Page 4 The INDEPENDENT, October 5, 2011 USDA, Forest Service promote wood as green building material Oregon forestland owners and the forestry community to- day applauded a synthesis study by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. For- est Service that ties together important themes about wood and active forest management, including the environmental benefits of wood in green build- ing, carbon and climate change, and forest-sector em- ployment. The September 29 USDA press release, with commen- tary by the U.S. Forest Service, highlights the study “Science Supporting the Economic and Environmental Benefits of Us- ing Wood and Wood Products in Green Building.” “Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack’s announcement is very welcome news,” said Paul Bar- num, OFRI executive director. “Despite the down economy, Oregon has a natural competi- tive advantage in wood prod- ucts. Oregon already leads the nation in softwood and wood panel manufacturing.” Ray Wilkeson, president of the Oregon Forest Industries Council, said that by acknowl- edging wood as a green build- ing material, government agen- cies like the U.S. Forest Ser- vice can positively impact rural employment in Oregon. “Rec- ognizing wood as a green building material can promote investment in sustainably man- aged forestland, mills and sec- ondary manufacturing. These all have a multiplier effect on employment in small Oregon cities and towns.” OFIC’s mem- bers include large forestland owners and wood products manufacturers. Jim James, president of the Oregon Small Woodlands As- sociation, said, “Our members are contributors to Oregon’s forest-sector economy. Keep- ing our members’ family forest- lands economically viable is not only important to our econ- omy; those forestlands are im- portant to all Oregonians as sources of high-quality water as well as fish and wildlife habi- tat.” OSWA represents mem- bers whose woodlands range up to 5,000 acres. Some 62,500 family forestland own- ers throughout Oregon care for and manage about 15 percent of Oregon’s forests. The USDA’s press release recognizes many themes on which OFRI has worked over the years, including federal forestlands in Oregon, water in Oregon’s forests, family forest- lands, the role of wood in green building, carbon and climate change, and wood’s role in em- ployment for mill workers and those working in forests. Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell noted in the govern- ment’s press release the de- plorable condition of many pub- licly owned forestlands in the West, which include millions of acres in Oregon. Tidwell said, “…we have hundreds of thou- sands of dead trees killed by bark beetles that could find their way into the building-sup- ply chain for all types of build- ing. Taking a harder look at wood as a green building source could reduce the dam- ages posed by future fires, maintain overall forest health and provide much-needed jobs in local communities.” OFRI was created in 1991 by the Oregon legislature to im- prove public understanding of the state’s forest resources and to encourage environmentally sound forest management through education. To learn more about the Oregon Forest Resources Institute and its work, visit OFRI online at Ore gonforests.org. August job numbers remain flat Columbia County’s season- ally adjusted unemployment rate was 10.6 percent in Au- gust, essentially unchanged from the previous month (10.3%) but lower than the year before (12.1%). The rate was above the statewide rate (9.6%) and the national rate (9.1%). Total employment climbed by 125 to 22,327 and the number of unemployed people dropped by nine to 2,562. Total employment this August was 622, more than one year before, and there were 273 fewer people unem- ployed this year. Community Calendar VERNONIA Alcoholics Anonymous Mondays 6:30 p.m., 410 North Street Alcoholics Anonymous Thursdays (Big Book Study) 7:00 p.m., 410 North Street American Legion Post #119 2nd Tuesday 7:00 p.m., 627 Adams Avenue Booster Club 2nd Wednesday 7:00 p.m., VHS Library Boy Scout Troop 201 Tuesdays 7:00 p.m., Scout Cabin Boy Scout Troop 860 Wednesdays 7:00 p.m., LDS Church Cemetery Beautification