Forestry Smart Policy

In this episode we interview Chris Evans, president of Oregon's newest mass timber manufacturer, TimberLab, who played a major role in the new mass timber ceiling at the Portland International Airport (PDX). We talk about everything from what mass timber is, the history of using large wood in construction, the construction speed advantage of wood buildings that utilize cross laminated timber, mass plywood or other mass timber, the environmental benefits, challenges to larger scale adoption and what policymakers can do to advance this emerging technology. For more information on mass timber, visit the Oregon Forest Resources Institute's page on mass timber or visit ThinkWood.

In this episode, Senator Elizabeth Steiner, Senate co-chair of the full Ways and Means Committee in the Oregon Legislature, discusses a work group she convened that OFIC's Kyle Williams participated in after the end of the 2023 legislative session. The work group was tasked with exploring ways to address Oregon's wildfire funding crisis that has been building for years, and resulted in a concept that will be put forward as a bill (House Bill 4133) under consideration in the upcoming 2024 legislative session. Sen. Steiner and Kyle discuss the elements that led to formation of the work group, who participated and why, how they developed ideas, and the details of the proposal (including one element that will not move forward). Toward the end of the episode, Sen. Steiner also addresses the incomplete reporting about the workgroup by the media. Two short clips (part 1, part 2) can be found on our YouTube channel. Table of Contents Background 4:23 – 13:33 The history (and context) that lead to creation of the workgroup. 13:34 – 16:03 Where fires are starting and where acres are burning. 16:04 – 21:04 What happened at the end of the 2023 session that resulted in not continuing the $15 million landowner offset? 21:05 – 23:40 Why have conversations on wildfire funding failed in the past? 23:41 – 29:44 How the workgroup came together, who was involved and the process/guidelines for the workgroup conversation. 29:45 – 33:56 Why weren’t there more people involved in the conversation? 33:57 – 45:52 How the proposal came together, the three principles that lead to consensus. The proposal 45:53 – 50:24 One piece of the proposal that isn’t moving forward. 50:25 – The pieces of the proposal that are moving forward in the bill (HB 4133). 56:14 – 59:04 What the $10/tax account wasn’t paying for and how landowner rates would be reduced. 59:05 – 1:00:20 The primary driver that will reduce landowner per acre rates. Responding to media coverage 1:00:21 – 1:03:25 Did Sen. Steiner do this for political reasons, because she is running for Treasurer? 1:03:26 – 1:08:09 Did contributions to Sen. Steiner’s PAC influence the proposal? Was it a quid pro quo? 1:08:10 – 1:15:10 Does this proposal shift the financial burden for wildfire from big corporations to average Oregonians? 1:15:11- 1:17:28 How does wildfire funding in Oregon compare to other states? 1:17:29 – 1:20:56 Did one company “write the proposal”/did one entity have more influence over the proposal than others? 1:20:57 – 1:23:15 Sen. Steiner’s experience with two reporters who have covered this issue. 1:23:16 – 1:25:11 Concluding remarks/what’s next.

This episode with Jim Paul, the newly appointed Executive Director of the Oregon Forest Resources Institute, discusses the institute’s three primary program areas (public education, K-12 education, and landowner education), as well as how OFRI is funded, the institute’s response to former Governor Kate Brown's request for a 2021 audit by Oregon Secretary of State Shamia Fagan, and implications of a bill in the 2023 Oregon legislative session.

This is the second in a two-part series on Oregon’s state forests, including the current controversy surrounding the Department of Forestry’s pursuit of a Habitat Conservation Plan for western Oregon state forests, the plan’s failure to provide adequate projected timber harvest levels to keep the Department of Forestry’s budget afloat for the next 70 years, and the mounting pressure on the Board of Forestry to change course.

This is the second in a two-part series on wildfire in Oregon, including the unique and world-class elements of Oregon’s wildland firefighting system (known as the complete and coordinated system), it’s unique and complex funding mechanism paid in part by private timber companies and in part by taxpayers through the General Fund, and ways the state can work with the federal government to address our wildfire crisis. For more details on how Oregon's firefighting system is funded, please see this two-page explainer document.