The Oregon Forest Resources Institute (OFRI) is an educational organization based in the U.S. state

U.S. state

A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...

 of Oregon

Oregon

Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...

 dedicated to forestry

Forestry

Forestry is the interdisciplinary profession embracing the science, art, and craft of creating, managing, using, and conserving forests and associated resources in a sustainable manner to meet desired goals, needs, and values for human benefit. Forestry is practiced in plantations and natural stands...

 issues, including improving public understanding of the state's forest resources and encouraging environmentally sound forest management

Forest management

200px|thumb|right|[[Sustainable development|Sustainable]] forest management carried out by [[Complejo Forestal y Maderero Panguipulli|Complejo Panguipulli]] has contributed to the preservation of the forested landscape around [[Neltume]], a sawmill town in Chile...

. It provides education, training and publications for forest landowners, students and teachers, and the general public. It also produces research on forest science and current issues. OFRI's seven-member staff is located in Portland

Portland, Oregon

Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...

.

History

OFRI was created by the Oregon Legislative Assembly

Oregon Legislative Assembly

The Oregon Legislative Assembly is the state legislature for the U.S. state of Oregon. The Legislative Assembly is bicameral, consisting of an upper and lower house: the Senate, whose 30 members are elected to serve four-year terms; and the House of Representatives, with 60 members elected to...

 in 1991 and is funded by a dedicated forest-products

Forest product

A forest product is any material derived from a forest for commercial use, such as lumber, paper, or forage for livestock. Wood, by far the dominant commercial forest product, is used for many industrial purposes, such as the finished structural materials used for the construction of buildings, or...

 harvest tax. It is governed by a 13-member board of directors who represent small, medium and large forest producers, small woodland owners, forest sector employees, academia and the general public. The Oregon State Forester

Oregon Department of Forestry

The Oregon Department of Forestry is the agency of the government of the U.S. state of Oregon which performs a wide variety of functions relating to the management, regulation and protection of both public and private forest lands in the state...

 appoints 11 members. The others are ex officio: the dean of Oregon State University

Oregon State University

Oregon State University is a coeducational, public research university located in Corvallis, Oregon, United States. The university offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees and a multitude of research opportunities. There are more than 200 academic degree programs offered through the...

 College of Forestry and a public representative appointed by the president of the Oregon State Senate

Oregon State Senate

The Oregon State Senate is the upper house of the state-wide legislature for the U.S. state of Oregon. Along with the lower chamber Oregon House of Representatives it makes up the Oregon Legislative Assembly. There are 30 members of the State Senate, representing 30 districts across the state,...

 and speaker of the Oregon House of Representatives

Oregon House of Representatives

The Oregon House of Representatives is the lower house of the Oregon Legislative Assembly. There are 60 members of the House, representing 60 districts across the state, each with a population of 57,000. The House meets at the Oregon State Capitol in Salem....

.

Landowner education

OFRI provides workshops, publications and conferences focused on recent science and advances in forest management practices. Its programs are available to both large and small forestland owners.

Student and teacher education

OFRI's K-12 forestry education programs reach more than 100,000 students and more than 1,000 educators annually. Its Oregon Forest Literacy Program includes a forest education conceptual framework correlated with state education standards that offer educators guidance for developing classroom lessons related to forests. Student programs include classroom presentations, career events, publications, field tours and activities. Teacher training also includes support for workshops and conferences.

OFRI manages the Rediscovery Forest, a forested area used for educational purposes and to demonstrate diverse Oregon wildlife habitat and forest ecosystems

Forest ecology

Forest ecology is the scientific study of the interrelated patterns, processes, flora, fauna and ecosystems in forests. The management of forests is known as forestry, silviculture, and forest management...

. The Rediscovery Forest is located in the Oregon Garden

Oregon Garden

Oregon Garden is an botanical garden and tourist attraction in Silverton, Oregon, United States. Opened in 1999, the garden includes a variety of plant species and habitats and the only Frank Lloyd Wright home in Oregon. The garden is owned by the non-profit Oregon Garden Foundation, with the...

, in Silverton

Silverton, Oregon

Silverton is a city in Marion County, Oregon, United States, along the 45th parallel. The population was 7,414 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Salem Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...

.

Public education

To increase public understanding about Oregon forests and their management, OFRI produces educational spots aired on broadcast and cable television; print, radio and Internet advertising; and online newsletters. It offers a speakers bureau

Speakers bureau

A speakers bureau is a company which operates to facilitate speakers for clients requiring after-dinner speakers, motivational speakers, awards hosts, cabaret acts, conference facilitators and keynote speakers....

, and co-sponsors and supports conferences and forest field trips.

Publications

OFRI maintains a library of approximately 70 titles that includes special reports, fact sheets, research reports, pocket reference guides and career information, all available at OFRI's website. It publishes an annual report each year in the fall.

See also

• List of Oregon state forests
• National Forests in Oregon