OLYMPIA, Wash. – Family owners of private forestland in Washington will have the opportunity to learn how to keep their forests safe and healthy at the second ever Family Forest Expo. Some 220,000 families in Washington own more than half of the state’s private working forestland.
The Washington State University Extension educational event will be held on Saturday, Feb. 13, at Green River Community College in Auburn. Gates will open at 7:30 am and presentations will begin at 8:30 am.
Participants will be able to attend up to seven different expert presentations, choosing from more than two-dozen topics. Among the topics being offered are common tree and shrub identification, wildlife identification, managing the forest for wildlife, common forest insect and diseases, growing and tending forests, fire-wise practices, and pruning trees. There will also be demonstrations of small-scale equipment, tool use, and tree falling.
There also will be a resource area featuring equipment vendors, and public, private, and nonprofit organizations that provide assistance to landowners.
Some of the workshops and tours will be outdoors, so participants should wear weather-appropriate clothing and footwear.
Advance registration received by Feb. 8 is $40 per family. Registration at the door is $60 per family. Box lunches will be available for an additional $10 each. Because there are no restaurants or stores in the immediate area, attendees are encouraged to either sign up for the box lunch or to plan to bring their own.
The registration form and additional information, including driving directions, are available at http://ext.wsu.edu/forestry. Forms are also available through county Extension offices, or by contacting WSU Chelan County Extension at 509-667-6540.
For more information contact Jim Freed at 360-902-1314 or freedj@wsu.edu.
WSU Extension, Green River Community College, the Washington Dept. of Natural Resources, the Family Forest Foundation, and the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture Forest Service are sponsors of the Family Forest Expo.
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