What is the Community Firewood Program?

Project Mission

The primary goal of the Community Firewood Program is to help mitigate air pollution from improper firewood burning in order to help the City of Oakridge meet its air attainment goals.

Additional objectives of the program include:

• provide affordable, seasoned firewood,

• educate community about clean burning practices,

• share information about alternative home heating options and programs

• support the reinstatement of a forest service commercial firewood sale program

Background

During the winter months, Oakridge air quality is often susceptible to high concentrations of smoke from wood stoves settling on the valley floor. Local climate and topography make the city of Oakridge prone to wintertime temperature inversions, low wind speeds and poor atmospheric dispersion. As a result, Oakridge has struggled to meet air quality standards for fine particulate matter designated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

These particles can accumulate in the respiratory system and are associated with numerous health effects. Fine particles are most closely associated with such health effects as increased hospital admissions and emergency room visits for heart and lung disease, increased respiratory symptoms and disease, decreased lung function and premature death. Sensitive groups that are at greatest risk include the elderly, individuals with cardiopulmonary disease such as asthma, and children.

A key issue is that people do not have the opportunity to practice clean burning by burning dry, seasoned wood. Residents who burn firewood must gather firewood from the surrounding federal forest themselves or purchase firewood that is often expensive or improperly seasoned. When wet firewood is burned the fine particulate emissions cannot be properly abated,

regardless of using a certified wood stove. The community firewood program would directly address this issue.

As a result of this information a group of partners in Oakridge, OR are interested in developing a commercial firewood business. Partners in the effort include: City of Oakridge, Inbound LLC, Southern Willamette Forest Collaborative (SWFC), Lane County and Oregon Department of Forestry. This program is one measure to help Oakridge reach its air attainment goals for fine particulate matter.

History

In 2015, the City of Oakridge, SWFC, Lane Regional Air Protection Agency, Inbound LLC and other partners launched a pilot Community Firewood Program to provide seasoned firewood at affordable rates to the community. The program converts logging slash to firewood, employing off-season Inbound firefighters to process the firewood.

The program has been highly successful providing firewood to those in need and sharing information about home heating advisories, clean burning practices, weatherization and home heating programs. The long-term sustainability of this program relies on a successful transition to a commercial firewood business that serves a broader market. Commercial Firewood Public-Private Partnership: Inbound LLC is interested launching a commercial firewood startup during the wildfire off-season. Lane County has offered a cashmatch grant to purchase equipment, and the City of Oakridge will provide a location to process and store firewood. In exchange for public support, the private commercial business will supply affordable, seasoned firewood to qualified Oakridge sole source or low income homes for at least five years. A startup program could employ 5-7 firefighters during the winter months to convert logging slash to firewood. To be sustainable, the program would need an annual supply of 180,000 board feet of timber byproducts to produce approximately 400 cords of firewood.

Mar. 5 - Upcoming IAC Meeting

The Implementation Advisory Committee will meet Monday, March 5th from 12:30 PM - 4:00 PM at the Middle Fork Ranger District.

Previously, the committee discussed Rock and Burnt stewardship projects, as well as the future role of the committee, as the collaborative sees more stewardship and Good Neighbor Authority (GNA) projects come online. [Review meeting notes]

Moving forward the committee will discuss and define the local workforce area, along with various embedded projects within the stewardship contract. A few embedded projects to consider:

• Weed Abatement

• Road Work

• Biomass Removal

• Trail Maintenance

• Tree Planting in Early Seral Stands

• Buckhead Weed Abatement

• TBD

The committee aims to give recommendations to the Forest Service by the end of March.

2018 Annual Self-Assessment Survey

As a member, past participant, or future participant of the Southern Willamette Forest Collaborative, we are requesting your participation in a self-assessment survey, conducted annually by the SWFC steering committee. 

We ask that you please complete this survey by March 2, 2018.

Please click on this link to complete the survey through Google Form: https://goo.gl/forms/V5c71hisprJmaIbY2

We appreciate your consideration of this survey request! This information will help SWFC understand how processes are working, and inform future work. 

Please contact us with any questions or feedback.

Outlook Committee Transitions to Implementation Advisory Committee

The SWFC steering committee has considered advancing the Outlook committee’s scope of work as the committee moves from providing recommendations for Outlook stewardship projects, to implementing stewardship projects. The Middle Fork Ranger District plans to implement one stewardship project a year across the district and the committee has the opportunity to continue to engage in these projects.

