2011 Annual Report V3 - Oregon State...

Annual Report Forest Grove District

2011

Editors: Kimberly Robinson, Rebecca Edmison

Table of Contents 2

NWOFPA & Officers 4

Wayne Auble, Acting District Forester Comments 5

Fire Protection 6

2011 Fire Stats 7

Fire Prevention 8

Private Forests 9

All Employee Photo 10

State Forests—Marketing & Engineering 12

State Forests—Reforestation 13

Personnel Promotions & Changes 16

Personnel—Service Awards 17

Organizational Chart 18

Contact Information & District Map 19

Back Page Cover 20

Memorial—Larry Fick 3

State Forests—Recreation 14

Personnel—Retiree’s 15

Table of Contents

FG Water Tender Project Built by Kevin Geary—FEPP to Field

Columbia Unit Office Remodel—Before and After

March 17, 1923 – Dec. 29, 2011

Lawrence “Larry” Robert Fick passed away Dec. 29, 2011, in Portland, OR, surrounded by love with his wife, Marjorie, by his side. Larry was born to Peter and Zola Fick on March 17, 1923, in Medford, Ore-gon. He grew up on a small farm at the edge of Jacksonville, Oregon, and worked on the farms and in the orchards of the valley until he graduated from Jacksonville High School in 1941. After graduation, he worked a summer in the Blister Rust Control Program in the Northern California woods before starting college at Oregon State College in Corvallis in the Forestry School. He enlisted in the Army Air Forces in October 1942 and was called to active duty in March 1943. He received his navigation training in Texas and Colo-rado and was assigned to a B-24 Bomb Group based in Norwich, England, in July 1944. He was a navigator on several lead crews and the Squadron Navi-

gator for the 8th Air Force, 752nd Bomb Squadron, 458th Bomb Group. He flew 29 combat missions and several missions hauling fuel to Patton’s Army. He was discharged in November 1945 and returned to college. During the summer of 1946, Larry got a job fighting fires for the State Forestry Department in Salem, Oregon, where he met Marjorie Donaldson, who worked in the State Forester’s Office. He graduated in June 1947 and went to work for the Oregon State Forestry Department in Dallas, Oregon, in the Fire Con-trol Program. In October 1947, Larry and Marjorie were married in Salem, Oregon. In 1956, Larry trans-ferred to Forest Grove to work on the Rehabilitation Program for the Tillamook Burn, where he was in-volved in tree planting, transplanting, aerial seeding, snag falling, road construction, and maintenance, and started the recreation program in the Tillamook Forest by creating 12 camp grounds and many miles of hiking trails. When the Rehabilitation Program terminated in 1973, he was assigned as Assistant to the Northwest Oregon Area Director. He retired in 1985, but continued to work for another 20 years re-cording the work that converted the Tillamook Burn into the Tillamook Forest. He enjoyed looking up family history and recording it for the rest of the family. He wrote three books about forest history and one about his experiences in the Army Air Forces. In Forest Grove, Larry worked with Cub Scouts, was a Scoutmaster, coached Little League Baseball, belonged to the Junior Chamber of Commerce and was active in the Forest Grove United Church of Christ (Congregational). Larry is survived by his wife, Marjorie; two children, David (Sandy) Fick and Nancy (John) Biskey; and four grandchildren, Ethan, Emily, and Rebecca Fick and Matthew Biskey.

In Memory

Wayne Auble, Acting District Forester

NWOFPA

Northwest Oregon Forest Protective Association (NWOFPA) represents forest landowners in the Astoria, Tillamook, and Forest Grove Districts and is directed by a board of thirteen members. The Oregon Depart-ment of Forestry has had a partnership with the NWOFPA since 1945 (by cooperative agreement) for the fire protection program in the Northwest. The Association analyzes the district’s fire protection budgets, maintains cooperation and communication between forest landowners and the Districts, and makes rec-ommendations on the Districts’ adequate level of protection. The Forest Grove District would like to thank the Association for all their support and efforts during 2011. The Northwest Oregon Forest Protective District provides fire protection to some 1.74 million acres of forestland. The Forest Grove District protects approximately 800,000 acres of private, county, state and federal land and is one of three districts that make up the NWOFPA. The Forest Grove District has two administrative units, the Forest Grove Unit and the Columbia Unit. The primary goal of the Protection from Fire Program is to minimize the total cost and loss resulting from fire in terms of suppression cost and damage to timber and other forest values.

