A Note from CHF Executive Director Melissa Cribbins

I can’t believe that summer is nearly over! It has been my honor to be CHF’s Executive Director for eight months now. Recently, I was able to spend time at the Douglas County Fair in our fair booth. We were there to talk to anyone and everyone that wanted to talk to us about forest […]
Oregon Society of American Foresters brings annual conference to Douglas County

CANYONVILLE — Early Wednesday morning, more than a dozen foresters stood on a gravel turn off on Cow Creek Road, west of Glendale, looking over a viewpoint into a canyon below. WILL GESCHKE | The News-Review | May 11, 2023 | Updated May 11, 2023 Ten years earlier, the Douglas Complex Fire, which began as a total […]
Planting Day

Communities for Healthy Forests led more than 100 elementary students on a literal ‘field trip’ to the Hinkle Creek area east of Sutherlin. With help from staff from Roseburg Forest Products, the BLM, US Forest Service, Douglas Forest Protective Association, and the Umpqua Chapter of the Society of American Foresters, the students learned how to […]
Students spend a day learning in the woods during annual School Forestry Tour

GLIDE — Hundreds of fifth graders from across Douglas County traveled to the Glide Educational Forest on Wednesday morning to take part in the annual Douglas County School Forestry Tour. WILL GESCHKE The News-Review Apr 20, 2023 Updated Apr 20, 2023 Students use crosscut saws during the annual Douglas County School Forestry Tour held Wednesday at the […]
WORKING FORESTS CRITICAL TO ADDRESSING CLIMATE CHANGE

The Whatcom County Forestry Advisory Committee invited researcher Dr. Edie Sonne Hall of Three Trees Consulting to speak at their April meeting and share her insights on how forest management mitigates climate change. The topic is timely as communities, governments and policymakers search for ways to reduce the amount of CO2 gas in our atmosphere to lessen the impacts of a […]
Why the 2023 Oregon FFA State Convention Helped Restore My Faith in Our Future

Over 2000 students from across the state participated in the FFA Oregon State Convention.By Mark Buckbee, CHF Board Member The Oregon Future Farmers of America (FFA) Oregon State Convention was held March 16 -19 at the Deschutes County Fairground in Redmond. Over 2000 students from across the state participated in the event. All of the […]
<strong>NEW UNIVERSITY OF IDAHO PROGRAM SEEKS TO ATTRACT YOUNGER WORKFORCE</strong>

A new set of degree programs at the University of Idaho seeks to attract and educate young workers in the fields of logging and forest management. By Dawn Killough | https://forestnet.com | 11/10/2022 The three new associate degree programs will prepare students for jobs in fire mitigation, forestry operations, and nursery management. The programs combine online […]
Biochar Benefits Studies in the Blackfoot Valley

GOLD CREEK Emerging technology and forest product utilization was the focus of the forest tour in the Gold Creek area Oct. 25. Jean Pocha | Pathfinder Correspondent | 11/10/2022 More than two dozen people observed the Tigercat Carbonator 6050 make biochar out of slash piles as part of forest thinning and fuels reduction work done […]
Life of a Snag

A snag is a dead tree that is still standing. Snags come in all sizes and occur in all species. The Douglas Fir snag is of particular interest as it is the tree that occupies the majority of the timbered regions in western Oregon. BY Melvin Thornton | Communities For Healthy Forests | 9/16/2022 The changes […]
The Impact of CHF Forestry Tours

Lifetime forester Javier Goirigolzarri leads forestry tours where community members get off the beaten path and into areas where fire has impacted the landscape. Javier’s passion for education and forestry is obvious as he immerses members of the tour into the story of what happens to the forest after fire.