shed (using multiple planting techniques), where the waterproof membrane, edge boards, and gutters have already been installed. Second, the class will install growing media and plants into modular units of a custom living wall, while exploring the structural challenges that accompany the vertical dimension.

2009-08-30T20:11:00.000-07:00

A tree never hit a car.... except in self-defense.

--- Unknown source

Oregon's Fabulous Trees Photo Gallery

2009-08-24T07:50:00.001-07:00

The Oregonian has a beautiful photo gallery of Oregon's Fabulous Trees. You can view it at http://photos.oregonlive.com/gallery/4450/Oregon%27s%20Trees

Trees - An Investment with Great Returns

2009-08-21T09:25:00.000-07:00

Research by the US Forest Service done right here in the Pacific Northwest shows that planting and maintaining trees produces a 270% return rate. That means for every $1 cities invest, $2.70 worth of services is returned. That makes trees a better investment than stocks, bonds, CDs, money-market accounts, and even most real estate.

Given the economic turmoil the country is experiencing this year, it is more than appropriate to help people connect with the idea that urban forestry is a worthwhile investment. ISA Certified Arborist Elwood Newhouse has done this with a new billboard - check it out. Nice job Elwood.

Fight The Heat - Plant A Tree

2009-07-31T10:32:00.000-07:00

Last week Abby Haight reported in the Oregonian newspaper that trees provide "oases of cool" in our urban landscape. Thought we need them in a heat wave, a heat wave is probably the worst time to plant a tree. Cooler weather, rainfall, and dormancy are contributing factors in tree survival.

This fall and winter you can get involved in providing some cooling relief for future heat waves by planting a tree in your yard with the help of Friends of Trees. Friends of Trees will advise you on an appropriate tree for your site, sell you the tree for $25 - $75, and get you involved with their volunteer work crew to plant your trees and others. You can sign up online at Friends of Trees.

Trees for Stormwater Management

2009-07-28T14:15:00.000-07:00

There are numerous environmental and storm water benefits to trees in urban settings. These include the capture of carbon dioxide by trees, shading, and habitat for wildlife. Urban forests can also act as natural storm water management areas by filtering particulate matter (pollutants, some nutrients, and sediment), by absorption of water and by facilitating evapotranspiration to reduce runoff. Evergreen trees generally have greater stormwater benefits than deciduous trees in our climate where the majority of rainfall is in the winter. Trees also reduces noise levels, provides recreational benefits, and increases property values.

Trees in urban settings are known to have numerous environmental benefits, including pollutant removal. Trees can absorb water, pollutant gases, airborne particulates, sediment, nitrogen, phosphorous, and pesticides.

There are numerous economic benefits to urban forests, including proven increases in property values. In addition, by preserving trees and forests, clearing and grading as well as erosion and sediment costs may be saved during construction. Maintenance costs are also minimized by keeping areas as natural as possible.