The Northwest Oregon Forest Protective Associa-tion, forest industry, operators, landowners and many other agency and private organizations con-tribute to the success of the District. Thank you all.

Roger VanDyke President

Stimson Lumber Company (503) 359-8309

FAX (503) 357-0465 Walt Shields Vice President

Forest Capital Partners LLC (503) 838-6952

FAX (503) 838-6907

Steve Keniston Secretary/Treasurer

Weyerhaeuser Company (503) 372-5923

FAX (503) 372-5996

2011 NWOFPA-Officers

Roger VanDyke presenting Bud Henderson an award for his service to the Association.

Wayne Auble, Acting District Forester

District Forester Comments

Once again a cool and wet spring resulted in a late start to fire season in 2011. Fire season began July 11, three days later than the 2010 fire season and the cool wet conditions continued through July and into early August. The wet conditions may have put a damper on fire season, but not on the celebra-tion of the Oregon Department of Forestry’s 100 Year Anniversary. One hundred years ago, ODF began as a protection organization, providing excellent service to the State of Oregon. At this year’s 100th Cele-bration on the District, several retired Forest Grove District firefighters attended the celebration and shared some of their memories and past history with the current crop of young firefighters. With the statewide fire season being cool and relatively mild, there were very few out of district fire as-signments. We had an opportunity in late May, early June, to send several people to Alaska to gain ex-perience fighting fire in the “Outback.” Many valuable “lessons learned” relating to out of state dispatch of fire fighters were gained through this opportunity. Private Forests personnel provided excellent service to landowners in 2011. Their workload increased as the economy continued to improve. Additional capacity was added to the staff in Private Forests. With past experience in the Columbia Unit, Kevin Nelson was a welcome addition to help manage the increas-ing workload. You will find the names and see the faces of other new employees in the Personnel Section of this report. State Forests was busy again this year. Over 60 MMBF in 14 timber sales were prepared and over 80 MMBF of timber was harvested. Approximately 700 acres were planted. Public use of the State Forest continues to increase with over 9,000 campground users and an untold number of other day uses includ-ing both motorized and non-motorized. 2011 Brought many personnel changes in the District. We said good-bye to Greg Juber, Wildland Fire Supervisor, a long time fixture in the Forest Grove Fire Protection efforts as he retired with over 30 years of service. Also retiring after an extensive career with ODOT and ODF was Bruce Widner an Equipment Operator who worked in both the Tillamook and Forest Grove Districts. Our District Forester, Andy White, promoted to the position of Area Director when Mike Bordelon accepted a promotion in Salem under Doug Decker, State Forester. He’s still around, we just don’t see as much of him as we used to. And fi-nally, we will begin the next hundred years with a new District Forester, Mike Cafferata. I am looking for-ward to handing over the reins and working with Mike to keep the Forest Grove District service level and strong cooperative relationships at the highest professional standards that have been achieved over the last 100 years.

Many thanks go out to the District staff who have worked diligently to serve the people of Oregon by protecting, managing, and promoting stewardship of Oregon’s forests in the Forest Grove District.

Wayne Auble

Fire Protection

The 2011 fire season officially began July 11, 2011; however wet and cool weather following the declaration kept the typically dry and hot month of July unseasonably cool and wet. Fire season was characterized as below average with a few fire danger spikes in August and early September. Industrial Precaution Levels (IFPL) entered into IFPL III for short periods during these dry east wind events. Severity funding was tapped into which allowed the district to bolster initial attack with a medium helicopter. The fire season length was 83 days, relatively short as com-pared to the 10 year average of 102 days. Fire season was termi-nated on October 3, 2011. A number of fires were noteworthy including the 10 acre Pike Road Fire near Carlton, the 10 acre Rock Creek Fire near Sheri-dan, the 2.5 acre Idiot Creek Fire in the coast range, and a 2 acre fire within the City of St. Helens. These fires were stopped with ag-gressive district and cooperator fire suppression actions. Difficult weather, fuels and slope changes existed on a number of these fires and if not stopped where they were they likely could have been much larger and more costly. The Idiot Creek area is well known for its steep and rugged terrain. Initially reported the night of September 2nd with a vague location, crews had difficulty find-ing the fire. More accurate reports brought the firefighters to the right area. This fire occurred during critical fire weather including strong east winds. Once located, firefighters battled the fire throughout the night dealing with spotting and fire advances. The fire was successfully secured prior to daylight and fire weather ex-tremes. The Lamont Fire in the City of St. Helens burned two acres of grass and brushy oak in a highly developed area of the city. Fast initial attack brought the fire quickly under control reducing the risk to homes in the area. The District's fire prevention program continues to maintain a number of approaches to raise fire prevention awareness. Coop-erative programs with city and rural fire districts at schools and parks, programs at summer camps and other public events, and participation in parades all help to promote public fire safety. The Smokey Bear Team Teaching Program is a valuable tool for raising fire-safety awareness, and reaches some 2572 first-grade children throughout the District.

