FRL Advisory Committee

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FRL Advisory Committee

Meeting Summary

May 13, 2005

Attending:Bill Arsenault, Kevin Godbout for Jim James, Ms. Brent Davies for Bettinavon Hagen, Gary Hartshorn, Ted Lorensen for Marvin Brown, Cal Joyner,Russ McKinley, Mike Mottice, Jason Miner, Joel Nelson, Link Phillippifor Jennifer Phillippi, Tom Quigley, Scott Schroeder, Barte Starker, EricUrstadt for Ron Stuntzner

Guests:Miles Brown, BLM; Craig Hanneman, OFIC; Cindy West, USFS

Absent:Marvin Brown, Jim James, Jennifer Phillippi, Ron Stuntzner, Dallas Stovall,Betinna von Hagen

Chairman Russ McKinley called the meeting to order and introduced new members:

Barte Starker (Industry); Scott Schroeder (Public); Gary Hartshorn (Public); and Jason

Miner (Public). Betinna von Hagen, (Public) was unable to attend. The minutes were approved and seconded.

• State of The College –Departmental Faculty Updates

Tom Adams. The Forest Science Department has lost .5FTE wildlife position with John Hayes’ appointment to Associate Dean for International Programs. Chris Maguire, wildlife biologist, has resigned. There are currently three searches open for new positions: Forest health (extension), landscape ecologist, and forest soilbiogeochemist. The latter two are new positions based on the Provost’s Initiatives, which hopefully will be filled by next year. The Provost has funded six initiatives and CoF is involved in five of them.

Steve Tesch. The Forest Engineering Department had hoped to hire their first woman PhD graduate, but she was hired by the University of Montana. The department is in the final selection process for the Wes Lematta Professorship, Loren Kellogg and Glen Murphy are the candidates. Note: Loren Kellogg was selected.

Jack Walstad. The Forest Resources Department has no losses and has hired the following in the past two years: Heidi Jo Albers, Risk Analysis, who came from Washington, DC, Resources for the Future; Paul Doescher, transferred from Rangeland Resources; Hailemariam Teminsgen, forest biometrics and mensuration; Kreg Lindberg, Cascades Campus, outdoor recreation and tourism; Randy Rosenberger, economics, filling in behind Becky Johnson; Viviane Simon-Brown, transferred from College of Liberal Arts, intelligent consumption.

Three searches are in progress; Scott Stephens, University of California at Berkeley, has been offered the position in Silviculture and Wildland Fire. The recreation management specialist closes in July; and a rural sociologist position (from Provost’s Initiatives) is being developed.

Other faculty highlights: Norm Johnson has been named an OSU Distinguished Professor; Bill Ripple and Bob Beshchta’s research on wolves in Yellowstone was featured in a recent National Geographic special.

Tom McLain. Wood Science & Engineering Department lost David Rosowsky, Richardson Chair, to Texas A&M. John Nairn, University of Utah, has been offered and accepted the Richardson Chair position. Bob Leichti will depart June 30 for a private industry position in Rhode Island. Fred Kamke, Virginia Tech, has been hired as the first Jeld Wen Chair. Lech Muszynski, University of Maine, has recently been hired. The WSE department is currently in the process of searching for a director of the OregonWoodInnovationCenter.

• Development ReportLisa French

Lisa reports the current giving through April, 2005 is $1.377 million, and she is hoping that next year will be more. $500,000 has been received from the Boone and Crocket Wildlife fund, which is a companion fund to the Robert and Anna Mealey fund. Oregon Small WoodlandsAssociationhas created a new scholarship fund, and the first scholarship of $1,000 will be awarded fall term.

Willamette Industries Legacy Scholarship Fund will be awarded for the first time this fall in the amount of $6,000/student in forestry, engineering and business. The goal is to raise $3 million and Lisa hopes to achieve this goal in 2005.

The Capital Campaign is in the silent phase and scheduled to run FY 05-FY 11. The OSU campus goal is estimated at $500-600 million and the College of Forestry goal is $33 million in new gifts (lead gifts of $5 million prior to FY 05 are included in the $33 million). Funding for facilities (to update Peavy and add a new wing for Richardson) will not be considered in the campaign, although private donations will be accepted for facilities.

The Foundation has hired a new president, Mike Goodwin, and a new senior vice president, Scott Scoville. There are searches underway for two vice presidents, (Central Development and Constituent Development), and a director of research. The Foundation plans to hire 20 new and permanent development professionals. Hal believes that forestry may be allocated 1-2 new development officers.

Lisa French and Zak Hansen are involved in building a comprehensive development plan for the College. They are also creating development plans for Forestry Extension, the H.J.AndrewExperimentalForest, and International Programs. Lisa is working on a land acquisition marketing campaign for forestry and agricultural lands.

