Field Tour- 2023 Association of Consulting Foresters National Conference

Join us for an engaging and educational day in the McKenzie River Valley.

We’ll travel the McKenzie River Highway which follows the famous Wild & Scenic river, often called Oregon’s first fishing and boating playground.

The McKenzie River flows to Eugene-Springfield, Oregon’s second largest metropolitan area, from one of the most rugged parts of the Cascades, and is the source of drinking water to approximately 200,000 area residents. The watershed is and has historically been a major timber supplier to the forest products mills of the Willamette Valley.

On the evening of September 7th, 2020, the devastating Holiday farm Fire ignited and spread rapidly through the McKenzie River Valley, tearing through forests and small communities along the McKenzie River. Historically strong winds quickly grew the fire, which engulfed thousands of forested acres overnight, and blew heavy smoke into the Willamette Valley, blanketing Eugene and other major towns with hazardous smoke and ash. The wildfire burnt over 173,000 acres, destroyed hundreds of homes, and resulted in the evacuation of thousands of people. It was not fully extinguished until mid-October.

During our tour, we’ll visit areas impacted by the Holiday Farm Fire as local ACF member and other forester experts share the stories of response, recovery, and reforestation.

We’ll see sites managed by the Association of Consulting Foresters members, TIMOs, and the US Forest Service. We’ll view areas already salvage harvested and others still in progress. We’ll visit a mill yard teemed with salvaged logs in the months following the fire.

Lunch will be enjoyed at the Tokatee Golf Club, offering glistening views of the Three Sisters Mountains, and owned by family-based forest products and timber business owners, the N.B. Giustina family.

You won’t want to miss this captivating day in the valley!

Tour includes a light breakfast, lunch, and transportation from/to the Graduate Eugene.