Forest Grove Fire Crew

Columbia City Fire Crew

Blue Lake Project

2011 Fire Stats

Fires by Year 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 Average

Total Fire Calls 148 217 224 155 156 180

Stat Fires 29 45 39 28 30 34.2

Non‐Stat Fires 19 18 14 17 8 15.2

Non‐Stat Acres 13.13 52.07 .29 31.50 1.17 19.632

NFCA Fires (non‐fire crew action)

100 154 171 110 118 130.6

Costs in Thousands $32,225 $250,241 $207,675 $108,758 $97,984 $139,376

0

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

2010 Fires

2011 Fires

SMOKE MANAGEMENT

2011 ACRES TONS # OF UNITS

REGISTERED 3983 28456 97

ACCOMPLISHED 2857 19942 83

ACRES BURNED

2010 2011

89.70 Ac. 25.99 Ac.

Fire Prevention

The Forest Grove and Columbia Units continue to administer fuel reduction grants within Columbia, Wash-ington and Yamhill counties. These federal grants provide homeowners an opportunity to have their structures and the surrounding landscape assessed and to take actions to mitigate wildfire risks. Monies are provided to the owners through a rebate or cost share incentive program involving specific fuel reduction practices like thinning of trees removal of understory brush, pruning, and slash treatment. Education and outreach have reached thousands of citizens in and around the district. In Washington County by the end of the year 144.75 acres of fuel reduction work had been completed out of 214.75 acres that were signed up. 17 landowners out of 21 have completed their projects. In Columbia County by the end of the year 137 acres of fuel reduc-tion work had been completed out of 165 acres that were signed up. 43 landowners out of 70 have com-pleted their projects. In 2011 we were successful in being awarded another WSFM grant for $300,000 to continue fuel reduction work in Washington and Tillamook Counties and begin fuel reduction work in Yamhill County. We were also successful in obtaining some Title III grant funds to help with fuel reduction projects in Columbia County. Through fire prevention outreach projects we also directly interfaced one-on-one with 2572 grade school students through the spring Smokey Bear program and over 2021 kids and adults through Home Defensibility presentations at public events. Since the 2011 fire season was delayed due to late spring rains the indirect media out reach through Fox 12 Oregon did not start until August 15 and ended on Oct. 15. During this time we ran 140 Public Service An-nouncements on KPTV and 90 on KPDX with an estimated audience of 1,120,000. We also had information and web links on the KPTV.com website that it is estimated that over 140,000 people visited.

Mark Savage and Malcolm Hiatt Lisa Mauricio and Smokey - -CC Smokey- -

Private Forests

2011 was another year of economic uncertainty with a flat to slowly improving forest sector economy. The export market spurred some increased harvest activity of white woods in May but overall the district remains below historical notification levels. After reductions in the fall of 2009 eliminated about half of the stewardship foresters statewide, in 2011 the state legislature decided to restore $1.2 million of fund-ing for the Private Forest Program. The department used these funds to immediately hire 12 field posi-tions back statewide that included Kevin Nelson, who filled a Forest Grove Stewardship Forester position in August 2011. District Stewardship Foresters John Krause, Brent O'Nion, Kevin Nelson, and Mark Reed provided notification review, recommendations, plan reviews and comments, high priority on-site inspec-tions and technical assistance to forest operators, landowners, foresters, cooperators and the general public throughout the district. They also performed industrial fire inspections and actively supported the fire program in a number of capacities. Critical to district operations, these foresters are commended for the active roles in working with others to protect forest resources and their ability to operate in ways that are innovative and effective. The district also recognizes our local industrial foresters and small woodland owners who contribute to the stewardship of their forest lands. The district values our close working rela-tionship and your knowledge and application of Oregon's resource protection practices.

