Coos Bay, OR – Southwestern Oregon Community College invites the community to join us on Thursday, February 26, 2026, at 6:00 pm, for a group panel discussion on “The Future of Oregon’s Working Forests: Balancing Timber Production and Ecosystem Health,” hosted by Tasha Davison, Forestry Instructor at Southwestern. This is a free event; all ages are welcome.
Coos County residents can join us in-person in the Umpqua Hall lecture room (room 184) on the Coos Campus, 1988 Newmark Ave., Coos Bay.
Curry County residents can join us for a watch party on the Curry Campus, 96082 Lone Ranch Parkway, Brookings.
For those not able to attend in person the lecture will be streamed live on the College’s YouTube channel at: www.youtube.com/@southwesternOR/streams.
About the Panel:
Explore how Oregon’s forests can continue to support a thriving timber industry while preserving biodiversity, water quality, and climate resilience. Experts will discuss innovative management strategies, policy considerations, and collaborative approaches to ensure sustainable forest practices for generations to come.
About the Panelists:
Participants will include Coos Watershed Association, Elliott State Research Forest Station, Coos Forest Protective Association, Weyerhaeuser, South Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve, and Oregon Department of Forestry.
For more information about the lecture series contact DeAnne Varitek, Dean of Career & Technical Education at deanne.varitek@socc.edu or 541-888-7312.
To learn more about Southwestern’s Forestry & Natural Resources program visit: https://www.socc.edu/forestry/.