The State of Oregon and United States Forest Service (USFS)have partnered under the Good Neighbor Authority (GNA) agreement to allow the State of Oregon Dept. of Forestry to implement restoration work on USFS land. With the purpose to increase the pace, scale, and quality of restoration on federal lands, support local economies, and engage local communities through collaboration. One of the first GNA projects in Western Oregon will be on the Willamette and possibly within the Outlook area!

Considering the expanded use of Stewardship and GNA restoration tools on the District, it makes sense for the Outlook group to transition to serve as the Implementation Advisory Committee.

Role of the Implementation Advisory Committee:

• The committee will look at restoration projects as an advisory group and provide recommendations and develop a broad scale scope of potential restoration projects and priorities for the District and the entire watershed.

• IAC might have a monthly meeting, become a little bit more formal, and pull in local expertise – potentially there could be millions of dollars earned from stewardship and GNA retained receipts that need to be funneled into restoration projects. It is important to have committee of local stakeholders to help offer recommendations.

• Proposed Objectives for the Implementation Advisory Committee

  • Provide recommendation for the implementation of restoration work

  • Identify potential design, implementation and monitoring opportunities

  • Serve as an information resource

  • Seek out common ground and zones of agreement that apply to stewardship

  • contracting

  • Work across private and public boundaries for restoration activities

  • Serve as an information resource and knowledge base for each other and the public

Implementation Advisory Committee Learns About Good Neighbor Authority

The State of Oregon and United States Forest Service (USFS)have partnered under the Good Neighbor Authority (GNA) agreement to allow the State of Oregon Dept. of Forestry to implement restoration work on USFS land. With the purpose to increase the pace, scale, and quality of restoration on federal lands, support local economies, and engage local communities through collaboration. One of the first GNA projects in Western Oregon will be on the Willamette and possibly within the Outlook area!

Considering the expanded use of Stewardship and GNA restoration tools on the District, the Outlook Collaboration Committee transitions to serve as the Implementation Advisory Committee.

SWFC Contracts Cascade Pacific RC&D as New Fiscal Sponsor

Fiscal Sponsorship by Cascade Pacific RC&D is an arrangement that allows us to focus on our work out in the field, while contracting with an experienced sponsor such as Cascade Pacific, to provide specific financial management tasks!

Interested in learning more about Cascade Pacific RC&D?

http://www.cascadepacific.org/what-we-do

Rigdon Collaboration Committee Learns about FLAD Process

FLAD Learning Session

The Facilitated Landscape Design Process (FLAD) provides a way to look at the landscape as an ecosystem. It is a way to see the interactions between living and non-living components and understand relationships to look at whole landscape.

The FLAD design process was created in 1992 by Diaz (ecologist) and Apostle (landscape architect). The goal of this work is to create or maintain resilient landscapes, which can be defined as the ability of an ecosystem to maintain its elements, flows and functions in the face of disturbance.

There are 8 steps to the FLAD process with two logical stopping points where the District interdisciplinary team (IDT) and Rigdon Collaboration Committee (RCC) will join together to discuss options:

1. Landscape elements and flows

2. Landscape objectives or target landscapes

This process will help identify where target patterns belong on the landscape based on the current landscape and its capacity. Understanding existing landscape patterns and desired targets helps inform the types of projects that are needed to create resilient landscapes.

Future Learning Sessions - FLAD Step 7 - Landscape Pattern

Objectives: Develop statements that describe the “target” landscape pattern (kinds, shapes, sizes, arrangement of landscape structures) in different parts of the planning area, using information from the analysis steps and local resource objectives specific to the analysis area.

Outlook Learning Sessions Wrap Up

The SWFC has officially wrapped up Outlook Learning Sessions and have since moved to Roundtable Discussions!

The Collaborative visited a number of different proposed project sites and discussed a broad range of treatments!

We looked through a number of different lenses:

• Terrestrial Landscape, Invasives & Habitat

• Vegetation Treatments, Biomass & Fire

• Aquatics & Roads

• Economic Impacts of Restoration Work 

With restoration efforts ranging from

• Early-Seral Habitat Maintenance

• Treatment of Existing Noxious Weed Populations

• Snag and Down Wood Creation in Mature Stands

• In-Channel Stream Wood Placement

• Road Maintenance 

• Road Closures

• Mitigation of Existing Soil Compaction

A Preview into Rigdon Landscape Collaborative Project!

The Rigdon Project is a project the Southern Willamette Collaborative anticipates working on in the near future! Late August / September 2016 SWFC will take part in Learning Sessions fieldtrips with Forest Service resource specialists, followed by roundtable discussion.