Stewardship Forestry Accomplishments 2011

Notifications Processed 1556

Pre‐Operation Inspections 166

Written Plans Reviewed 272

Complaint Investigations 18

Written Statements of Unsatisfactory Condition 8

Citations 2

Reforestation Planting and Free‐to‐Grow Inspections 223

Technical Assistance Contacts 355

Riparian Enhancement Projects 7

Stewardship Agreements 2

Stewardship in Action

In Photo: Back Row: Mitch Taylor, Patrick Dunlap, Jeff Bennett, Mark Savage, Ron Duynie Beall, Daniel Clausnitzer, Travis Michael, Skyler Hoefer, Jacob Hilger, Jahmton, Cliff Mann, Eric Foucht. Front Row: Jody Kroon, Andy White, Erik Marcy, Erin Wilson, Terry Marshalnall, Kimberly Robinson, Megan Ehnle, Margie Grosse, Brent O’Nion (holdingKneeling: Manuel Valdovinos, Andrew Blanco, Laurie O’Nion (Samuel O’Nion Not Present in Photo: Lisa Olsen, Aubrey Newell, Diane Montague, Wayne BroMauricio, Eric Perkins, April Reece, Mike Bordelon, Laura Brien, Rolf Erlandlumbia City Fire Crew

yck, James Hoodenpyl, Bruce Harris, Wayne Auble, Jason Ringhouse, Stepha-maal Rebb, Bill Huserik, Tom Kennedy, Randy Peterson, Thomas Whitting-

ll, Mike Buren, Jeff Peck, Nathan Agalzoff, Kevin McLaughlin, Terry Hud-g Nathan O’Nion), Roger Warren, Kevin Geary. n).

wn, Rebecca Edmison, Don Everingham, Malcolm Hiatt, Jim Jacobs, Lisa son, John Krause, Kelly Niles, Mark Reed, Mike Simek, Karen Simonton, Co-

State Forests FY11

In 2011, the Forest Grove District continued to repair roads damaged during the winter storm of 2007. The Road Specialists oversaw the road construction and im-provement on 12 timber sales during the project work season. Three notable projects completed this year were the Wolf Creek Grade Bridge, the Beaverdam Road Fish Pipe, and the Gales Creek Stream Enhancement Projects. Wolf Creek Grade Bridge: A 70’ long x 24’ wide prefabricated steel bridge was installed over the main stem of Wolf Creek, a large Type-F stream. The bridge replaced the stream crossing that was destroyed during the December 2007 storm. The bridge restored access to 3.5 miles of Wolf Creek Grade west of the bridge installation. Beaverdam Road Fish Pipe: The fish passable pipe replaced a damaged, non-fish passable metal pipe with a 112” x 75” x 60’ pipe-arch. The culvert is designed to simulate natural condi-tions in the stream. Gales Creek Stream Enhancement: This project consisted of placing 67 trees at 9 sites along a 1,500 foot section of Gales Creek, a large Type-F stream.

Engineering Unit Activity Miles

Fish Passage Structures 2

Miles of Road Constructed 6.3

Miles of Road Improved 18.7

Miles of Road Vacated 1.0

Miles of Road Maintained 93.5

Miles of Roadside Brushing 1

Miles of Roadside Spraying 415

Stream Enhancement 0.3

Forest Products No. Est. Volume Est. Revenue

Timber Sales Sold 14 62.4 MMBF $23,100,000

Clear Cut Acres 1,136

Partial Cut Acres 1,312

Timber Harvested; 341 sales

84.8 MMBF $27,128,000

Timber Harvested; 342 & 343 Sales

11 1.2 MMBF $357,000

Total Timber Harvested 86.0 MMBF $27,485,000

Misc. Forest Products 209 $31,100

Wood Cutting Permits 2420 $23,950

Commercial Woodcutting 2 $300

State Forests FY11

The 2011 planting season went well. All available harvested acres were planted, ending with alder in mid-April. Unfortunately, failures of some Douglas-fir container nursery stock for the second year in a row increased the inter-planting workload. A considerable effort has been made to identify and correct issues at the nursery for the production of 2012 out-plant stock in the final year of the contract. Site preparation acres were higher than average for the year with the intent of minimizing future vegetation control needs. Getting the trees off to a strong start has proven to be the most cost effective way to achieve “free to grow” status. Additional pre-commercial thinning was done in FY2011 funded with dollars from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). The reforestation unit focused on accomplishing stocking surveys in FY2011. As a result, we can effectively plan for additional silvicultural work required to meet individual stand objectives.

