CCSWA Surveying Event

Come on out to spend 3 hours with Don Wallace licensed surveyor and owner of KLS Surveying to answer your questions about corners and property lines.

9-15-26 

2pm to 5pm
At the end of East Knot Street / Holce / Crown Zellerbach trail
Vernonia Oregon

Call Mark Dreyer if you have any questions 503-369-9592

Overview of Small Woodland Equipment

Dear Columbia County Members,

We are following up on the recent survey and working to find and schedule events based on the interests you identified.

Our first event is an overview of small woodland equipment, including tractors with grapple attachments, side-by-sides, chippers, and other useful equipment for small woodland owners.

September 12
9:30–11:30 a.m.
Pacific Tractor & Implement
1221 Baseline Street, Hillsboro

We’ll get an overview of the equipment available and have a chance to talk about the pros, cons, costs, and practical uses of different options. It should be a great opportunity to see some equipment up close and share ideas with other chapter members.

You don’t have to RSVP to attend. However, it would be helpful to have an idea of how many people to expect, so if you plan to attend, please let me know if you don’t mind. And if you decide at the last minute that you’d like to come, just join. 

We are also working to schedule several other events this fall/winter/spring, including:

• Property lines and corners
• Salmon viewing and habitat enhancement
• Tree identification
• Reforestation
• Alder management
• Tour of OSU Forest along Highway 30. If that event goes well, we may try to put together something similar for Columbia County.

So—more to come!

We hope to see you on September 12.

Mark Dryer and the Columbia County Board
Oregon Small Woodlands Association

2026 CCSWA Summer Picnic

Please join us for the 2026 CCSWA summer picnic and farm tour. The summer picnic this year is being hosted by Dick Courter, 2026 Columbia County tree farmer of the year. It will be on Saturday July 18th from 8:00 am to 2:00pm. RSVP to Mark Dreyer 503-369-9592, mdreyer51@msn.com 

See details below. We hope to see you there!

2027 CCSWA February Bare Root Forest and Riparian Seedlings Sale

 

We are now taking orders for our 2027 February Bare Root Forest and Riparian Seedlings sale. We will have Douglas fir and Western Red Cedar seedlings available. Douglas fir are 2-year-old (1 + 1) seedlings. Seed source is Vernonia progeny, low elevation, medium gain from the ODF J.E. Schroeder Seed Orchard.  This seedling is suitable for our Columbia County seed zone 5 and similar areas.  The western red cedar is a 2-year-old (P+1) seedling. 

This year we will have a smaller crop than in past years, so it's very important that if you want Douglas fir or western red cedar seedlings in February 2027 from CCSWA, you order early. Orders will be filled in the order that they are received, and because of the smaller crop, we will fill orders from CCSWA members first. If by October 1 we haven't sold all of the seedlings, we will fill orders for non-members in the order received until we are sold out. If you aren't a member and want to order seedlings from CCSWA, it's a good time to join OSWA and select CCSWA as your primary chapter. Here is a link to the site to join OSWA: OSWA Membership. If you have any questions about membership and how to join, feel free to contact Lynn Baker, 503-708-9066, cedarowfarm@gmail.com.

There are 120 seedling per bag of Douglas fir and 100 seedlings per bag of Western Red Cedar. Seedlings will be available the 2nd Saturday in February 2027.

To order seedlings fill out the form at this link: CCSWA Reservation Request Form for 2027 Crop

If you have have questions, call Bill Hanson (503) 429-9101 or Mark Dreyer (503) 369-9592

OSU Extension Basic Forestry Short Course

 

Forest Thinning Tour May 23rd

 Join CCSWA May 23rd from 10-am to 3pm for a Forest Tour. See details below.

Saturday 5/30 N2N Defensible Space “Open Property” Invitation from Mike Cafferata

On behalf of Columbia Chapter Oregon Small Woodlands Association, Julie and I would like to invite you to a “Neighbor to Neighbor”  Open Property Event on Saturday May 30th.

Time: 8:30 AM – 12:30 PM

Where: 30851 Cater Road, Warren, OR
Format: Drop in anytime—no formal start or program. Specialists will try to have short talks at 30 minute intervals if needed, otherwise just visit with them at their tables.
What you’ll see and learn:

• Defensible Space Example
  Representatives from the Oregon State Fire Marshal (OSFM) will be on-site to discuss defensible space principles and share insights about how wildfires spread to homes. This house has many (not all) of the defensible space recommendations.
• Access & Turnarounds for Fire Response
  See an example of the road access, driveway width, and turnaround space recommended by the fire department. Scappoose Fire will be on site to discus the recommendations.
• Pruning & Fuel Breaks
  Look at the fuel break along the driveway implemented to reduce fire intensity through pruning and surface fuel management – ODF staff will be available to talk about wildfire intensity and access.

Parking & Arrival:
Parking is somewhat limited, so please arrive at your convenience during the event window. This format should spread out traffic and hopefully make enough space.
After the Event:
Socializing is encouraged afterward at Sunshine Pizza in St. Helens. (On your own)
Hosted by Columbia County Small Woodlands Association, Oregon Forest Resources Institute, ODF, OSFM, and Scappoose Fire. We are not sending out postcards - the only invitation is by email and word-of-mouth. You are welcome to invite your neighbors!
Thanks!
Mike Cafferata

2026 Columbia County Small Woodlands Spring Dinner Meeting

Join us for the CCSWA Spring Dinner Meeting on May 2nd from 5-9pm at Fern Hill Grange, 72612 Fern Hill Rd, Rainier, OR 97048. You must RSVP to Mark Dreyer at 503-369-9592. See details below. We hope to see you there!

Columbia County Tree Seedlings and Planting Q&A

Date: Saturday, 3/7 at 6pm

Location: Zoom
Registration: https://beav.es/THr

Details: You've just bought your tree and shrub seedlings for your property...but what do you do next? Join Columbia County Small Woodlands Association and OSU Extension for an informal Q&A session on Zoom to get your questions answered and to chat with experts about caring for seedlings and best practices for planting. Please register using the link to receive the Zoom meeting invitation. Reach out to Jake Barker for any questions or help registering: jake.barker@oregonstate.edu, 503-397-3462.

2026 CCSWA Tree Sale Price List

The CCSWA Tree Sale is being held on Saturday March 7th from 8:30am to 1:30pm (volunteers arrive at 7:00am to setup). We are at the Columbia County Fairgrounds again this year. Enter the sale through Gate#2 off Bachelor Flat Rd. Please see the earlier post for all of the details. Here is the price list for the seedlings and bags of seedlings that will be available. Cash and checks only. We often sell out, so come early for best selection. We hope to see you there!