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Annual Meeting
The 2012 Annual Meeting of the Willamette Valley Ponderosa Pine Conservation Association will be Wednesday, March 7. The meeting will be held at the Linn County Extension Office, Old Armory building on 4th and Lyon, in Albany. Please note the meeting will be in the afternoon again this year. It will begin at 1:00pm with a short business meeting to elect two Executive Committee members.
The program will feature Sara Lipow and Julie Woodward. Sara will make a short presentation on the status of our Valley ponderosa pine gene conservation effort. Julie will tell us about the success of the Discovery Forest education program at the Oregon Garden as they prepare for their 10 year anniversary. Our WVPPCA pine demonstration area is part of their program.
To all Ponderosa Pine Enthusiasts
The Association continues to promote the planting of native Willamette Valley ponderosa pine. Future efforts will include insuring a dependable seed source, improved pine management techniques for Willamette Valley soil types and weather conditions and to develop better manufacturing and marketing programs. We are still looking for young plantations to measure for the creation of growth and yield tables. We need plantations 20 to 30 years old. Criteria are on the website. Click HERE for the criteria for a plantation to qualify for consideration. The sampling matrix below indicates the age / site distribution of plantations necessary to develop the tables.
There are a few Valley ponderosa available. Check www.forestseedlingnetwork.com if you need seedlings this planting season.
Our executive director will be retiring this summer. If you are interested in the mostly voluntary position please contact me.
Thank you for your interest in Willamette Valley ponderosa pine.
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When You're So Old
by Robert H. Mealey 1910-2007
Mr. Ponderosa, Friend and Mentor
Past Articles of Interest
Background and History
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The Willamette Valley Ponderosa Pine Program was formally established in April of 1994. This group of pioneer ponderosa pine enthusiasts identified several needs regarding the Willamette Valley strain of ponderosa pine but determined that they fell into two categories. These were gene conservation and seed production/genetic activities that will lead to new pine plantations.
The new group moved forward with seed collection, genetics testing, insect research, growth and yield data collection, brochure development and parent tree selection. The major participants and Cascade Pacific RC & D provided early funding. As the program matured the name was modified to the Willamette Valley Ponderosa Pine Conservation Association to better reflect the objectives of the group. Bylaws were formulated and formal agreements were developed with the Oregon Department of Forestry and Western Forestry and Conservation Association.
The Association seeks to conserve and reestablish the native strain of Willamette Valley ponderosa pine for both genetic conservation and future timber, wildlife and urban uses. The potential to grow ponderosa pine on soils marginal for other tree species is significant. By planting pine, farmers and other landowners can realize substantial economic and ecological benefits. Thousands of potential planting sites exist within the Willamette Valley. In many areas, pine plantations can coexist well with livestock grazing or other rural land uses. Ponderosa pine's deep root system and stately form also make it an attractive choice for city parks, urban areas and watershed plantings.
Specific Goals:
- Conserve Willamette Valley Ponderosa Pine as a genetic resource.
- Maintain genetic diversity and adaptability of seed sources used in reforestation, wildlife habitat, and urban tree planting programs.
- Improve the genetic quality of Willamette Valley ponderosa pine through careful tree selection and prescriptive seed deployment.
- Locate and map native Willamette Valley ponderosa pine stands for future genetic collections.
- Locate and map plantations of ponderosa pine from known Willamette Valley parent trees and seed sources.
- Provide supplies of high quality seed for planting programs until seed orchards begin production (next 10 years).
- Provide for long-term supplies of high quality seed through development of a seed orchard.
- Promote applied research into growing and managing ponderosa pine in the Willamette Valley. Topics may include density management, pruning, suitability to various soil types, and pest management.
- Networking information among Willamette Valley ponderosa pine growers and researchers.
- Disseminate information to interested parties and the general public via newsletters, publications, tours, meetings, news releases and other means.
