History of the Woodland Fish & Wildlife Publication Project
By Ken Bevis, Steve Gibbs, and Richard Zabel
Millions of acres of forest land across Oregon and Washington are owned and cared for by small private forest owners. Since the 1950s, programs have existed to provide educational programs and materials, individual on-site advice, and financial incentives to help these owners manage their forests. Initially, these efforts were aimed primarily at improving timber production, but over time, surveys revealed most landowners had multiple resource values with wildlife habitat standing out as notably important. Having access to information that is important and relevant to this audience is critical.
The Woodland Fish and Wildlife Publication Project (WFW) began in the mid-1970s as an internal project within the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife under Ron Haverlandt in their public affairs department. The purpose was to educate Oregon’s family forest owners on wildlife management. Ron solicited topics, secured authors and edited copy while the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife covered design, printing, and distribution. Two to three publications were produced, printed, and used by various service forestry agents and small woodland groups in Oregon and Washington annually.
In 1988, the World Forestry Center hosted a consortium of public agencies, universities, and landowner organizations from Oregon and Washington to discuss how to develop and disseminate forest wildlife habitat information specifically tailored for small forest landowners across the Pacific Northwest. The group adopted WFW which became an informal coalition of organizations that successfully continues to this day. The Western Forestry and Conservation Association then took on WFW and today provides essential foundational and organizational support. This includes administrative services as well as the means to receive financial support for the project.
Over the past 11 years, WFW has entered the digital age by reworking some of the original important papers (moving to a web-based format, including photographs and the most recent science) and proceeding with new, relevant work. Recently WFW has seen an upsurge in publication production with the addition of Cafferata Wildlife Consulting and the efforts of some key members from Washington and Oregon.
Currently, there are 29 public domain articles available on topics ranging from individual species accounts (such as beavers or band-tailed pigeons), groups of species (such as amphibians, pollinators, deer, or elk), and specific habitat elements or forest types (such as Douglas fir, Ponderosa pine, Broadleaf forests, or Habitat piles). Recent publications include two on fire-related topics – “Wildlife Friendly Fuels Reduction”, and “My Forest Burned, Now What?”.
Amazing collaborations of authors and engaged editors continue to produce these articles, with contributors from both Oregon and Washington weighing in on a volunteer basis on topics of interest and importance. Currently, WFW is finding new topics and rewriting and reimagining past articles.
It is an ongoing effort, with funding currently provided by the U.S. Forest Service and the Washington State Department of Natural Resources. Future projects will include fact sheets and possibly instructional videos — all attached to the platform provided by the Western Forestry and Conservation Association.
The current committee lists 27 members from both public and private entities in Washington and Oregon. The current director of the Western Forestry and Conservation Association, Nicole Jacobsen, helps run WFW. Previously, Richard Zabel served as the outstanding Western Forestry and Conservation Association liaison for well over 10 years, shepherding WFW into the modern world of computers and websites.
Stop by and view the excellent library of articles at WoodlandFishandWildlife.com.
