2023-2024 Seedling Program

Columbia County Small Woodlands Seedling Program 2023-2024

I plan to mail the Order Forms for our February 2024 seedling crop after July 4, 2023, as in recent years. We will have another large crop of Douglas-fir 1+1 seedlings (more than 75,000?) and substantial western red cedar P+1 seedlings.

The cost to produce our seedlings increases almost every year and seed cost has nearly doubled in the past few years. Our goal is to produce high-quality forest seedlings at an attractive price and with some convenience for our customers. We buy Douglas-fir (DF) seed from the Oregon Seed Bank and contract with Lewis River Reforestation of Woodland, WA to grow, lift, pack and load the little trees. This is a crop, therefore we never know exactly how many DF seedlings will be produced although we have some data to minimize uncertainty. The western red cedar crop is different in that we order a set amount (7000) which begin as plugs in a greenhouse and are transplanted to the field for the second year.

All of the work for the seedling program is voluntary (administrative, hauling, unloading, distribution). Our Feb. 2023 DF crop was 90,720 seedlings of which 6,000 were sold at the public “ornamental” sale in St. Helens March 11, 2023.

For the past two years, Lynn Baker has been the leader and key worker for the March “ornamental” sale held at Lawrence Oil in St. Helens. This event offers at least 20 different species to the public. I know that Lynn appreciates the 30 to 40 members and friends who do the day-of-sale work at this impressive public service. For the March 2023 ornamental sale, Mark Dreyer used his trailer to haul DF, western red cedar and western hemlock from Woodland. Lynn and Eve Lonnquist hauled the ~ 17 species from two Willamette Valley nurseries for the ornamental sale in St. Helens.

Back to the forest seedling program. I want to thank those who worked to haul, unload and stack, and distribute the 84,000 DF and the cedar. For many years, Paul Nys has allowed us to use his barn for seedling layout and distribution. We thank him for this critical part of the program. I believe that many buyers look forward to talking to him each year. Joe Banzer has been the big dog hauler during the past two years with his large utility trailer and has told me that he plans to haul for us “until the wheels come off”. I haul a small load of western red cedar from the nursery in my F-250. Ray Biggs distributed a load of seedlings to buyers in St. Helens and I took a load to Vernonia. Customers who purchase 50 or more bags of seedlings have the option to pick them up at the nursery and we thank those who do this because it reduces our hauling to only a few tons! I give a hearty Thank You to the following members who unloaded and stacked seedlings at the Nys Barn last Feb: Dennis Nelson, Joe Banzer, Alan Johnston, Dan Kloppman, Noah Kloppman, Bob Hoard, Paul Nys, Mark Dreyer.

Bill Hanson, seedling person

2023 Columbia County Small Woodlands Summer Picnic

Join us on July 22th for the CCSWA summer picnic and farm tour at Keasey Tree Farm. You must RSVP to Dennis Nelson at 503-429-8930. See details below. We hope to see you there!

2023 Columbia County Small Woodlands Spring Dinner Meeting

Join us for the CCSWA Spring Dinner Meeting on May 6th from 5-9pm at Beaver Homes Grange, 31105 Beaver Homes Rd, Rainier. You must RSVP to Mark Dreyer at 503-369-9592. See details below. We hope to see you there!

2023 CCSWA Seedling Sale

The 2023 CCSWA Seedling Sale was held on Saturday March 11th. The day was beautiful with no rain. The sale was a big success due to the efforts of the many volunteers that showed up and worked hard all morning. Once we sold out of trees, we had a pizza lunch, packed everything away, and cleaned up. Many, many thanks to all of the wonderful volunteers, and to Lawrence Oil for again allowing us to use their space. 

Here are some pictures from the day.

2023 CCSWA Tree Sale Price List

The CCSWA Tree Sale is coming up in just 3 weeks on March 11th from 8:30am to 1:30pm (volunteers arrive at 7:00am to setup). 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 hope to see you there!

24th Annual Seedling Sale

Columbia County Small Woodlands Association is holding our Annual Tree Sale on March 11th in St Helens. Please help us get the word out. We hope to see you there!

2022 Columbia County Small Woodlands Fall Dinner Meeting

Join us for the CCSWA Annual Meeting on November 5th from 5-9pm at Quincy Grange, 78314 Rutters Rd in Clatskanie. You must RSVP to Mark Dreyer at 503-369-9592. See details below. We hope to see you there!

