College of Forestry

As global demand for wood products continues to rise, College of Forestry researchers are asking a critical question: How can society meet future timber needs without causing harm to forests, biodiversity and climate stability? That challenge is at the center of a new research effort led by Matt Betts, professor and Ruth Spaniol Chair in the College of Forestry's Department of Forest Ecosystems and Society, and former postdoctoral researcher Gianluca Cerullo, now a research associate at the University of Cambridge. The project, supported by an Oregon State University Internationalization Grant, brings together researchers from Oregon State, the University of Cambridge and the University of Hong Kong to create a global system for measuring the environmental impacts of wood production and trade.

Working in Oregon’s steep forests brings safety and environmental challenges. Hand-felling trees with chainsaws has long been used on steep slopes to limit soil disturbance. The method can reduce machine traffic, but it is labor intensive and hazardous for workers. Tether-assisted logging offers a possible alternative. In these systems, harvesting equipment is connected by cable to an anchor machine or winch upslope. The tether helps stabilize the machine and improve traction on steep ground.

The College of Forestry community gathered at the Forestry Club Cabin in Peavy Arboretum on June 12, 2026, to celebrate the graduating class. Watch highlights from the 2026 College of Forestry Commencement Celebration and join us in recognizing our newest alumni as they begin the next chapter of their journeys. Congratulations, graduates!

Restoring dry forests in the Pacific Northwest, shaped by frequent low-intensity fire and widely spaced trees, often means thinning dense stands that accumulated after decades of fire suppression. This can make forests healthier and more resilient to wildfire, but it can raise concerns about protecting wildlife that depend on dense tree cover, including the northern spotted owl. A new study by researchers at Oregon State University and the U.S. Forest Service and just published in Forest Ecology & Management, suggests that restoration of landscapes that historically burned frequently through planned, controlled fire does not have to conflict with spotted owl conservation.