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 Family Forest Expo. The Washington State University Extension educational event will be held on Saturday, March 23, at Green River Community College in Auburn. Gates will open at 8 a.m. and presentations will begin at 9 a.m.
Participants will be able to attend up to six different expert presentations, choosing from more than two dozen topics, including:
- common tree and shrub identification
- wildlife habitat
- chainsaw safety
- common forest insects and diseases
- growing and tending forests
- protecting home and forest from fire
- thinning and pruning trees
There also will be demonstrations of small-scale equipment, tool use, and tree falling.
Owners of forestland located in Eastern Washington are especially encouraged to attend. Some 215,000 families in Washington own more than half of the state’s private working forestland, and the Family Forestry Expo gives these families the opportunity to acquire knowledge and skills to manage their land.
The registration form and additional information, including driving directions, are available at http://forestry.wsu.edu/. Registration information is available through WSU Extension county offices or by contacting WSU Chelan County Extension at 509-667-6540. For program questions, contact Jim Freed at 360-902-1314 or freedj@wsu.edu.
Advance registration received by March 15 costs $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 bring their own. Refreshments will be available.
Some of the workshops and tours will be outdoors, so participants should wear weather-appropriate clothing and footwear.
The expo will include a resource area featuring equipment exhibitors, vendors, and public, private and nonprofit organizations that provide assistance to landowners.
WSU Extension, Green River Community College, the Washington Dept. of Natural Resources, the Family Forest Foundation, the Washington Farm Forestry Association, and the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture Forest Service are sponsors of the Family Forest Expo.