Displays featuring state-of-the-art logging and forestry equipment and a keynote speaker who will address sustainable building practices are just two reasons to attend the upcoming 87th Annual Oregon Logging Conference this weekend in Eugene.
The annual gathering, Feb. 20-22 at the Lane Events Center and Fairgrounds in Eugene, will be guided by the theme “Timber Builds Dreams.”
“To me, it fits into so many categories,” OLC President Jayme Dumford said. “It includes the contractor who is running his own business. Others who are managing small tree farms, and the people who are working in the industry.
“Then there is the product side, an almost endless list of products, and those who use them to build dreams.”
Keynote speaker Chris Evans is president of Timberlab, a Portland-based company dedicated to engineering, manufacturing, and constructing mass timber buildings. Evans holds a master of science in internal construction management from the University of Florida and a bachelor of science in mathematics from the University of Oregon.
He is dedicated to advancing sustainable practices and optimizing the mass timber supply chain, bridging the gap between traditional construction methods
and innovative timber solutions.
Desserts Fundraiser
All the proceeds from the Desserts for Dreams luncheon, held at the Graduate by Hilton Eugene on Friday, Feb. 21, will benefit the non-profit organization Every Child Lane County, which provides assistance for children and families in the foster care system.
Oregon Logging Conference First Lady Maria Dumford selected the charity to benefit from this year’s 21st annual event. The luncheon features salads and desserts donated by local bakeries and restaurants. This year, the luncheon will include a sock drive, with all donations given to the charity’s Brighter Side Giving Store.
Future Forestry Workers Career Day
This invitation-only event on Friday, February 21 st is an interactive and hands-on career day for high school students, providing them with information about current and future jobs opportunities, and the skills needed to fill those positions.
More than 900 high school students from 33 schools in Oregon, including Sweet Home, have signed up to attend, and at the event will rotate to different stations to learn about forestry and logging, wildland firefighting, trucking, diesel mechanics, welding, and heavy equipment operation.
The event takes place in the Livestock Arena at the Lane County Fairgrounds.
Twelve Oregon High School teams will participate in the high school forestry skills relay, which is a part of Future Forestry Workers Career Day.
Schools participating in this event are Sweet Home, Central Linn, Crater, Tillamook, Sabin-Schellenberg, Taft, Philomath, Waldport, Siuslaw, Yoncalla, Scio, and La Pine.
Students will observe their peers showing off their logging skills in four events: choker setting, hose pay, chainsaw use, and crosscut sawing. These are skills loggers of today and yesterday needed to carry out their trade. This event is sponsored by Nygaard Logging and Warrenton Fiber.
Family Day/Public Day
The final day of the OLC, Saturday, Feb. 22, , is dedicated to families and is open to the public from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Family Day activities planned at the Wheeler Pavilion in the Lane County Fairgrounds will include paper making, bird house building, free seedling giveaways, and other forestry-related hands-on opportunities. Admission is free.
“Being open to the public on Saturday provides an opportunity for everyone to learn more about who we are and what we do and meet many of the professionals who make their living in this industry,” said Rikki Wellman, OLC manager. “Our conference is also a place where forestry and natural resource professionals can socialize and network with others in the industry.”
Seminars and Panel Discussions
A variety of current topic seminars and panel discussions will be taking place Thursday and Friday, February 20 and 21. They are open to those registered to attend the OLC.
A full list is posted on the OLC website, at www.oregonloggingconference.com. Two new business seminars this year are First Aid/CPR/AED and Basic Fire School Certification classes.
The First Aid class, taught by Chet Casey of First Aid Safety Training Inc., includes an additional sign-up fee, and is limited to the first 50 registered OLC members who register.
The Basic Fire School Certification class will be taught by Mike Jackson of the Douglas Forest Protection Association, and those who complete the course will receive a basic fire certification card.
Fun to Watch Activities
The annual Log Loader Competition is a popular outdoor event that tests log loader operators’ abilities as they demonstrate speed, skill, and efficiency. Operating a Link-Belt log loader, contestants have seven minutes to stack log blocks end-to-end, matching numbers or colors on predetermined marks on the ground.
Also, chainsaw carvers will demonstrate their skills to create amazing and beautiful works of art. Three chainsaw carvers will be at the Oregon Logging Conference: Jay Peppard of Chainsaw Buzz; Wayne Lyon of Bears, Bears, Bears Wood Carving; and Nick Myers of Little Bear Sculptures.