We are now offering Christmas tree permits for a minimum $5.00 donation to PYAC, Boys & Girls Club or Old Mill Center, Starker Forests also matches that donation. Come and get a permit if you would like a tree that is not manicured and has grown in the forest.

November 7, 2016

Caring for forests and giving quietly to the community

Starker Forests, Inc. is well-known for producing sustainable timber, wildlife habitats, clean water and recreation on more than 87,000 acres of forestland in Oregon. What is perhaps lesser known is its dedication to serving the communities of which it has been a part for the last eight decades.

Founded in 1936 by T.J. Starker, the company is one of the true pioneers of the Oregon timber industry. The company also was engaging in sustainable forest management before the method was considered popular. Through its business and philanthropic practices, Starker Forests had earned a reputation as one of the most widely-respected family-owned timber companies in Oregon.

For its commitment to the community “ as both an environmentally-conscious forester and philanthropic corporation “ Starker Forests has been named the 2016 AFP Outstanding Philanthropic Corporation. The award recognizes a business that, through their foundation, corporate giving program or their employees, commits significant financial or in-kind resources to assist organizations in meeting community needs “ an entity that is a solid community-minded corporate citizen.

Hunting

Hunting season for western Oregon deer is underway and we have been issuing many permits at our office. If you are hunting and driving on our lands, please stay on rock roads. Driving on dirt roads can damage the road surface and cause erosion that can degrade water quality in streams.

We have five separate logging operations on our lands during hunting season. For safety, please avoid areas of active logging operations.

Fall tree planting

We are in the middle of our largest fall seedling planting effort in our history. Planting seedlings in the fall allows the roots to grow and develop before the tree goes dormant for the winter. We hope this allows for better growth of the seedlings in the following growing season. Crews can plant several thousand trees per day.

Youth Education

Starker Forests will be offering forest education field trips to over 500 elementary school students, teachers and parents this fall. These fun tours at our interpretive trail near Blodgett allow students to learn about trees, plants, wildlife and wood products. Bus expenses are paid for through grants offered by the Oregon Forest Resources Institute.

CEO

Starker Forests will begin advertising for our Chief Executive Officer position this month. Applications will be accepted in January 2017. See the Jobs section of our website for more information.

August 1, 2016
Beginning Friday, July 29, 2016, the West Oregon District will implement our Public Fire Restrictions (Regulated Use) across the district. Current, and predicted weather, are forecasted to continue drying out forest fuels. Natural curing out of other fine fuels will also accelerate this time of year. All of these factors are causing our fire danger levels to increase to a point that conditions will warrant these additional prevention measures.

We appear to be in a steady warm and dry weather pattern for at least the next week. Our indices are progressively moving towards increased fire danger levels. With that, the West Oregon District will go into fire season on Tuesday, July 5, 2016 at 0100 hours. The district will be at an IFPL-1 at that time.

Hillsboro resident Fran Cafferata Coe has received the inaugural Young Forester Award from the Oregon Society of American Foresters (OSAF). The award is given to an OSAF member who has demonstrated outstanding leadership in the development and promotion of an individual program or project, or for a sustained leadership role benefiting the practice of forestry and the Society of American Foresters.

Coe owns Cafferata Consulting, a small natural resource consulting firm specializing in helping forest landowners and managers understand how to effectively manage their forests for healthy wildlife populations and sustainable timber production.

Coe graduated from Oregon State University with a bachelor’s degree in fisheries and wildlife science in 2000, with an emphasis in the interactions between forests and wildlife. She has more than 13 years of experience completing environmental surveys for sensitive, threatened and endangered plant and animal species.

For the last four years, Coe has contracted with the Oregon Forest Resources Institute, where she leads the Wildlife in Managed Forests program, which supports OFRI’s mission of elevating public understanding of how forest stewardship meets social, environmental, and economic needs of both present and future generations.

OSAF and its 15 local chapters represent all segments the forestry profession within the state.

Source: http://www.pamplinmedia.com/ht/117-hillsboro-tribune-news/306248-184014-hillsboro-woman-wins-young-forester-award