Comm. 2nd Thursday 6:30 p.m., Library CERT 4th Wednesday For Info Call 503-429-3018 Chamber of Commerce 2nd Wednesday For Info Call 503-429-6081 Community Coalition 2nd Monday 12:30 p.m. School District Ofc. Cub Scout Pack 201 Scout Cabin For Info Call 503-429-4250 Friends of the Library 1st Tuesday 7:00 p.m., Vernonia Library Girl Scouts, Neighborhood 4-2 For Info Call 503-819-0143 Izaak Walton League 3rd Thursday For location call 503-429-7193 Kiwanis Club 2nd & 4th Tuesdays 6:30 p.m., New Hong Kong Lions Club 1st & 3rd Tuesdays 6:30 p.m., New Hong Kong Municipal Airport Committee 1t Wednesday 6:30 p.m., City Hall Pioneer Museum For Info Call 503-429-3713 Public Works Committee 4th Tuesday 7:00 p.m., City Hall Vernonia Cares Directors For Info call 503-429-1414 Vernonia City Council 1st & 3rd Mondays 7:00 p.m., City Hall Vernonia Community PTA 2nd Wednesday 7:00 p.m., WGS Library Vernonia Garden Club 2nd Tuesday 1:30 p.m., Vernonia Library Vernonia Grange 3rd Monday 7:00 p.m., Grange Hall Vernonia Health Center 3rd Thursday 6:30 p.m., 510 Bridge St. Vernonia Learning Center 1st Wednesday 6:00 p.m., VLC Vernonia Parks Committee 3rd Wednesday 6:30 p.m., City Hall Vernonia Planning Comm. 1st & 3rd Thursdays 7:00 p.m., City Hall Vernonia Pride 2nd Thursday 1:00 p.m., City Hall Vernonia Ridge Riders Last Thursday 7:00 p.m., Senior Center Vernonia RFPD Board 2nd Tuesday 7:00 p.m., Fire Station Vernonia School Board 2nd Thursday 6:00 p.m., District Office Vernonia Sr. Center Board 2nd Friday 10:00 a.m., Senior Center Vernonia Transfer Station 2nd & 4th Saturdays, 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Behind VHS Vern. Volunteer Ambulance Assoc. 1st Tuesday 7:00 p.m., Fire Station Vernonia Volunteer Firefighters 2nd Monday 7:00 p.m., Fire Station WOEC Directors 3rd Tuesday 7:00 p.m., WOEC MIST-BIRKENFELD M-BRFPD Board Business Mtg. 2nd Tuesday M-BRFPD Board Workshop 4th Tuesday M-B Ambulance Drill 1st & 2nd Thursdays M-B Fire Drill 1st & 2nd Wednesdays M-B Helping Circle 2nd Monday M-B SAR Drill 3rd Wednesday M-B Volunteer Assoc. 1st Tuesday Natal Grange 2nd Wednesday T.O.P.S. Mondays Upr Nehalem Watershed Council For date call 429-0869 BANKS Alcoholics Anonymous Alcoholics Anonymous American Legion Post #90 Banks City Council Banks Fire District #13 Banks Library Commission Banks Planning Commission Banks School Board Banks Youth Group Chamber of Commerce CPO 14 Everybody’s Hometown Band Friends of the Library Lions Club Sunset Park Assoc. T.O.P.S. Friday Wednesday 2nd Tuesday 2nd Tuesday 2nd Wednesday 3rd Tuesday Last Tuesday 2nd Monday Sunday, Wednesday 1st Thursday 3rd Monday Tuesdays 2nd Tuesday 1st & 3rd Mondays 3rd Wednesday Wednesday 7:00 p.m., Main Fire Station 7:00 p.m., Main Fire Station 7:00 p.m., Main Fire Station 7:00 p.m., Main Fire Station 7:00 p.m., Main Fire Station 7:00 p.m., Main Fire Station 7:00 p.m., Main Fire Station 7:30 p.m., Natal Grange Hall 9:00 a.m., Main Fire Station 7:00 p.m., Main Fire Station 7:30 p.m., Methodist Church 7:30 p.m., Methodist Church 7:30 p.m., Main Street Post 7:30 p.m., City Hall 7:00 p.m., Station 13 7:00 p.m., City Library 7:00 p.m., City Hall 7:30 p.m., Jr. High Library 7:00 p.m., UMC Youth Bldg. 12:30 p.m., Fire District Office 7:00 p.m., City Library 7:00 p.m., BHS Music Room 7:00 p.m., City Library 7:00 p.m., Brown Derby 8:00 p.m., Gun Club 7:00 p.m., Administration Bldg. COLUMBIA COUNTY (All meet in St. Helens unless otherwise noted.) Board of Commissioners Wednesday 10:00 a.m., Courthouse Citizens for Senior Justice 2nd Tuesday 7:00 p.m., Sunset Park Church Columbia Comm Mental Health 1st Tuesday 5”30 p.m., 58646 McNulty Way Columbia Soil & Water District 3rd Wednesday 7:30 p.m., NRCS , 2514 Sykes County Fair Board 2nd Monday 6:00 p.m., Fairgrounds 4-H Bldg. County Parks Commission 3rd Tuesday Times vary, 1054 Oregon St. Mental Health Advisory Comm. Quarterly For Info call 503-397-7211 Comm. on Children & Families 3rd Thursday 5:30 p.m. OSU Ext., 505 N. Hwy. 30 Local Alcohol & Drug Plan. Comm. Quarterly For Info call 503-397-7211 Organizations and meeting dates not listed may be included by calling 429-9410 or by mail to The INDEPENDENT, 725 Bridge Street, Vernonia, OR 97064.