This project will take place 20 miles south of Oakridge and aims to protect the open savannah characteristics of the area. We are fortunate to take part in this project in it's early stages, something we haven't experienced with The Outlook Diversity Project!

Public Comment Period Open for Youngs Rock Rigdon Project

The Forest Service is in the initial scoping comment phase for the Youngs Rock Rigdon Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). This project is located on the upper Middle Fork Willamette River about 15 miles southeast of Oakridge, OR.

The Forest Service Interdisciplinary Team (IDT) and the Rigdon Collaboration Committee (RCC) have worked collaboratively to develop the Rigdon Landscape Analysis in order to benefit the ecological health and function of the landscape. The first NEPA project, Youngs Rock Rigdon, will guide management actions within 33,000 acres north of the Middle Fork Willamette River. The RCC participated in two years of learning sessions, field trips, and multiple roundtable discussions to learn from each other and resource specialists about the landscape. The learning opportunities allowed the RCC to provide well-informed recommendations to the Forest Service IDT to develop the Rigdon Landscape Analysis.

The Youngs Rock Rigdon project area is approximately 33,000 acres in size. Forest management/restoration treatments are proposed on approximately 6,700 acres within the project area. Commercial harvest treatments include skips, thinning with gaps, and early seral creation. Road work included in the proposed action would include road maintenance and reconstruction on approximately 160 miles of forest roads, and decommissioning on about 12 miles of roads. Fuel treatments, aquatic and meadow restoration treatments, trail relocation, and dispersed site management are also major components of this project. Visit https://go.usa.gov/xyYa4 for more details about this project.

During this scoping phase, members of the public have the opportunity to comment on and ask questions about the specifics of the project. Contact NEPA Planner Jonathan Tucker at (541) 782-5346 or at jonathan.tucker@usda.gov with questions. The Southern Willamette Forest Collaborative is also available to discuss the project. Written comments can be dropped off or sent to the Middle Fork Ranger District Office and addressed to:

Jonathan Tucker

Middle Fork Ranger District Planner

46375 Hwy 58

Westfir, OR 97492

Introducing Our New Interns!

Guenevere Patty is a UO senior set to graduate this spring with a major in marine biology and two minors in chemistry and Italian. Through her schooling Guen has realized what her true calling is: to educate and work towards ecological reform by bridging the gap between the average person and the scientific community. Guen sees a strong connection between healthy forests and marine biology, and her work with the SWFC will provide a broader view of processes that influence good decision making upstream for ecological benefit downstream. Guen looks forward to bringing her scientific understanding to the SWFC and gaining administrative and facilitative experience. 

David Koller is a University of Oregon Conflict and Dispute Resolution masters student and will be helping with planning, facilitation, and support for Outlook stewardship collaborative meetings. Trisha Maxfield is a U of O Environmental Studies major who will be focusing on SWFC outreach, branding and social media. Guen Patty is a U of O marine biology major (just graduated) and will be heading up the Outlook monitoring subcommittee and helping to develop monitoring protocols for SWFC collaborative projects. 

Trisha Maxfield is a Senior at the University of Oregon majoring in Environmental Studies with an emphasis in Planning, Public Policy and Management. Her passion for nature and the environment manifested at a young age, as she was raised in the foothills of the Cascade Mountain Range. Her volunteer work ranges from watershed councils to reading with elementary school students. She has experience in a broad range of fields, to include 7 years in the National Guard. In her spare time Trisha can be found out adventuring with her pup. She hopes to pursue a career in environmental work with a capacity that allows her to engage the youth in environmental related projects.

Oakridge-Westfir Tree Planting Festival

The Southern Willamette Forest Collaborative (SWFC) and Middle Fork Willamette Watershed Council (MFWWC) joined together for events at the 63rd Oakridge-Westfir Tree Planting Festival on May 7th!

The two groups came together and worked to build a watershed themed float for the parade and handed out 1000 Willamette Valley Ponderosa Pine seedlings donated by the BLM. The float captured the eyes of judges, landing the SWFC and MFWWC with a 3rd place ribbon! 

Thank you to all our volunteers and staffers for helping to make this a success! 

