Mapping the Course & Business of Forest Products

About this Event

Details

2025 Mapping the Course conference at the World Forestry Center in Portland, Oregon January 22nd, 2025.

This yearly conference discusses opportunities and stressors for the North American forest industry. Topics will highlight ongoing trends, issues, market forces, and helpful strategies.

In-person Mapping the Course attendees will be able to experience Oregon Forests Forever “For the Trees” virtual reality experience, an innovative forestry communications and outreach tool. To preview the experience, check out an example video on the For The Trees YouTube Channel.

The Oregon Forests Forever team recently debuted their brand new “For the Trees” virtual reality experience. These 360-degree interactive videos share sights and sounds you can only experience from inside a working forest. Each video is a few minutes long and takes the viewer on a journey through active forest management, wildfire prevention, and ensuring sustainability.

 

A networking social starts the conference the evening of Tuesday, January 21st at the WFC.

 

The Beck Group’s Business of Forest Products workshop is co-located and offered as an add on for January 23rd, 2025.

This workshop introduces the business of utilizing materials from the forest. The target audience includes those new to the forest products business, USFS staff, other local and State government agency staff, accountants, salespeople, legal counsel, and human resources staff at existing forest products manufacturing companies who seek a basic understanding of wood-based raw materials and their importance in forest products manufacturing. For the full workshop topic list click here to download the brochure (PDF).

SAF CFE Credits

SAF CFE credits will be available for both in-person and virtual attendees.

Registration

Registration for 2025 Mapping the Course:

  • In-person registration: $485 (through Jan. 8th), starting January 9th price increases to $535
  • Virtual registration: $195

 

Registration for the Business of Forest Products workshop:

  • In-person registration: $550 (through Jan. 8th), starting January 9th price increases to $600
  • Virtual registration: $500 (through Jan. 8th), starting January 9th price increases to $550

 

*Cross-Registration: $50 discount available if an attendee registers for both BOFP & MTC.

Lodging

There is no hotel located at the World Forestry Center; however, there are many nearby options:

Best Western Portland West Beaverton (4 miles away) – Free parking
Silver Cloud Hotel (4 miles away) – Free parking

McMenamins Kennedy School (9 miles away) – A portion of the parking lot is free and dedicated to overnight guests only. Street parking is free and without time limitations.

The following options have an airport shuttle and are located on the MAX red line, which goes directly to the World Forestry Center (50 minutes):

Holiday Inn Express & Suites Portland Airport (14 miles away) – On-site parking is $8 daily
Residence Inn Portland Airport at Cascade Station (14 miles away) – On-site parking is $9 daily
Embassy Suites by Hilton Portland Airport (14 miles away) – On-site parking is $20 daily

Event Agenda

Tuesday, Jan. 21

Multi-event evening social at World Forestry Center

Wednesday, Jan. 22

Mapping the Course

8:00am Optional coffee mixer  

9:00am      New Vision for WFC Joe Furia, CEO, World Forestry Center

9:30am      Economic Overview – Mike Buffo, Director of Technical Services, Mason, Bruce & Girard

10:00am    Outlook on Mass Timber – Iain Macdonald & Marcus Kauffman, PNW Mass Timber Tech Hub 

10:30amBreak 

10:45am     Overturning Chevron Doctrine – Sara Ghafouri, General Counsel, American Forest Resource Council

11:15am      Transportation & Trucking Updates – Jana Jarvis, President & CEO, OR Trucking Associations

12:00pmLunch 

1:00pm     Shaping Perception: Advancing the Forest Industry Through Strategy – Amanda Sullivan-Astor, Forest Policy Manager, Associated Oregon Loggers

1:30pm     Fueling Change: USFS and Private Industry Partnerships for Wildfire Suppression and Prevention – Chad Washington, Director of Forest Protection, Oregon Forest Industries Council

2:15pm       NW Forest Plan Update – Shasta Ferranto, Special Assistant to the Regional Forester, US Forest Service – Pacific Northwest Region

3:00pmBreak 

3:15pm      Trusted Messengers: Why Getting OTHER People to Tell Your Story is What Really Matters Josh Law, Founder/Forest Advocate, We The Forest

4:00pm      Panel: What’s Working in Forestry Communications

      • Moderated by Blake Manley, Manley Jobs
      • Jordan Benner, OFRI
      • Sara Duncan, OFIC
      • Josh Law, We The Forest

5:00pm Adjourn 

Thursday, Jan. 23

The Business of Forest Products Workshop

8:00am – Coffee & Check in begins

9:00am           Welcome – Steve Courtney, Vice President of Operations, The Beck Group

A 5-minute break will occur between each topic:

9:05am           1. Introduction to the Forest Products Industry & Businesses Consuming Forest Derived Wood

9:40am           2. Forest Products and Associated Businesses

10:30am         3. Units of Measure & Conversion Factors for Transactions

11:30am – Lunch

12:30pm         4. Selling: Finding Markets, Purchaser Specifications, & Determining Value

1:20pm           5. Costs of Harvesting Forest Products

2:10pm           6. Wood Manufacturers: Log values, Product Yield, & Product Value

3:00pm           7. Determining Timber Sale Value

3:45pm – Adjourn