Since 2011, we have participated in every major forest restoration project on the Hood River Ranger District.
Our members share a deep appreciation for Mt. Hood’s forests.
Our forests
Since time immemorial, indigenous people interacted with forests across Mt. Hood and the Hood River Valley. The lack of “good fire” resulting from the loss of this indigenous land stewardship and a century of fire suppression has led to unhealthy forest ecosystems. The forests we see today are significantly altered and many of our forests are not resilient to climate change, drought, and wildfire.
Aerial photo of Dee Mill (left) and a log truck driving down Dee Highway in the 1950s (right). Images courtesy of Hood River History Museum.
History
Pacific Northwest forests are iconic. Competing values over the management of public lands led to intense conflict, which came to a fever pitch in the early 1990s. The “timber wars” made clear that a new approach - one that bridged those competing values - was necessary to move beyond gridlock. In Hood River, local partners came together in 2011 with a shared vision to restore Mount Hood’s forests and advocate for collaborative solutions that benefit people and nature. The collaborative continues to bring together people representing a diverse array of interests, including conservation non-profits, natural resource professionals, wood products businesses, and community members.
How we work
The Hood River Forest Collaborative leverages the collective expertise and local knowledge of our partners combined with leading scientific research to restore forests and reduce wildfire risk to our communities. The collaborative has been involved in producing original research with Oregon State University College of Forestry and USDA Pacific Northwest Research Station. The collaborative conducts site visits to assess forest conditions and engages in multi-party monitoring to evaluate treatment effectiveness over time.
Our team
The Hood River Forest Collaborative is led by a facilitator and Steering Committee. The team includes community leaders and local experts including: Jordan Latter, Bark; Gary Asbridge, Retired US Forest Service; Emery Cowan, Fire Adapted Communities Network; Andrew Spaeth, Facilitator