Have you wondered how private forests in western Oregon are managed to provide timber, wildlife habitat, recreation and clean air and water? Join us for a free, guided forest tour! The 2019 Starker Forests Summer Tours begin on Wednesday, July 3rd. Each Wednesday in July and August, we will host a tour to the forests of the Oregon Coast Range. Additional Georgia Pacific Sawmill Tours are on July 10th and 24th and August 7th and 21st. For more information and to sign up go to: www.visitcorvallis.com/articles/2019-starker-forest-tours.

Starker Forests, Inc. announced today the appointment of Randy Hereford as President and Chief Executive Officer. Formerly VP Timber & Chief Forester, Hereford has served the forest management company in increasingly responsible positions since he began in September 1978.

Hereford holds Forest Engineering and Forest Management degrees from Oregon State University. He serves currently with state and national forestry organizations including National Alliance of Forest Owners (NAFO), Oregon Forest & Industry Council (OFIC), and OSU Institute on Working Forest Lands. He is also a board member of three forest protective associations – West Lane, Linn, and West Oregon (past president). He is a member of the Council on Forest Engineering (COFE).  In addition, he is a member of Society of American Foresters (SAF) and is an SAF Certified Forester

According to Bond Starker, Chairman of the Board, “Randy has been a dedicated and valued member of our forestry staff for over 40 years. He has served as a senior member of our management team, and we are especially impressed with his ability to inspire and develop our younger foresters.”

Hereford replaces Jake Gibbs who resigned in early May.

Starker Forests, now in its fourth generation of family ownership, will continue to be guided by our core values – environmental, economic and social sustainability – and by our strong commitment to community service, ethical conduct and the advancement of forestry education and research. We are Forest Landowners and Managers since 1936.

Take a Starker Forests Tour and tour a gorgeous working forest!

Forest Tours: July 3, July 17, July 31, August 14, August 28

GP Mill tour and Forest Tour: July 10, July 24, August 7, August 21

Free guided tours of beautiful Starker Forests are available in July and August. Starker Forests Tours are about three and a half hours long. The tour involves, among other activities, a 1/4-mile walk, where you will learn about the different practices of forest management that Starker Forests applies.

Special, all-day tours happen three times this season. On these days, you’ll tour the Georgia Pacific Mill in the morning, followed by the guided tour of Starker Forests in the afternoon.

The Starker Forests and Georgia Pacific Mill Tours are free. Reservations are required. Call Visit Corvallis at 800-334-8118 or 541-757-1544 to make reservations. For those signing up 10 or more people, please call to make arrangements to take tour on a different day of the week. (We like to leave the Wednesday tour available for those reserving for smaller groups, pairs, or by themselves.)

Afternoon Tour Details

• Meet in the lobby of the Corvallis Comfort Suites Inn (1730 NW 9th St.) at 12:45pm. The tour leaves at 1pm.
• Tour returns to the Corvallis Comfort Suites Inn about 4:30pm.
• Remember to dress appropriately for the weather and wear comfortable walking shoes.
• If you need to cancel, please call Visit Corvallis to let us know. Call by the Tuesday before your tour, by 5pm, if you need to cancel.

 

Georgia Pacific Mill Tour Details

• Meet in the lobby of the Corvallis Comfort Suites Inn (1730 NW 9th St.) at 10:30am. The tour leaves at 10:45am.
• No children under 12 are allowed on the Georgia Pacific Mill Tours because the mill is a working mill.
• Guests on this tour must remember to wear closed-toed shoes like sneakers or hiking boots, and long pants. No open-toed shoes like sandals, or shorts or skirts, are allowed.
• Tour returns to the Corvallis Comfort Suites Inn about 4:30pm.
• Remember to dress appropriately for the weather and wear comfortable walking shoes.
• Bring a sack lunch to enjoy between the mill tour and forest tour in the afternoon.
• Unfortunately, it’s not possible at this time to sign up for only the Mill tour or only the Starker Forests tour on these all-day tours.
• If you need to cancel, please call Visit Corvallis to let us know. Call by the Tuesday before your tour, by 5pm, if you need to cancel.

2019 Complete Starker Forests Tour Schedule

Forest Tours: July 3, July 17, July 31, August 14, August 28

GP Mill tour and Forest Tour: July 10, July 24, August 7, August 21

Gary Blanchard could have retired a long time ago. But he’s still on the job at Starker Forests, providing a living link between the company’s past and its future.

From our friend Helen Higgins, CEO, Corvallis Boys and Girls Club of Corvallis.