Love the Mac and all the trails so much!Always love the idea of more single track for running. Continued work on connections with other natural areas (i.e. a Cardwell Hill-McDonald connection.) Continued support for off-leash dogs. Thank you!
Anonymous
02/24/2024
Please build a flow-track (fast) trail from the top of hydra (rd660) traversing the gully leading to baker creek in a NE fashion towards Bomb's away. The trail should start at the top of Road 660, and descend (switchbacks) to 640/ knucklehead, then, importantly, it should then traverse SW to re-connect with 660. This way if someone ends up going down 600 then 640, they can head back to 600 to oak creek if they parked there-(loops reduce risks of getting lost). This would allow people to hike/bike a loop from oak creek, and enjoy the new bomb's away trail, and/or Hydra from Oakcreek parking w/o having to do an "out and back". This newly acquired property by the school should prioritize recreational use, as the north facing slope is a dense ecosystem, and the steepness at the top of 660 precludes safe resource extraction. It will also remain cool in the summer.
Anonymous
11/07/2022
As a citizen of Oregon and a student at OSU, I am deeply concerned about the creation of the decision making process for the management plan of the McDonald-Dunn research forest. These forests are public lands that the college of forestry is stewarding, and setting the precedent for the management for forests across the state. The public needs to be able to actually collaborate on forest management decisions, like Anthony Davis said. Collaboration is not being asked to submit comments or be given short windows of time to answer predetermined questions. Collaboration means having at least equal seats at the decision making table and working with the public in an ongoing reciprocal relationship where everyone is working to solve problems together. In order to be collaborative these processes need to be inclusive, open minded, communicate transparently. See collaborative skills and definition of collaborative. Furthermore, requiring operational revenue to come from logging of these public forests precludes the possibility of researching all alternative forest management practices. The current revenue accounting does not include the externalized costs of carbon storage, habitat, water filtration and storage, and wildfire resilience to name a few. Clearcut logging is not a renewable or sustainable resource and we need to be studying other management strategies that take into account the larger picture of our ecosystem at this time, and not just the financial profits. For example, several studies have shown that the best direction for PNW forestry would include: carbon accounting for all management decisions, forest lands that are removed from logging bases for increased carbon storage, water quality, recreation, and habitat, extending buffer zones, limiting pesticide and herbicide use, and alternatives to clearcut logging that leave more trees on the landscape. See fusee.org. Finally, if I were to choose my own public representation, which you seem to have already done for me, I would choose people like my friends and colleagues who have been working independently and for the forest service in restoration of forests to old growth character, creation of wildlife habitat, and in wildfire management. This is to say, I do not see my interests represented in your stakeholders.
Anonymous
02/23/2024
Effectivly managing the OSU forests is an important task. Balancing all aspects of the forest is very important. Timber harvest is a key piece to this resource management. I strongly support the harvest of timber on the college forests to support the student logging program, generate money for research and student support, and allow for reforestation. This needs to be a critical component of the McDonald-Dunn forest plan.
Anonymous
09/21/2022
From my perspective as a college of Forestry graduate who worked on the college forest as part of the student logging program, I feel that the college does not fully utilize the resource it has.
It seems to me that the forest is prioritized for use as a public park, and graduate and doctoral research lab than as economic resource for the school. As an undergraduate, we were exposed to very little of the research that was taking place on the forest beyond the occasional field lab. As a member of the student logging training program, our efforts to generate income from the school seemed to be at odds with the emphasis on public recreation on the forest.
The management plan pushing as much of the forest in to over mature, late seral habitat seems contradictory to a school that is sponsored and produces young foresters who are hired by industrial forestry companies. Maintaining this forest plan also limits the economic benefit of timber harvest for the school and surrounding community. Further, the plan limits the benefit of the forest to society as a whole in terms to carbon sequestration.
I believe the forest plan should prioritize a more active, working forest. I believe such a plan would provide better educational opportunities to the students, better economic opportunities to the school and community through timber revenue, and would provide recreational opportunities to those use use the forest that way.
Anonymous
01/13/2023
As an insatiable trail-runner it has been a thrill to see the modest rise in new trail development in recent years, and the continuance of managing for recreation not just production and research. Let me add to the public demand for more authorized trails targeted at all user groups, and the expedient restoration of trails that get erased during harvests. I'll continue volunteering wherever I can.
Anonymous
01/07/2025
Please consider allowing e-bikes in McDonald forest roads.