Silver Mountain Nursery

Reforestation Number of Acres

Tree Planting 499

Inter‐planting 147

Site Preparation – Aerial 432

Site Preparation – Mechanical 265

Release Manual 157

Release Chemical ‐ Aerial 144

Release Chemical – Ground 221

Tree Protection 340

Pruning – Blister Rust Disease Control and Alder form

102

Pre‐commercial Thinning 262

Noxious Weed Management – Harvest Units 0

Stocking Surveys 1581

AJ Hudgik Planting on Grindstone Cowboy

State Forests

The Tillamook State Forest continues to be a popular destination for recreation activities. This year nearly 10,000 visitors enjoyed camping at the five campgrounds on the District and many times more than that visited the forest to picnic, hunt, fish, swim, and to explore the forest by trail. The Recreation Unit focused on maintaining and improving existing trails and facilities. Significant work was com-pleted at Lyda Camp OHV Staging Area to improve access and to address safety and resource protection issues. The ac-cess road into Rogers Camp Trailhead was rebuilt to address visitor safety concerns, campsite improvements were made at Browns Camp OHV Staging Area, and design, permit, and partnership work was completed to facilitate future up-grades at the Four County Point Trailhead. District staff, with the help of South Fork crews and volunteers, maintained 52 miles of trail, made significant im-provements to 18 miles of trail, and constructed a new 22 foot bridge on the Elliott Creek OHV Trail. Contract work also began on the three mile long Gales Creek Trail storm damage repair project. To support trail system improvements, staff submitted four grant applications that were approved resulting in $213,950.00 being awarded to support bridge projects on the Elliott Creek OHV Trail, the Military OHV Trail, and the Gales Creek Trail. Organized recreation groups and individual volunteers stepped up again to help support Recreation program activi-ties. Volunteers contributed over 5700 hours of time maintaining and constructing trails, camp hosting, patrolling trails, assessing trail conditions, participating in forest cleanup efforts, and maintaining recreation facilities. Their efforts con-tributed greatly to program success in 2011.

Elliott Creek Trail Bridge & Airplane Hill Trail

Recreation Activity Total

Overnight Campers 9,715

Non‐Motorized Trail Construction 1.25 miles

Non‐Motorized Trail Maintenance 22.5 miles

OHV Trail Improvement 18 miles

Campground Revenue $43,547.97

Non‐Motorized Trail Improvement ‐

OHV Trail Construction ‐

OHV Trail Maintenance 30 miles

Total Volunteers 261

Total Volunteer Hours 5,712

Personnel

Jim Fisher, Fred Robinson, Jim Russell, Larry Robbins, Cliff Mann, Dave Johnson, Bob Madsen, Cliff Ebert, Bufford Hayes,

Les Heister, Don Rust

Greg Juber, Wildland Fire Supervisor Retired after 34 years of Service

Bruce Widener, Equipment Operator Retired after 29 years of Service

Personnel

New Employees Assignment

Andy White NWOA Director

Wayne Auble Acting District Forester

April Reece Executive Assistant‐NWOA

Don Everingham Assist. to Area Director

Aubrey Newell Temp Dispatch

Lisa Mauricio Temp Dispatch

Lisa Olsen OS2

David Barbour ISS4

Peter Stone NRS1

Kevin Nelson NRS2

Roger Warren NRS1

Joe Koch NRS1

Eric Perkins Wildland Fire Supervisor

Mark Savage NRS1

Nate Hunter NRS1

All Em

plo

yees’ Meetin

g

Jodi, April, Thomas

Terry

Kim, Lisa M.

David, Don

Mark, Joe

Nate

Rolf E, Mike S, Mark R, Smokey, Kelly N, John K, Karen S, Laura B

Lisa O, Aubrey

Personnel

Name Service/Yrs

Jodi Kroon 15

Mark Reed 15

Roger Warren 5

Mark Savage 5

Service Awards

Op

erators D

inn

er 20

11

Mark Savage

Mike, Jeff, Andy, Mark

Jodi Kroon Roger Warren

From Left: Lisa M. Margie G. State Forester Doug Decker, Rebecca E. Diane M.

Mark Reed

Tom Savage, Andy White

Neuman, Heesacker, Epling

District Org. Chart

COLUMBIA CITY UNIT OFFICE 405 E STREET COLUMBIA CITY, OR 97018 (503) 397-2636 (503) 397-6361 FAX

FOREST GROVE DISTRICT OFFICE 801 GALES CREEK ROAD FOREST GROVE, OR 97116 (503) 357-2191 (503) 357-4548 FAX

website: http://egov.oregon.gov/odf/field/fg/aboutus.shtml

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