SWFC receives capacity building grant from the National Forest Foundation

The National Forest Foundation has granted the SWFC capacity building funds through the Community Capacity and Land Stewardship Program! The funds will help staff a part time SWFC coordinator and support the work the SWFC is doing on the Willamette National Forest. We are grateful to the NFF for the support! For more information about the NFF and excellent forest collaboration resources check out: nationalforests.org

Founded by Congress in 1991, the National Forest Foundation work to conserve, restore and enhance America's 193-million-acre National Forest System. Through community-based strategies and public-private partnerships, the NFF helps enhance wildlife habitat, revitalizes wildfire-damaged landscape, restores watersheds, and improves recreational resources for the benefit of all Americans. 

Facilitator and third party monitor selected for upcoming projects

The SWFC hiring committee and SWFC board selected SWFC coordinator Sarah Altemus-Pope to facilitate the Outlook Landscape Diversity Project (Outlook) collaboration committee and other upcoming projects with the Middle Fork Ranger District. It was exciting to learn about the commitment each candidate has to using collaborative processes for multiparty decision making. The committee and board were thoroughly impressed with the quality and experience of every facilitator that applied.

The SWFC board also selected the University of Oregon Ecosystem Workforce Program to provide third party monitoring and guidance for the Outlook collaboration committee. The EWP brings a breadth of experience and knowledge regarding forest collaboration in Oregon. The EWP will design an independent process monitoring plan, collect baseline data and post process data of the Outlook collaboration process, and advise the committee in designing its own multi-party project monitoring plan for project implementation. To learn more about the EWP check out their website http://ewp.uoregon.edu/

The SWFC looks forward to beginning the Outlook stewardship collaborative process soon and working with the Middle Fork Ranger District and our many partners.

Facilitator sought for Southern Willamette Forest Collaborative contract:

Introduction: The Southern Willamette Forest Collaborative (SWFC) is a community-based forest collaborative working together to promote ecological resiliency and socioeconomic health for the southern Willamette forest area and nearby communities. The SWFC is seeking contract facilitation services for the SWFC stewardship subcommittee. 

Starting in May 2016, the stewardship subcommittee will host a multiparty collaborative for the Willamette National Forest, and the Outlook Landscape Diversity Project (Outlook). The facilitator will lead stakeholders to identify shared values, priorities, and specific projects and restoration activities that are appropriate for Outlook. The majority of the project will last through July 2016.

The Opportunity: The SWFC is seeking an experienced facilitator to work on contract leading the stewardship subcommittee Outlook restoration project. The facilitator will help the SWFC to identify and build zones of agreement around forest restoration, foster constructive communication within the collaborative, and manage external communication and outreach. The facilitator will lead approximately ten meetings covering the following topic areas: Introduction- the collaboration process; Shared Learning Series- existing conditions in the Outlook landscape; and Outlook Roundtable Discussions- priorities and outcomes. The facilitator will work approximately 240 hours, not to exceed $10,000 total, for the project. 

The SWFC facilitator will:

• Operate as the primary contact for the Stewardship Subcommittee and related work.

• Participate and lead the collaborative planning meetings and multi-party decision-making. Provide updates about meeting planning, outreach and coordination with the Middle Fork Ranger District.

• Aid in communication, education, and outreach to potential interested stakeholders and SWFC members.

• Accomplish administrative tasks associated with meeting preparation such as meeting support, note taking, and keeping stakeholders engaged and informed between work sessions.

• Participate in monthly SWFC board meetings and provide Subcommittee status reports (online meeting participation is acceptable).

• Work closely with the SWFC Coordinator.Participate in a regularly scheduled conference calls with the SWFC Coordinator.

• Demonstrate ability to lead and facilitate meetings with diverse stakeholders ensuring critical content is discussed and decisions reached while managing the group dynamics to ensure the process allows all stakeholders to participate.

• Ability to provide a neutral role in meetings while creating an atmosphere where differing opinions can be expressed in a respectful manner.

• Strong verbal and written communication skills.

• Strong organizational and planning skills.

• Experience leading multi-agency negotiations.

• Experience with collaborative approaches to problem solving in the public sector. 


• Understanding of the forest service, state and city government agencies, and public interest organizations.

Preference will be given to candidates having experience working within natural resource fields and who demonstrate an ability to work with limited oversight to accomplish critical objectives.

Please email resume and one-page cover letter for providing facilitation services to the Southern Willamette Forest Collaborative by March 9, 2016:

c/o Guen Patty 541-556-7676

swfcollaborative@gmail.com

http://southwillamette.wix.com/swfc

Oakridge, Oregon

97463

* Once resumes are submitted, interviews will be held in Oakridge, Oregon, with the exact location to be announced.