Anonymous
02/20/2024
How do you address the extreme need for jobs in our rural forested communities? How do you address that the Industrial model represents a short boom followed by a protracted bust in terms of jobs and rural communities. I know of no exceptions. How do Jobs and community stability factor into your research and work?
Anonymous
09/21/2022
OSU’s Research Forest has been and will continue to be an extremely important part of Oregon’s natural environment. A huge number of research projects, both completed and ongoing, have addressed the regions growing and continuing need for forest products. Demand for Forest products will continue to rise with an ever growing population. This research has provided much needed input into regulations regarding the extraction and use of our Forest products. Oregon and the PNW have developed the greatest set of rules to provide an environmentally friendly, sustainable and low carbon emission building products. No where else on earth do we have forest rules that are as stringent as here in the PNW.
A forest is an ever evolving entity. At no time does it stop growing, living, breathing and dying. Before man’s intervention fire was a huge component of the forest landscape. Fire was the component that kept the forest in balance. Without fire man has to manage the forest so that it continues to thrive. We cannot simply lock it up. Ongoing harvests replace the needed element of fire on the landscape.
Please continue to allow the Research Forest to provide much needed opportunities for recreation, research and education. We cannot turn the forest into a park with no active management allowed. The forest will simply die over time. The forest needs us as much as we need it.
Anonymous
11/29/2024
With regard to the recent discussion about removal of hazard trees in stewarded reserves... it makes sense that leaning rotten trees or snags near utility lines, buildings, trails, or roads might potentially be a danger. But dead and dying trees falling inside an old growth reserve are not a hazard. To the contrary, they are a crucial and key component. Removing dead trees defeats the purpose of having an old growth reserve, because you are losing structure and soil nutrients. An old growth forest isn't a stand of large trees, it's an ecosystem. Take out the "hazard trees" and you've lost half of that ecosystem.
Anonymous
11/07/2022
Please stop cutting down old growth forests!! You say you want to manage forests for climate resilience, and the best way to mitigate climate change is to keep the forests intact. Please stop violating your own management plans. These are public forests and they belong to all of us. You don't own them and you do not have a right to manage them alone without collaborative involvement. There are no forest carbon, climate change or ecological forestry experts on either the SAC or the FPC, instead the stakeholders are in traditional timber management. None of this fits with OSU's strategic plan and vision for the future.
Your own OSU faculty researchers provide study after study that show forests cool the environment, and provide habitat for endangered species and sequester carbon. Your own research also shows that clear-cutting damages streams and ecosystems and that once old-growth is cut that ecosystem can NEVER be replaced. What you do cannot be undone. So stop managing and start preserving - the time is now.
Anonymous
01/13/2024
As you continue the process of developing a new management plan for the McDonald Dunn Forest, please hold as your highest value the preservation of mature and old growth forests ..... please do not put any more land into rotation/tree farm status. As the holder and steward of these public lands, and as an educational organization, please opt for more research on the biodiversity and function of the mature forest (including the avian, mammalian, reptilian, plant, and fungal communities).
Anonymous
09/21/2022
As both a graduate of OSU in Forest Management (1974) and a purchaser of sawlogs for Georgia Pacific in Philomath, and pulp logs for Pacific Fibre Products the school forests provide students an opportunity to learn about harvest, help supply raw materials to local forest product manufacturers, and financial income to OSU. I encourage the university to continue sustainably managing all of the College of Forestry lands
Anonymous
01/13/2023
I appreciate the continued mix-use ethos and management of the forest. One of the best ways to engage community members in wise use and resource conservation is to create opportunities for people to learn about, be immersed in, and deeply experience the natural world. Maintaining recreation as a core value in the Mac is essential for this. Creating and maintaining both mixed and single-use trails supports a wide array of recreational opportunities. Since moving to the area in 2003, I have done field work, hiked, biked, run, packed my infant child on trails in the Mac, and then watched him grow to hike, run and bike these same trails. This is an amazing learning laboratory not just for forest and social sciences but for the surrounding communities and global trail recreation communities. While there will always be the potential for friction between competing uses, recreation in the Mac brings incredible value and opportunity. Please continue to prioritize trail use and development.
Anonymous
05/30/2023
Many comments were received during the update of the Community Wildfire Protection Plan that the areas where theforest is adjacent to residential needs to be cleared of brush and the trees thinned or limbed to help prevent the spread of a wildfire. I hope that the forest plan will include maintenance of the WUI along the edges of the forests.
