Forestry Talks

The heavily clearcut Jetty Creek watershed is Rockaway's water source.\Photo by Shane Anderson.

Forest practices are of intense concern everywhere on the coast, but particularly in Rockaway, where spraying and other forest management activities directly threaten the community’s water supply.

The Rockaway Beach Citizens for Watershed Protection are exploring this topic through sponsoring “Say Yes! to Better Forestry,” a pair of talks taking place Friday, Sept. 29, 6:30 p.m. at St. Mary’s by the Sea (275 S. Pacific St. in Rockaway).  Doors open at 6 p.m. with light refreshments.  The event is free and open to all.

Oregonians Peter Hayes of Hyla Forest and Ernie Niemi of Natural Resource Economics, Inc. will share their experiences and insights for improving forestry practices in the Northwest and beyond. The two will highlight the role of sustainability, ecological stewardship, and cost-benefit economics in forest practices that maintain both healthy forests and a healthy bottom line for communities of all shapes and sizes. Also discussed will be the key policy changes needed in Oregon to drive better forestry on state and private forests across the region.

Ernie Niemi is a scientist and economist trained at University of Oregon and Harvard. As President of Natural Resource Economics, Inc., he specializes in economic-impact analysis to understand the economic importance of natural resources. Peter Hayes and his family are 5^th generation owners and operators of three working forests that make up the 1,000-acre Hyla Woods near Forest Grove. Their restoration forestry business experiments with models of forestry and grower-consumer partnerships that enrich the forest and sustain people.

For information, contact Nancy Webster of the Rockaway Citizens, (503) 355-2516, rockawaycitizen.water@gmail.com.