A Fifth-Generation Family Business
Starker Forests owns more than 90,000 acres of forestland in Benton, Lane, Lincoln, Linn and Polk counties. The land is managed by the Starker family, a board of directors, and a staff of dedicated, longtime Starker foresters and professionals.
In addition to practicing intensive forest management, the people at Starker Forests promote and encourage recreational use of their lands with a free Starker Forests permit.
About Our Forests
At Starker Forests, we grow and harvest trees while working to protect the environment. We manage the forest for multiple values and uses, striving to conserve and improve habitats for fish and wildlife that call our forests home.
Starker Forests manages the forest throughout its entire life cycle. We plant the trees, maintain those plantations, thin stands, and hire contractors to harvest the trees. Our forests grow a variety of trees, including: Douglas-fir, grand fir, western red cedar, western hemlock, sitka spruce, noble fir, ponderosa pine, Oregon ash, bigleaf maple, red alder, cherry, chinquapin and cottonwood.
Maintaining a high quality transportation network in our forests is also important. This helps to improve water quality and fish habitat in and outside of our forests and provides safe access in the event of wildfires. It also makes the forests more accessible for recreational use and hunting, available to the community with a permit.
Why We Are Different
One of our goals is to differentiate our product by selling larger logs. We do this by growing them for a longer rotation period. We want our forests to be thriving ecosystems during the lifecycle of a particular plantation, and we want the product to be more desirable for builders.
Our Mission
Starker Forests, Inc., owns, grows and manages forests and will continue to be unrivaled in terms of forest resource stewardship. We are a fifth-generation family business and manage our company to successfully meet the needs of our owners, employees and the continued vitality of our communities for the long term. As opportunities arise, we will invest in activities that add value to our communities.
Our Core Philosophies
- We grow forests; not just trees. Forestry decisions are made based on the characteristics of the land and individual stands of trees, as well as associated resources using the on-the-ground and landscape level planning experience of our expert professional staff.
- We enthusiastically and proactively encourage innovation in land management that improves the forest over the long term.
- Our natural resource based business must continue to be financially successful in order to maintain and enhance our stewardship responsibility to our owners, employees and communities. This means harvesting trees for profit. Our neighbors, friends and assets work together to cultivate and maintain a close, supportive and cooperative relationship.
- We endeavor to provide a work environment that encourages and motivates excellence, longevity and innovation.
- We are committed to public outreach using effective ways to re-connect our increasingly urbanized population to natural resources and our common reliance on them.
- It is crucial to keep the family owners directly involved in key business decisions. This family involvement is vital to maintaining our industry leadership and will foster commitment to and maintenance of our long-term visions.
- Soil is our basic asset and its productivity will be protected.
- Our personal and business relationships will always be guided by a very high ethical standard.
- Philanthropy and personal involvement in community organizations and events are priorities for our organization.