Anonymous
01/12/2023
I want more races in the forest!
Anonymous
11/07/2022
It is important that the public be involved in a collaborative process to manage these public forests. The college is statutorily obligated to transparency and accountability, and the public is not getting their concerns addressed. The forest belongs to all Oregonians, and as such the college needs to be accountable to the people, as the steward of the forest. The mishandling of old-growth stands has caused legitimate concerns that were to be addressed by transparency and accountability. If the public is not involved collaboratively, then concerns will likely continue to go un-addressed.
Anonymous
04/21/2023
I love trail running and single track and am excited about the forthcoming connections between Bald Hill and Oak Creek/Dimple/Saddle/Peavy. The more we can weave our recreation spaces together, the better! I use the trails for mountain biking, hiking, and trail unning and prefer single track. I'm very happy with trails and access currently and hope to see it continue at current levels or expand. I don't think that landowners near trail heads should have the ability to restrict access or use of these recreation areas. I'd love to see invasive species removed as much as possible, and perhaps more educational signage about native species. Thank you!
Anonymous
09/18/2022
I'm a neighbor of Mac Forest, and it has felt lately as if the College of Forestry can't see the forest for the value of the trees--as if you are interested only in a crop rather than a forest--for its ultimate health as an ecosystem. How do you see balancing those views going forward? What percentage of this plan will focus on "Net Revenue," the second focus after education, versus the ecological, cultural, and human concerns--including the impact on the planet when you cut down one of the most efficient ways to reduce greenhouse gas? I don't expect a response, but I do hope you will consider this and answer it within the management plan you eventually create.
I've also felt that the "purpose" of the deforestation of late has been somewhat disingenuous. In particular, saying the recent meadow cut is about preserving the oaks is odd because there are very few oaks in that meadow, but it does contain a pioneer orchard worth preserving.
Anonymous
01/12/2023
I would love to see more non logging road trails. I would also love to see a 50 mile race or even 100 mile race (running) in this beautiful forest.
Anonymous
02/24/2023
I have been running, walking, hunting, riding and trail-building in Mac/Dunn since moving to Corvallis as faculty for OSU forty three years ago. I know the forest like my backyard, watching it grow and change over these decades. That said, I have never seen so much cutting of trees and closure of access as observed this year. It's everywhere! I understand the need to mitigate fire risk and the value of timber for support of COForestry activities, but this level of cut is beyond understanding. It grieves me to think of the impact such devastating cuts have for the animal and plant populations there, what 'hypocrisy' it reveals to others for an institution that postures conservation and social integration to its local community. SLOW DOWN!Assure us that this precious resource is carefully and completely dedicated to support of local communities and the University, not capital gains for unrelated others. The world is heating up, commercial transformation of native habitats is devastating species diversity and opening landscapes for invasion of non- native species. We must "walk our talk" with responsible harvesting, not the clear cut + 1 tree/acre I am witnessing. PS. I hope your request for feedback is sincere and taken seriously. I am angry and concerned about what I see and I sense a great deal of cynicism, my own included, that this appeal will be ignored and disregarded for its incompatibility to a foregone policy decision. Step up! Do what those who follow us 43 years from now will call far-sighted and responsible.
Anonymous
09/17/2022
Having a working forest with roads and trails nearby is a boon for residents in the area. I am grateful for that at 79 years old to have this near my home. I have hiked our trails for years, but overcoming the frailty of age has caused me to change to bike riding.
I was told ebikes are prohibited. There are class 1 ebikes, with low power pedal assistance, which gives me the ability to ride on our hills at all.
I can see why we don't want various motor cycles ripping through the countryside. However Class 1 ebikes only provide a boost to pedalling. There are other places for racers to ride. I think restricting the weight and power of electric bikes allowed on trails can still allow for multi purpose use that those of us with restricted capabilities require to enjoy your roads and trails.
Thank you for your consideration.
Anonymous
01/12/2023
More single track trails!
Anonymous
02/24/2023
I hope that any plans for MacDonald Dunn will include complete protection of old growth, including individual old trees. Also, no logging or other altering of the forest should be allowed that would adversely affect habitat for rare, threatened or endangered plants or animals. Non-native invasives should be removed, and MacDonald and Dunn should be managed to increase biodiversity and acreage of native areas.
