Forestry Talk

Slash burning in forest near Cape Lookout. Photo by Allison Asbjornsen.

Rockaway Beach Citizens for Watershed Protection (RBCWP) will host Chuck Willer of the Coast Range Association (CRA) on Wednesday, July 19, 2017 at Tillamook County Library’s Central Library (1716 3^rd St. in Tillamook). The talk, a discussion about Western Oregon’s private forests and their role in the region’s economy and public health, takes place from 6-7 p.m., is free and open to the public.

Willer, the CRA’s long-time director, will provide new information on who owns Western Oregon's private forests and how that ownership affects management objectives. He will address how industrial forest ownership affects local economies and explain Oregon's private forest property tax system which was transformed during the 1990s. The owners of large forest holdings in Western Oregon play a significant role in the region's economies, and affect the ability of local governments to provide needed services.

RBCWP is a citizens group that was founded in 2012 in response to the clearcutting and aerial spraying of the Jetty Creek watershed that provides drinking water for the City of Rockaway Beach. The group’s efforts have led to reduced aerial spraying and community engagement with timber companies. Rockaway Citizens’ work has expanded to include working with neighboring communities to help protect watersheds all along the North Oregon Coast.

Contact them at rockawaycitizen.water@gmail.com or (503) 355-2516.