Extension Master Woodland Manager Program serves Oregon’s family forestland owners

Volunteer Master Woodland Managers help Extension deliver information and education to small woodland owners

The OSU Extension Service has offered the Master Woodland Manager program over the past three decades to provide forest management education and information to Oregon’s 70,000 small woodland owners, also often referred to as family forestland owners. As a group these landowners have possession of almost 5 million acres of prime Oregon forestland, which is 40 percent of total forestland in the state. Family forestland owners annually harvest approximately 425 million board feet of timber, or about 11 percent of the state’s total annual wood production output. Wood products contributed approximately $22 billion, about 11 percent, of the state’s economic output in 2008.

Participants in the Master Woodland Manager program receive specialized training from OSU Forestry and Natural Resources Extension educators to improve the landowers’ abilities as land managers and community volunteers. The purpose of the OSU Extension Master Woodland Manager program is to provide a core of trained volunteers that help Extension forestry educators advise small woodland owners on the management of their land. In return for 85 hours of instruction from professional foresters and forestry instructors, the volunteers agree to give the OSU Extension 85 hours of volunteer service in helping other small woodland owners.

Contact: Nicole Strong