Anonymous
09/15/2022
As an OSU College of Forestry alumni, 30 year practicing forester and manager of nearly fifty foresters, I believe that the McDonald Dunn forest presents a unique opportunity for students and professionals to see all aspects of Forestry - to include active management and timber harvesting. OSU foresters are better prepared for any career path that they embark, because of the exposure that they get at the college and near by resources
Love the Mac and all the trails so much!Always love the idea of more single track for running. Continued work on connections with other natural areas (i.e. a Cardwell Hill-McDonald connection.) Continued support for off-leash dogs. Thank you!
Please build a flow-track (fast) trail from the top of hydra (rd660) traversing the gully leading to baker creek in a NE fashion towards Bomb's away. The trail should start at the top of Road 660, and descend (switchbacks) to 640/ knucklehead, then, importantly, it should then traverse SW to re-connect with 660. This way if someone ends up going down 600 then 640, they can head back to 600 to oak creek if they parked there-(loops reduce risks of getting lost). This would allow people to hike/bike a loop from oak creek, and enjoy the new bomb's away trail, and/or Hydra from Oakcreek parking w/o having to do an "out and back". This newly acquired property by the school should prioritize recreational use, as the north facing slope is a dense ecosystem, and the steepness at the top of 660 precludes safe resource extraction. It will also remain cool in the summer.
As a citizen of Oregon and a student at OSU, I am deeply concerned about the creation of the decision making process for the management plan of the McDonald-Dunn research forest. These forests are public lands that the college of forestry is stewarding, and setting the precedent for the management for forests across the state. The public needs to be able to actually collaborate on forest management decisions, like Anthony Davis said. Collaboration is not being asked to submit comments or be given short windows of time to answer predetermined questions. Collaboration means having at least equal seats at the decision making table and working with the public in an ongoing reciprocal relationship where everyone is working to solve problems together. In order to be collaborative these processes need to be inclusive, open minded, communicate transparently. See collaborative skills and definition of collaborative. Furthermore, requiring operational revenue to come from logging of these public forests precludes the possibility of researching all alternative forest management practices. The current revenue accounting does not include the externalized costs of carbon storage, habitat, water filtration and storage, and wildfire resilience to name a few. Clearcut logging is not a renewable or sustainable resource and we need to be studying other management strategies that take into account the larger picture of our ecosystem at this time, and not just the financial profits. For example, several studies have shown that the best direction for PNW forestry would include: carbon accounting for all management decisions, forest lands that are removed from logging bases for increased carbon storage, water quality, recreation, and habitat, extending buffer zones, limiting pesticide and herbicide use, and alternatives to clearcut logging that leave more trees on the landscape. See fusee.org. Finally, if I were to choose my own public representation, which you seem to have already done for me, I would choose people like my friends and colleagues who have been working independently and for the forest service in restoration of forests to old growth character, creation of wildlife habitat, and in wildfire management. This is to say, I do not see my interests represented in your stakeholders.
Effectivly managing the OSU forests is an important task. Balancing all aspects of the forest is very important. Timber harvest is a key piece to this resource management. I strongly support the harvest of timber on the college forests to support the student logging program, generate money for research and student support, and allow for reforestation. This needs to be a critical component of the McDonald-Dunn forest plan.
As an insatiable trail-runner it has been a thrill to see the modest rise in new trail development in recent years, and the continuance of managing for recreation not just production and research. Let me add to the public demand for more authorized trails targeted at all user groups, and the expedient restoration of trails that get erased during harvests. I'll continue volunteering wherever I can.
Please consider allowing e-bikes in McDonald forest roads.
How do you address the extreme need for jobs in our rural forested communities? How do you address that the Industrial model represents a short boom followed by a protracted bust in terms of jobs and rural communities. I know of no exceptions. How do Jobs and community stability factor into your research and work?
With regard to the recent discussion about removal of hazard trees in stewarded reserves... it makes sense that leaning rotten trees or snags near utility lines, buildings, trails, or roads might potentially be a danger. But dead and dying trees falling inside an old growth reserve are not a hazard. To the contrary, they are a crucial and key component. Removing dead trees defeats the purpose of having an old growth reserve, because you are losing structure and soil nutrients. An old growth forest isn't a stand of large trees, it's an ecosystem. Take out the "hazard trees" and you've lost half of that ecosystem.
As you continue the process of developing a new management plan for the McDonald Dunn Forest, please hold as your highest value the preservation of mature and old growth forests ..... please do not put any more land into rotation/tree farm status. As the holder and steward of these public lands, and as an educational organization, please opt for more research on the biodiversity and function of the mature forest (including the avian, mammalian, reptilian, plant, and fungal communities).
