A companion to Life in the Forest, the Instruction Guide includes background information and additional resources to help teachers go deeper into the material included in the student publication. The guide also includes learning activities that are aligned to educational standards.This publication is in digital form only.Student Instructions for Activity“Assessing eDNA sequences” 

In Oregon, more than 300 public water providers rely on surface water from rivers, lakes or reservoirs as their main source to supply about 75 percent of Oregonians with their safe drinking water. Nearly half the state is forested, so much of Oregon’s surface water comes from forested watersheds.

The Oregon State University (OSU) Institute of Natural Resources spent two years leading a science-based review of the effects of forest management on drinking water, yielding a 300+ page report. Their primary findings from that report are available in this one-page summary sheet.

The Trees to Tap report, a science-based review of the effects of forest management on drinking water led by the Oregon State University Institute for Natural Resources and funded by a grant from the Oregon Forest Resources Institute, includes an extensive chapter on findings and recommendations. This PDF of the Trees to Tap findings and recommendations chapter summarizes the results of a scientific literature review that focused on water quality, sediment and turbidity, forest chemicals, and natural organic matter and disinfection byproducts.

This special report synthesizes the latest science on carbon sequestration and storage in Oregon’s working forests, which are primarily managed for timber production, and the wood products they produce. This summary booklet provides an overview of the report, including highlights from chapters covering:• the current status of carbon sequestration and storage in Oregon’s forests• managing forests to increase their carbon storage• carbon and wood products• potential carbon markets

Revised in August, 2022.The public is less familiar with the role forest ecosystems and harvested wood products play in the planet’s carbon cycle, and that with appropriate long-term management these forest-related elements have the potential to mitigate some of the increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide.

Forests are an integral part of the Oregon landscape. With nearly half our state covered by forests, they contribute greatly to our quality of life.The goal of these four lessons is to enhance students’ understanding of and appreciation for Oregon’s forests. Each lesson guides students in an engaging investigation of forests they can do on their own at home, no matter where they live.

The Tree Carbon Tape helps give middle school students a tangible sense of the amount of carbon stored by Oregon’s forests. It's also a craft. Cut and tape the sections to create a tape that wraps around trees with different diameters.This Tree Carbon Tape also has an accompanying Teacher Guide designed to help you use the Tree Carbon Tape in your middle school classroom. 

The Tree Carbon Tape was created by the Oregon Forest Resources Institute (OFRI) to give students a tangible sense of the amount of carbon stored by Oregon’s forests.

Updated in 2025. This publication has gathered the best management practices for burning the material that’s not left for nutrients, firewood or wildlife purposes. The goal of this publication is to reduce fire hazards on the landscape and assist landowners with safely creating and burning slash piles.

Part of the Wildlife in Managed Forests reference series.

Part of the Wildlife in Managed Forests reference series.

Part of the Wildlife in Managed Forests reference series.

Part of the Wildlife in Managed Forests reference series.

This 16-page publication for the “early reader” uses familiar vocabulary and appealing illustrations to teach about forests and the wildlife that depend on them in a format that children are able to read and enjoy by themselves. Insets with smaller text throughout the book provide more details about Oregon forests for the more advanced reader, parents and educators.

<p>While 2020 was not the largest fire year in Oregon’s history, the Labor Day 2020 fires burned more acres in the Cascades than any other year and set a record for fire acreage on lands protected by Oregon Department of Forestry.</p> <p>These fires destroyed thousands of structures, displaced tens of thousands of people, and caused nine deaths. Hundreds of millions of dollars were spent fighting the fires. The restoration and reforestation job facing Oregon’s forest managers is monumental.</p>

Fire is a natural part of Oregon’s forest ecosystems, but what we’re experiencing now is not normal. Over the past 10 years, the total number of wildfires in Oregon has remained relatively steady, but the total acres burned has increased dramatically. Factors contributing to this explosion of “megafires” include overgrown forests and the effects of climate change, which have led to extreme weather, drought and insect infestations that weaken and kill trees, making forests more prone to fire damage.

This 16-page report summarizes the findings of the 2020 Labor Day Fires: Economic Impacts to Oregon’s Forest Sector – Full Report. It looks at the various ways forest landowners and businesses such as logging companies and sawmills were affected by last year’s fires.Ordered copies will be mailed when printing is complete.

A growing body of scientific research supports the importance of retaining some natural structures for wildlife during timber harvest. This could include trees intentionally left uncut in certain areas, as well as standing dead trees, stumps, logs and other downed wood. This informational pamphlet helps forest landowners and managers understand how many trees they should leave standing on the landscape, and in which locations, to maximize the benefit they provide to wildlife once logging is completed.

The Investigate the Forest journal pages are intended to guide students in learning about Oregon’s forests while they explore the outdoors. They offer hands-on, student-centered ways to study the forest or other natural environments just outside their door and may be used before, during or after attending an Outdoor School program, to enhance students’ understanding of Oregon’s forests and how they’re a vital resource.  Each journal page is designed to stand alone, but may be used in conjunction with other pages in a learning progression.