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'Tis the season to take a deep breath, walk your woods, and plan for the coming year. 

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Director's Message


This is truly one of my favorite times of the year to be in the woods. The leaves have come off most of the hardwoods and shrubs and I can see a long way into the forest. Temperatures are cool again and the wasps have gone into hibernation, so I can get back to work with my saw and not collapse from heat exhaustion or get chased away by nature’s air force. The energy of the earth is pulling back into the soil, quieting, becoming still, and that stillness inspires observation and contemplation. 
 
This is the time of year when I reflect on the work I’ve done over the past several months and how well things went (or not). The open forest reveals both the impact of my hand and that of Mother Nature, suggesting that there is work yet to be done. 
 
The damp and dark December days are a good time to start making notes for next year. What still needs thinning? Should I plant those gaps and areas of lean stocking? How should I address the resprouting blackberry? It’s also a good time of year to carefully inspect roads and drainage systems. Are culverts and ditches clean and free to pass stormwater? Do road surfaces drain readily onto the forest floor and/or ditches without erosion or much runoff? 
 
I also try not to forget to join the stillness of the forest and take time to be more a human being, less a human doing. Breathe deep, be present, relax and bathe in the dewy embrace of the forested Pacific Northwest. Shinrin-yoku.
 

Kirk Hanson

Forestry Director
Northwest Natural Resource Group
(360) 316-9317
kirk@nnrg.org
 
Like a forest preparing for next year's growing season, NNRG is gathering resources for next year's projects: 
  • Touting the benefits of ecological forestry for land and landowners alike
  • Analyzing the profitability of forest thinning
  • Bringing certified wood into the marketplace 
Please contribute to making these projects as powerful as possible. You can donate here, or by mail to 2701 1st Ave #240, Seattle, WA 98121.
 

Upcoming Events


So You've Got a Forest... Now What?
December 6, 2018
Enterprise, OR

Riparian Walk and Holiday Wreath Making (Women Owning Woodlands)
December 8, 2018
Eugene, OR

Basics of Biochar: On-Farm Kiln and Soil Amendment Options
December 8, 2018
Chimacum, WA

Native Plant Sale - Lincoln CD
December 8, 2018
Newport, OR

Using Goats to Manage Noxious Weeds and Fire Risk
December 9, 2018
Central Point, OR

Forest Health Seminar: Skagit County
December 12, 2018
Mount Vernon, WA

Winter Tree ID and Centerpiece Workshop (Women Owning Woodlands)
December 12, 2018
Central Point, OR

Audubon Christmas Bird Count
December 14, 2018
Multiple locations

Pollinator Primer: Your Tiny Neighbors and the Plants They Love
December 14, 2018
Eugene, OR

Growing Trees for Optimal Wood Quality
January 8 & 9, 2019
Eugene, OR

Pierce County CD Native Plant Sale Order Deadline
January 9, 2019
Pierce County, WA

Forest Stewardship Coached Planning Shortcourse
Starting January 24, 2019
Online

Clallam Conservation District Plant Sale Order Deadline
January 25, 2018
Clallam County, WA

Linn County Seedling Sale
February 2, 2019
Albany, ORG

Featured Project

FSC® Wood Products Finder
 

Even as the area of Forest Stewardship Council®-certified forestland in Washington and Oregon has grown, it hasn’t become any easier to find certified building materials in the Pacific Northwest.

That difficulty was undermining one of certification’s main goals: to enable wood buyers to send a market signal to forest owners and foresters that says, “We want our wood to come from forests managed for ecological and social benefit as well as sustainable wood production.”

So NNRG set out to build a tool that would make it easier for consumers to find building materials that bear the FSC® stamp, from lumber and plywood to windows and flooring. Armed with that information, architects, developers, and homeowners would have an easier time sourcing that wood, or pointing their contractors toward it.

Two weeks ago we launched that tool at nnrg.org/woodfinder, where wood shoppers can find the products they need from the vendors closest to them.