As both a graduate of OSU in Forest Management (1974) and a purchaser of sawlogs for Georgia Pacific in Philomath, and pulp logs for Pacific Fibre Products the school forests provide students an opportunity to learn about harvest, help supply raw materials to local forest product manufacturers, and financial income to OSU. I encourage the university to continue sustainably managing all of the College of Forestry lands
I appreciate the continued mix-use ethos and management of the forest. One of the best ways to engage community members in wise use and resource conservation is to create opportunities for people to learn about, be immersed in, and deeply experience the natural world. Maintaining recreation as a core value in the Mac is essential for this. Creating and maintaining both mixed and single-use trails supports a wide array of recreational opportunities. Since moving to the area in 2003, I have done field work, hiked, biked, run, packed my infant child on trails in the Mac, and then watched him grow to hike, run and bike these same trails. This is an amazing learning laboratory not just for forest and social sciences but for the surrounding communities and global trail recreation communities. While there will always be the potential for friction between competing uses, recreation in the Mac brings incredible value and opportunity. Please continue to prioritize trail use and development.
Many comments were received during the update of the Community Wildfire Protection Plan that the areas where theforest is adjacent to residential needs to be cleared of brush and the trees thinned or limbed to help prevent the spread of a wildfire. I hope that the forest plan will include maintenance of the WUI along the edges of the forests.
I want more races in the forest!
It is important that the public be involved in a collaborative process to manage these public forests. The college is statutorily obligated to transparency and accountability, and the public is not getting their concerns addressed. The forest belongs to all Oregonians, and as such the college needs to be accountable to the people, as the steward of the forest. The mishandling of old-growth stands has caused legitimate concerns that were to be addressed by transparency and accountability. If the public is not involved collaboratively, then concerns will likely continue to go un-addressed.
I love trail running and single track and am excited about the forthcoming connections between Bald Hill and Oak Creek/Dimple/Saddle/Peavy. The more we can weave our recreation spaces together, the better! I use the trails for mountain biking, hiking, and trail unning and prefer single track. I'm very happy with trails and access currently and hope to see it continue at current levels or expand. I don't think that landowners near trail heads should have the ability to restrict access or use of these recreation areas. I'd love to see invasive species removed as much as possible, and perhaps more educational signage about native species. Thank you!
I would love to see more non logging road trails. I would also love to see a 50 mile race or even 100 mile race (running) in this beautiful forest.
I have been running, walking, hunting, riding and trail-building in Mac/Dunn since moving to Corvallis as faculty for OSU forty three years ago. I know the forest like my backyard, watching it grow and change over these decades. That said, I have never seen so much cutting of trees and closure of access as observed this year. It's everywhere! I understand the need to mitigate fire risk and the value of timber for support of COForestry activities, but this level of cut is beyond understanding. It grieves me to think of the impact such devastating cuts have for the animal and plant populations there, what 'hypocrisy' it reveals to others for an institution that postures conservation and social integration to its local community. SLOW DOWN!Assure us that this precious resource is carefully and completely dedicated to support of local communities and the University, not capital gains for unrelated others. The world is heating up, commercial transformation of native habitats is devastating species diversity and opening landscapes for invasion of non- native species. We must "walk our talk" with responsible harvesting, not the clear cut + 1 tree/acre I am witnessing. PS. I hope your request for feedback is sincere and taken seriously. I am angry and concerned about what I see and I sense a great deal of cynicism, my own included, that this appeal will be ignored and disregarded for its incompatibility to a foregone policy decision. Step up! Do what those who follow us 43 years from now will call far-sighted and responsible.
More single track trails!
I hope that any plans for MacDonald Dunn will include complete protection of old growth, including individual old trees. Also, no logging or other altering of the forest should be allowed that would adversely affect habitat for rare, threatened or endangered plants or animals. Non-native invasives should be removed, and MacDonald and Dunn should be managed to increase biodiversity and acreage of native areas.
As an OSU College of Forestry alumni, 30 year practicing forester and manager of nearly fifty foresters, I believe that the McDonald Dunn forest presents a unique opportunity for students and professionals to see all aspects of Forestry - to include active management and timber harvesting. OSU foresters are better prepared for any career path that they embark, because of the exposure that they get at the college and near by resources