OSU Extension forester outlines forestry programs, outreach and juniper resources for Crook County

Jenna Bridal, Central Oregon Extension Forester for Oregon State University Extension (covering Crook, Deschutes and Jefferson counties and the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs), briefed the Crook County Board of Commissioners on June 25 about extension programs and outreach plans.

Bridal said her work focuses on four themes identified during a local needs assessment: forest health, products and markets for small‑diameter wood (including cross‑laminated timber), tribal forestry and landowner outreach. “I am…your local, informal educational resource on all things forestry and natural resources for the region,” she told the board.

Bridal described ongoing and planned activities specific to Crook County: a series of quarterly “science pub” talks in Powell Butte to maintain local dialogue while the Ochoco Forest Restoration Collaborative is paused; a short public presentation, “I Got Juniper — What Now?,” that she will offer to landowners; a planned publication to summarize juniper management for new rural landowners; and a “pest scene investigator” workshop to teach stand assessment and diagnosis skills. She said the pest workshop provides attendees with USDA field guides and OSU Extension manuals and listed July 11 and 12 training dates in nearby communities, with a rescheduled Crook County session to be planned.

Bridal said she also is working on a story proposal to document the decline of the forest products industry in eastern Oregon and its ecological and economic implications, hoping to attract statewide coverage. She asked the board for assistance reaching woodland landowners and suggested local outlets such as the Central Oregon Rancher and the Crook County Facebook page for outreach.

No formal action was requested or taken; Bridal asked for help reaching landowners for workshops and materials distribution and offered to coordinate with county staff.