Plans are underway for combining the annual giving program with the Forestry Centennial. One idea is to sell brick pavers for Hatfield Courtyard and the front of Richardson Hall. Another is to strengthen communications to alums by highlighting specific gifts and donors publishing a series of articles in Focus on Forestry on history of donors i.e. Joan “Perky” Kilbourn (Richardson Family) and Virginia Andrews Burns (only child of H.J. Andrews).

• Budget

Hal reports that Governor Kulongowski has proposed another cut of $300,000 and the FRL appropriation is $5 million for the biennium. Since 2000, the overall reduction in the FRL appropriation is 27%.

The latest news in the House is that $1 million restoration is possible. This restoration would enable us to support the new faculty positions for the Provost’s Initiatives and fill other vacant positions in the College, which we currently do not have the resources to support.

Action: Hal urges FRL Advisory Committee members to weigh in with Oregon Legislatorsin support of a budget restoration to the 2000 level for general fund appropriation. This would be an increase of$1.3 million for the biennium. Kurt Schrader, democratic leader is supportive of the restoration, but he needs assistance from key democrats: Betsy Johnson, Joanne Berger, Vicky Walker, Alan Bates and Floyd Prozansky.

Oregon Harvest Tax is currently split between OFRI, ODF and the College of Forestry. CoF currently receives $.67/mmbf, and Hal would like to have a permanent amount, one that does not have to be re-negotiated every two years. The average timber harvest is 3.8 billion board feet per year and Eric Hovee expects the State harvest to eventually level out at 5 billion bf.

• Enrollment

Ed Jensen reported that Fall 04 enrollment , we had 396 undergraduates and 147 graduate students enrolled in the College. Undergraduate enrollment has increased 9% from last year. Women comprise 30% of our undergraduate population and 41% of our graduate student population. Students of color comprise 6% of our undergraduate population and 19% of the graduate student population.

About 15% of our undergraduate population is either from out-of-state or out-of-the-country, while almost 66% of our graduate population is from outside of Oregon.

Our program is unique among forestry schools around the nation, as our enrollment continues to increase. This may be attributed to our investment in recruiters who are able to tell students about forestry professions and vacancies. We have 2.5 FTE in recruiters, which includes the Hispanic recruiter position that is shared with Weyerhaeuser. Ed Jensen suggests that curriculum may also be a factor in increasing enrollment. The Outdoor Recreation and Tourism program at the Cascades Campus, and the Natural Resources Program are counted at OSU for forestry enrollment and may be counted differently in other forestry colleges. Departments are also working toward new programs in conjunction with other OSU Colleges to attract students.

Ed notes that fewer undergrad students attending OSU from out-of-state and that may be due to the high cost of tuition. Jack Walstadfeels that our scholarships and fellowships are very important for student retention. Hal feels that we may not have enough students to fill the projected industry jobs in the next 5-10 years. Bill Arsenault suggests relaying that message to high schools guidance counselors and students. Hal hopes the new DVD might be helpful in recruiting and getting the message to students. OFRI is currently working on a message on diversity of employment and opportunities.

• Provost Initiatives and new Research Ventures

Forest Science is involved with the Subsurface Biosphere initiative. Recent discoveries indicatethat vast numbers of microorganisms live below the Earth’s surface in soil, mud, and rock, and some scientists now believe that the total weight of these microbes is as much as all life (plant and animal) in our well-known surface biosphere. Life below the Earth’s surface (subsurface biosphere) has important consequences to ecology, to deposits of oil, gas, and minerals, to water resources, to agriculture, and to medicine. This initiative may create a faculty position in forest biosphere.

Tom Adams notes that the Forest Science faculty has brought in $9 million in grants since January 2005. Barbara Bond received a three-year grant for $790,000 from NSF to study the airshed, or air movement in mountainous systems, in forested slopes. This work will be done on the H.J. Andrews and with the LTERR program. Glen Howe, Steve Strauss, and researchers from UC Davis and UBC, have received grants for $670,000 from the USDA to study genomics in loblolly pine. This is the beginning of a larger effort which will benefit the College in the future.

Forest Engineering is involved with the Water and Watershed Initiative (WWI) which will create a new institute on campus. A search is underway for a prestigious water scientist to lead this institute. The home department for this person could possibly be in FE or another unit on campus with a core mission in hydrology. The goal of the WWI is to provide a focus for all of the diverse, but high quality, expertise and effort in the water science area on the OSU campus. The goal is to use this initiative to establish OSU as one of the recognized leaders in water in the country and world. Considering water science, engineering, and policy, a major effort led by FE faculty Jeff McDonnell, is underway to develop a $25 million proposal for NSF funding of a PNW hydrologic observatory that will focus on the Deschutes and WillametteRiver basins.

Steve Tesch notes that John Sessions has been doing landscape planning for Tillamook and other state forests which benefits ODF. Loren Kellogg is working with the Warm Springs Tribe on a fuel reduction study, and is seeking additional funding support for this program. Glen Murphy is working to maximize value recovery through logging. He will make a presentation at WorldForestryCenter on May 24, 2005.

