The INDEPENDENT, December 3, 2009
Page 5
Two new members appointed to Real Christmas trees better for environment
Oregon Forest Resources Institute The delight of gazing at a are supporting local agriculture, censed Christmas tree growers
A former teacher and a
forestry engineering consult-
ant, both of whom also own
family tree farms and volunteer
their time to educate students
about forestry, are the two
newest members of the board
of the Oregon Forest Re-
sources Institute.
The new directors are Anne
Hanschu of Forest Grove, and
Ron Stuntzner of Coos Bay.
They were appointed by Ore-
gon State Forester Marvin
Brown for terms beginning Jan-
uary 1 and expiring in three
years. They will replace Steve
Woodard, owner of Woodard
Forests, and Carol Whipple, of
the Rocking C Ranch, respec-
tively, both of whose terms ex-
pire in January.
In addition to the new ap-
pointments, Brown reappointed
Gary Springer, of Starker For-
ests, and Greg Miller, of the
Weyerhaeuser Company, for
second terms.
OFRI’s board includes 11
members appointed by the
state forester. There are also
two ex-officio members, the
dean of the Oregon State Uni-
versity College of Forestry, and
a public member appointed
jointly by the president of the
Oregon Senate and the speak-
er of the Oregon House of Rep-
resentatives.
Oregon law stipulates that
each of three producer classes
be represented by three board
members. The classes are cat-
egorized by timber harvest vol-
ume into small, medium and
large producers. The other two
forester-appointed members
include one member to repre-
sent small woodland owners
and one representative of for-
est industry employees.
Hanschu fills the position on
the board held by Woodard and
reserved for small woodland
owners. Stuntzner is taking
Whipple’s place as one of the
three Class 1 representatives,
defined by rule as those paying
the harvest tax on 20 million
board feet or less per year.
The Oregon Forest Re-
sources Institute was created
by the Oregon Legislature in
1991 to improve public under-
standing of the state’s forest re-
sources and to encourage en-
vironmentally sound forest
management through training
and other educational pro-
grams for forest landowners.
OFRI is funded by a dedicated
harvest tax on forest products
producers.
New funding opportunities for
Oregon nonprofit organizations
Nonprofit
organizations
throughout Oregon that re-
spond quickly and thoughtfully
to current issues and events
shaping our world, have a new
opportunity for funding. Oregon
Humanities (formerly Oregon
Council for the Humanities) in-
vites requests for Responsive
Program Grants (formerly Op-
portunity Grants) for up to
$1,000.
To download the Request for
Proposals and find out more
about how to apply, go to ore
gonhumanities.org. Proposals
are reviewed monthly and deci-
sions are made by members of
Oregon Humanities’ statewide
volunteer board of directors.
Responsive Program Grants
fund activities that are not part
of an organization’s standard
programming. Instead, these
grants support programs creat-
ed in response to pressing, cur-
rent issues or events locally,
nationally, or internationally
that the applicant organization
is uniquely situated to help the
public explore. Proposed pro-
grams should offer opportuni-
ties to engage the public in
thoughtful dialogue informed
by one or more humanities dis-
ciplines. Though proposals for
all kinds of program formats
are welcome, special consider-
ation will be given to programs
that are interactive in nature
and that aim to bring together
diverse groups of Oregonians.
For more information about
Responsive Program Grants,
contact Oregon Humanities Di-
rector of Programs Jennifer
Allen at 503-241-0543, ext.
118, or j.allen@oregonhumani
ties.org.
light-strewn, decorated live
Christmas tree and the festive
feeling its evergreen aroma in-
spires does not need to be ac-
companied by a nagging sense
of guilt.
The Oregon Farm Bureau
wants to inform consumers
that, despite what they may
have heard over the years,
buying a fresh Christmas tree is
a better environmental choice
than buying a plastic tree.
Why? Live trees from Ore-
gon are local, renewable, recy-
clable, are not made from pe-
troleum, nor did they use the
energy to be shipped half way
around the world from China.
“Oregonians should feel
good about purchasing an Ore-
gon-grown Christmas tree this
holiday season,” said Oregon
Farm Bureau President Barry
Bushue, a nursery operator in
Boring. “Live trees are sustain-
ably produced by family farm-
ers and are 100 percent recy-
clable. Besides knowing they
Corps seeking
public comment
The U.S. Army Corps of En-
gineers is seeking comments
on an application for a permit
to conduct work in waters of
the United States.
Public Notice NWP-2008-
472 describes a proposal by
the Port of Chinook, Wash., to
dredge up to 20,000 cubic
yards of sediment over a 5-
year period from the port’s
mooring basin at about River
Mile 6.2 of the Columbia River.
The Corps is soliciting com-
ments on this proposal from
the public; federal, state and
local agencies; Indian Tribes;
and other interested parties.
The public notice with more in-
formation is available at http://
www.nwp.usace.army.mil/op/g/
public.asp. Comments must be
received by December 10.
The Corps will issue or deny
a permit for this work under au-
thority of Section 10 of the
Rivers and Harbors Act of 1899
for work in or affecting naviga-
ble waters of the United States.
The Washington Department
of Ecology will issue or deny
Coastal Zone Management
Consistency Concurrence for
this work under the Coastal
Zone Management Act of
1972.
consumers can also enjoy the
fragrance and beauty that only
a fresh Christmas tree can
bring.”
Some people mistakenly be-
lieve that Christmas trees are
clear-cut en masse from forest-
land. Not so.
Like wheat or corn, farmers
grow Christmas trees in fields,
or nursery plots. But instead of
an annual harvest, the trees
typically take five to six years
before they are ready for sale.
Christmas tree growers have
rotating plots with trees of vary-
ing ages to ensure that each
year there are enough mature
trees by November and De-
cember. After a crop of trees is
harvested, another is planted.
There are around 720 li-
in Oregon, according to the
Oregon Department of Agricul-
ture. The climate of the
Willamette Valley is perfect for
raising evergreens, and the al-
most 8 million trees harvested
in Oregon are of exceptional
quality. Oregon’s trees are so
preferred, in fact, that our state
is the number one producer of
Christmas trees in the nation.
Last year, Oregon’s Christmas
tree production was valued at
$122.8 million, making it the
eighth largest out of 220+ agri-
culture products raised in the
state.
And, of course, fresh Christ-
mas trees are biodegradable.
Many communities publicize
Christmas tree recycling pro-
grams soon after New Years.