2020 Virtual PNW Forest Vegetation Management Conference

Recordings of all presentations are available to paid attendees (passwords are required to view the recordings). Please use the form below to contact us with any questions.

Session 1: Wednesday, 12/2/20.

Oregon has approved 1 Core Credit and 1 Regular Credit for this session. Credits have been applied for. Anticipating 1 credit from each: Idaho and Washington State per Session 1.

9:00 to 10:00 a.m. Human and Environmental Toxicology of Pesticide Formulations and Spray Adjuvants – Allan Felsot, Professor, Department of Entomology, Washington State University

What is the physical chemistry of adjuvants such as surfactants and why they are needed for biological activity? This presentation will provide a review of the regulatory aspect of pesticide formulations and spray adjuvants under State and Federal laws. Dr. Felsot will answer the questions: What are the environmental hazards and human health hazards with adjuvants? and How PPE such as gloves can mitigate most of the health risk.

10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Elk Hoof Disease Research at WSU On Treponema and Forest Vegetation Needs for Large Forest Ungulates – Margaret Wild, DVM, PhD, College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University and Kyle Garrison, Ungulate Specialist, Washington Dept. of Fish and Wildlife

In 2018 the Washington Legislature allotted funds for the WSU College of Veterinary Medicine to study the problem of elk hoof disease. Dr. Wild directs this project and will provide an update on the findings to date. Project studies include pathogen research around treponema, controlled experiments with captive elk, disease surveillance, and investigating the risk factors in wild elk.

Kyle Garrison will review the research on the forage values of vegetation for elk and the changes made in those plant communities after timber harvest. Comparisons of forage with or without herbicide treatment will be described. In this presentation, Kyle will discuss the relationships among silviculture, elk habitat, nutrition, and disease informed by recent research in the Pacific Northwest.

Session 2: Thursday, 12/3/20.

Oregon has approved 2 Regular Credits. Credits have been applied for. Anticipating 2 credits from each: Idaho and Washington State per Session 2.

9:00 to 10:00 a.m. Water Use and Competitiveness of Senecio sylvaticus in Young Pseudotsuga menziesii Plantations in Western Oregon – Carlos Gonzalez-Benecke, Vegetation Management Research Cooperative, Oregon State University

Senecio species are a nemesis for reforestation projects throughout the Pacific Northwest and this research shows the species impact on seedling survival and growth. Senecio densities varied across the research sites and comparisons were made for soil moisture depletion and competition with the Douglas fir seedlings.

10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Interactive Effects of Stock Size and Vegetation Management Treatments on Douglas-fir Plantation Productivity – Maxwell Wightman, Vegetation Management Research Cooperative, Oregon State University

This presentation will cover the 10-year results of comparing the interaction of seedling stock size and forest vegetation management treatments in Western Oregon. Three seedling stock types and three vegetation management regimes were studied. The tree seedling growth and volumes were measured as were the long-term effect of the cover of shrubs on these sites.

Session 3: Tuesday, 12/8/20.

Oregon has approved 1 Core Credit and 1 Regular Credit. Credits have been applied for. Anticipating 2 credits from Idaho and Washington State per Session 3.

9:00 to 10:00 a.m. Noxious Weed Control: Identification, IVM Control Methods, Communicating with a Skeptical Public – Dana Coggon, Program Manager, Kitsap County Noxious Weed Control Board

Dana will discuss the control of weeds such as Japanese Knotweed, Tansy Ragwort, Giant Hogweed, Scotch Broom and other species. Kitsap County is across Puget Sound from Seattle and includes Bainbridge Island, a rather wealthy bedroom community where many people commute to Seattle via ferry. Dana maintains her program plans and funding by communication with governmental leaders and other agencies, plus manages the field work crew. She employs the use of weed hand pulling, stem injections, spot foliar backpack spray, and broadcast treatments in a suburban environment.

10:30 to 11:30 a.m. Herbicide Tank Mixtures and Toxicology – Vickie Tatum, Forest Chemical Program Manager, National Council of Air and Stream Improvement

While resource managers understand the toxicology and envirotoxicology of many of the herbicides used in forestry, there are often questions about tank mixes. Do tank mixes of different chemicals change the toxicity of the combinations? Vickie will share information on this subject so foresters can better understand and communicate tank mixes with the public as well as applicators.

Session 4: Wednesday, 12/9/20.

Oregon had approved 1 Core Credit and 1 Regular Credit. Credits have been applied for. Anticipating 2 credits from Idaho and Washington State per Session 4.

9:00 to 10:00 a.m. Noxious and Invasive Weed Identification and Mapping – Wyatt Williams, Invasive Species Specialist, Oregon Department of Forestry

Wyatt will outline the Oregon Department of Forestry system for the surveillance, mapping, and monitoring of noxious and invasive weed species in forest settings. Planning for control and eradication is important element in any vegetation management project. Integrated vegetation control will be stressed along with control options.

10:30 to 11:30 a.m. The Art of Measuring Pesticides and an Update on PPE Requirements – Carol Black, Pesticide Education Specialist, Washington State University

The accuracy of measuring is important for efficacy, preventing unwanted damage, and saving the investment in the cost of chemicals. Most products have wiggle room, but some measuring devices can lead applicators astray. A review of formulations types and measuring devices will be given. An update on Personal Protective Equipment label changes will be reviewed for some of the common forest herbicides.