Forest Resources is a partner in the Sustainable Rural Communities Initiative, along with Colleges of Science, Agriculture, and Liberal Arts. This initiative will address the needs and challenges of Oregon’s rural towns. The goal is for faculty to provide ongoing research and analysis to allow decision-makers to develop successful strategies for helping rural communities overcome disadvantages that come with small size and geographic isolation. The director is expected to have a joint appointment in the FR and Sociology Departments. Jack Walstad notes that students in the new graduate class this fall will travel to the three rural communities of Enterprise, Alsea, and Sweet Home and be immersed in those communities.

WSE is not involved in the Provost’s Initiatives, but faculty are working on new innovations: Barb Gartner is working on wood growth and cellulose and nanocomposits; Eric Hansen on innovation management, the way industry uses innovation to obtain a competitive advantage in the marketplace; and Jeff Morrell, through the Wood Utility Pole Cooperative, is working on through-boring testing in Douglas-fir poles to enhance electrical poles preservative and reduce internal decay.

International Programs. John Hayes is developing a strategic vision for international programs and working to enhance other international projects. He is working with Gary Hartshorn and Hal to create an international course. He is in discussion with German colleagues about a virtual video course. He is also working on a joint degree program for tropical forestry with the University of Queensland in Australia. John has been invited to give a presentation at the United Nations on May 16, 2005.

○Research - College Initiatives

Forest Science – Center for Planted Forest Productivity and Value Enhancement

The mission is to increase the productivity and value of planted forests in the Pacific Northwest through the development of innovations based on integrated systems of silvicultural and operational practices. The target is to improve the competitiveness of the Pacific Northwest in the global wood market. Doug Maguire has been chosen to lead this Center.

The Center will serve as a clearing house of knowledge on silvicultural and operations systems employed in plantation management, from establishment to harvest. It will conduct research and broker efforts of others to better understand how silvicultural practices and inherent site factors interact to influence productivity, value, and sustainability over rotations. The ultimate goal will be to develop decision-making tools to help managers choose combinations of silvicultural and operational practices that maximize productivity and values of their plantations.

Wood Science & Engineering- WoodInnovationCenter

The WoodInnovationCenter is proposed as a way for OSU to help enhance innovation in the broad wood products industry by providing highly visible access of companies and entrepreneurs to targeted research, technical and business assistance, and extension education in relation to new product/market development, technology and process innovation, business and market planning and economics. Thereby, increasing Oregon’s competitiveness in a global market.

Scott Schroedernotes that businesses in town are working with the College of Engineering focusing on the high tech end of business. Hal notes that John Cassady, Vice President for Research, has identified land for an InnovativeCenter and hopes to have it up and running soon.

Forest Engineering- Watersheds Research Cooperative

The Hinkle Creek paired watershed study is in place on Roseburg Forest Products forestland. It will measure the impact of the 21st Century forest practices on diverse watershed characteristics. Scientists are ramping up for the first timber harvest after the summer count of fish. The monitoring study will enable them to see instantaneously the reactions of fish to logging within the watershed.

The vision is to have three paired watershed studies across western Oregon. A location in eastern Oregon is dependent on funding. Each study would be measured for 10 years. Site #2 is tentatively identified in the Trask watershed on ODF, Weyerhaeuser, and BLM land. Steve Tesch is working with Oregon’s Congressional delegation to obtain federal funding of the study. His eventual goal is to receive 75% federal funding and 25% from local sources.

Forest Resources –Sustaining Oregon’s Forest Resources through Wildland Fire

The College has been building a program in Wildland Fire Science and related aspects of forest health. Work is underway to strengthen research and outreach efforts in Wildland Fire Science and Ecosystem Health. Two programs have been endowed and two new faculty members will be hired to run the programs.

○ Forest Ecosystem Health (Mealey and Boise)

○ Wildlife Ecosystem Health (Boone & Crockett). A joint program with

the College of Ag Science (Fisheries and Wildlife department).

A project underway in central Oregon capitalizes on the landscape and conditions created by the B&B Complex Fire. Outdoor learning laboratories are being established for students, scientists and tour groups. The College is in need of additional faculty with expertise in wildland fire management and landscape analysis to provide adequate depth and coverage to the program.

Tom Quigley is interested in looking for an endowed position for the Starkey site (wildlife and forestry range intermix). A donor has been identified. Jack Walstad will send Tom a copy of the charter. Eric Urstadt raised the idea of using the Starkey site for the eastside watershed installation.

Kevin Godbout encourages use of coop method to attract those who are interested and can pay for set up.

Barte Starker asked about the public or social implications. Jack has DVDs available regarding Bruce Shindler’s work on social implications and will send to Barte.

• Forest Plan

The plan has been approved by the Forestry Executive Committee. The goal is to capitalize on the teaching, research, and the demonstration ability of the forest.

○ Theme 1Intensive forest management – rapid return on investment (approximately 20% of forest)