We invite you to test it out and send us your thoughts. You can focus your search on the quantity of product you’d like to buy, so that retail customers can be introduced only to retailers, lumberyards only to those who sell wholesale, and so on. It’s also possible to filter the results by lead time, so that if you need a product right away, you just see vendors who usually keep it in stock.

We hope this database will help connect well-managed forests with the building projects that need their timber, making the project of FSC certification more valuable all around.
 
A Land Trust's Plan to Protect Forests for the Future

When Great Peninsula Conservancy acquired the 196-acre Grovers Creek Preserve in eastern Kitsap County, its staff knew it would need help stewarding its diamond in the rough. They developed a plan and consulted with the NNRG forestry team to help set up the forest to grow to its full potential

King County is
Making Room for Big Trees


Letting "nature take its course" isn't always the best plan for a forest. King County forest managers know this better than anyone—they're pursuing stewardship activities (like variable density thinning) on County forestlands certified through NNRG's group FSC certificate. Read more about their stewardship work.

Concerned About Biodiversity? Bring the Wild Back


The key to protecting biodiversity in the face of a changing climate could be as simple as extending the habitat of critters like bats, birds, and insects. While this research by conservation biologists at the University of California, Berkeley focuses on agriculture, the principles they demonstrated hold true for forests as well. Learn more about their research. 

America’s Trees and Dirt Part of the Answer to Climate Change


"Better management of forests, grasslands and soils in the United States could offset as much as 21% of the country’s annual greenhouse gas emissions," according to this NYT report on a recent scientific study. "At the high end of the projections, that would be roughly equivalent to taking every single car and truck in the country off the road." The catch? It's complicated. 

A New Fungus Among Us


We still have so much learn about our forests. Case in point: the Friends of the Cascade-Siskiyou National Monument just announced the discovery of what is believed to be a new species of mushroom. Mycological enthusiasts will enjoy reading about the moment of discovery, and what's next. 

Challenges to Prescribed Burns


California's devastating fires this year have prompted calls for more aggressive forest management, but there are challenges to doing more prescribed burns. NPR takes a look at what's involved in a prescribed burn and the barriers faced by those who want to perform them. 

Forestry in Winter

As Kirk mentioned above, winter is a wonderful time to assess your woods and start making notes for next year. We've created a page with resources to help inform your winter woods walks: Winter: Forestry Through the Seasons
 

2019 Native Plant Sales

It’s time to think about spring planting! Which native plants belong in your forest to better sustain pollinators, help feed wildlife, and add vibrant beauty to your woodland? Find a native plant sale near you for a diverse array of seedlings and native plants – and make sure you pre-order to get all the species best-suited to your land! Plant sales in WA and OR.


Go Outside, Enjoy the Forests

Don't let the cold, wet weather keep you indoors! There are many FSC®-certified forests  open to the general public and beautiful places to explore. Before you head out to the woods, be sure to check road and weather conditions in case of snow closures. Remember that winter hiking presents its own set of challenges so be prepared for changing conditions. Visit the list of public FSC-certified forests.  
 

Holiday Gifts from the Woods

FSC®-certified forest owners go above and beyond in their forest management practices to sustain clean drinking water and air, healthy soil, high-quality fish and wildlife habitat, and the iconic beautiful forests of Oregon and Washington. Check out these special offerings from our members and other well-managed forests:
  • Essential oils made from six native Oregon tree species grown by Oak Basin Tree Farm. 
  • Garden potting benches and wood furniture from Tree Shepherd Woods made by Nisqually Tree Art. 
  • Beer made with water from an FSC®-certified forest (Fort George Brewery) - supplied by the City of Astoria.
  • More beer made with water from an FSC®-certified forest (Reuben's Brews) - supplied by Seattle Public Utilities. 
  • Sumeru altars made from FSC®-certified Red Alder grown by North Cascades Buddhist Priory. 

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Our mailing address is:
Northwest Natural Resource Group
2701 1st Avenue, Suite 240
Seattle, WA 98121

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