RSVP to Mark Dreyer at 503-369-9592

2022 Columbia County Small Woodlands Summer Picnic

Join us for the CCSWA summer picnic on July 16th from 9am-3pm. There is an attendance limit of 40, so be sure to RSVP to Mark Dreyer at 503-369-9592 to insure your spot. See details below. We hope to see you there!

Wildfire Awareness Month: Prevent wildfire; Wait for the right time to burn debris

SALEM, OR – The Oregon Department of Forestry and other fire prevention experts urge the public to exercise caution when disposing of yard debris this spring. The drought conditions this year put Oregon at a higher risk of wildfire. 

May is Wildfire Awareness Month, which is a great time to trim trees, bushes, and tidy up plants around your home that could catch fire. This is what we call creating a “defensible space” around your home and property. As you begin spring clean-up, the Oregon Department of Forestry and Keep Oregon Green urge you to consider alternatives to burning. 

Preferable options aside from burning include composting or recycling. Check with your local disposal company for recycling options. You can also cover a part of the pile with plastic to keep it dry until the fall when it’s safer to burn. Delaying your burn plans will give the debris more time to cure and avoids spring holdover fires as fire risk increases with hotter, drier weather. 

“We expect this year to be another dry fire season, so the more we can reduce human-caused fires the better,” said Mike Shaw, Fire Protection Division Chief. “Fire prevention is something that all Oregonians should have at the forefront of their mind. Humans cause the majority of Oregon’s fires, but they can also prevent them.” Seventy percent of wildfires in Oregon are human-caused fires, with debris burning being the number one cause. By waiting to burn or taking extra steps to control a fire, Oregon can significantly reduce the risk of creating a large wildfire. 

If burning now is the only option to dispose of yard debris, fire prevention specialists ask people to follow safe burning practices. The following tips can help stop run-away burn piles: 

• Call before you burn – Burning regulations vary by location depending on the weather and fuel conditions. If you are planning to burn, check with your local Oregon Department of Forestry district, fire protective association, fire department, or air protection authority to learn about current burning restrictions or regulations, and if you need a permit. 
• Know the weather – Burn early in the day and never burn on dry or windy days, because fires can spread out of control more easily. 
• Clear a 10-foot fuel-free buffer around the pile – Make sure there are no tree branches or power lines above 
• Keep burn piles small – Large burn piles can cast hot embers long distances. Keep piles small, maximum of four feet by four feet. Add debris to the pile in small amounts as the pile burns. 
• Always have water and fire tools nearby – When burning, have a charged water hose or a bucket of water, and shovel on hand to put out the fire. Drown the pile with water, stir the coals, and drown again, repeating until the fire is out cold. 
• Stay with the fire until it is out cold – State laws requires monitoring of debris burn piles from start to finish until it is out cold. This law is intended to ensure sparks or embers that jump from the fire can be put out quickly. 
• Recheck burn piles. They can retain heat for several weeks and restart when the weather warms up and winds blow. 
• Never use gasoline or other flammable or combustible liquids to start or speed up your fire. 
• Burn only yard debris – State laws prohibit burning materials or trash that create dense smoke or noxious odors. 
• Costs of run-away debris burns– State law requires the proper clearing, building, attending and extinguishing of open fires all year. If your debris burn spreads out of control, you may have to pay for suppression costs, as well as the damage to your neighbors’ properties. This can be extremely expensive. 

More tips on wildfire prevention, including campfire safety, motorized equipment use, and fire-resistant landscaping can be found on the Keep Oregon Green website. Find public use restrictions for Oregon Department of Forestry protected lands before your burn.

 

Field Trip - Bell Timber, Inc.  Pole Operation

 

On April 27, 2022, twenty Columbia County Small Woodlands Association members visited the Bell pole operation in Longview, WA.  The tour was coordinated by Mark Dreyer and hosted by Bell Operations and Resource Manager Mike Luttrell.  Bell is a family-owned company that has been in business for 112 years!  They have several operations in the USA and in Canada and have been in Longview since 2019.  The Longview operation is massive, about 25 acres with room to expand. 

At Longview, poles measuring 30 to 125 feet are received, scaled, barked, peeled and sorted before they are shipped by rail car to The Dalles where they are kiln dried and treated.  The poles processed at Longview are nearly all Douglas-fir.  (Very few cedar poles are available in our area although suitable cedar poles do occur near the coast and farther north in Washington and Canada.) The poles are moved by rail to markets east of Oregon and Washington.  Most of the production is used as electric utility poles and Bell is actively seeking to purchase suitable timber. 

Their website:     https://blpole.com/