Trust For Public Land (TPL) and Oregon State University (OSU), in partnership with Metro, Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF), and local community organizations, announced on May 9, 2025, the acquisition of 3,110 acres of timber land from Weyerhaeuser Company, to establish the Tualatin Mountain Forest as an OSU Research Forest. 

Prior to OSU’s acquisition — which came at no cost to the university — the Tualatin Mountain Forest was privately owned and managed for timber production. The forest is predominately made up of even-aged Douglas-fir stands, with the majority ranging in age from 5 to 35 years old. Future research and management will emphasize greater compositional and structural diversity and replicated comparisons of management strategies to evaluate and advance alternative forest management practices. An initial forest management plan to guide operations between 2026-2028 is in development now for anticipated implementation beginning winter 2025. During this period, the College of Forestry will develop a long-term forest management plan, guided by research objectives, ecological goals and the co-identification of research and management priorities with Tribes, including the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde, on whose ancestral lands the forest is located.

As with the McDonald-Dunn Forest in Corvallis, public access is a key part of OSU’s vision for the Tualatin Mountain Forest. A visitor use and recreation plan will be developed to ensure ecological integrity of the forest and community benefit, as well as alignment with active forest management. This planning will help ensure safe, sustainable access for multiple types of recreational users. We expect to share more updates in 2026. 

OSU also plans to explore new partnerships focused on K–12 nature-based education, providing outdoor learning experiences tied to climate, science and natural resources stewardship. As OSU’s only research forest in the Portland metro area, the forest is uniquely positioned to serve as a hub for urban engagement and open up nature-based educational experiences for youth with limited exposure to managed and accessible forest landscapes.

The Trust for Public Land acquired the forest with funding from the U.S. Forest Service Forest Legacy Program, Metro Regional Government and private gifts, and transferred ownership to OSU. These funding sources specify that active management and public access must be maintained in perpetuity. The OSU Board of Trustees agreed to accept ownership of the new research forest during its March 14, 2025 meeting. 

Read the full press release.