Oregon Tree Farm System Inc. (OTFS)
Now is the time to start thinking about that Tree Farmer of the Year nominee.
Nomination applications must be received by Dick Courter no later than June 1. See the February edition of Oregon Family Forests News [page 17] for more information. If there are any questions on the process, contact Dick at
.
Oregon joined the Tree Farm System in 1941 and has selected an Outstanding Tree Farmer of the Year every year since 1966.
Oregon has had five National Outstanding Tree Farmers of the Year award winners:
| Year | County | Recipient |
| 2016 | Baker | Lyle & Dean Defrees |
| 2006 | Lane | Bob & Margaret Kintigh |
| 2002 | Linn | Ron and Barbara Bentz |
| 1993 | Curry | Wayne and Colleen Krieger |
| 1982 | Linn | Bert and Betty Udell |
Oregon has had nineteen Western US Regional Tree Farmers of the Year award winners, the most of any other state in the US.
| Year | County | Recipient |
| 2016 | Baker | Lyle & Dean Defrees |
| 2014 | Douglas | Audrey & Rick Barnes |
| 2013 | Douglas | Bill & Joan Arsenault |
| 2010 | Linn | Jim Cota, Scott & Robbie Melcher |
| 2008 | Klamath | Bob Mezger |
| 2006 | Linn | Bob & Margaret Kintigh |
| 2004 | Baker | Chris & Donna Heffernan |
| 2002 | Linn | Ron & Barbara Bentz |
| 2000 | Washington | Richard & Anne Hanschu |
| 1998 | Linn | Lynn & Linda Butts |
| 1997 | Washington | K. C. & Joanne Van Natta |
| 1993 | Curry | Wayne & Colleen Krieger |
| 1992 | Wallowa | Leo Goebel & Bob Jackson |
| 1990 | Linn | Bob Mealey |
| 1988 | Coos | Bob Mahaffy |
| 1987 | Wallowa | Howard & Muriel Johnson |
| 1986 | Benton | Charles & Elsie Ross |
| 1984 | Wendell Harmon | |
| 1982 | Linn | Bert & Betty Udell |
| 1978 | Lee Hoover |
The most recent Oregon Tree Farmer of the Year award winners are shown below.
| Year | County | Recipient |
| 2020 | Benton | Ed Easterling |
| 2019 | Lane | Gail & Gordon Culberston |
| 2018 | Benton | Oaks Family |
| 2017 | Lane | Steve & Wylda Cafferata |
| 2016 | Lane | Dave & Dianne Rankin |
| 2015 | Baker | Lyle & Dean Defrees |
| 2014 | Linn | Linda Butts |
| 2013 | Douglas | Rick & Audrey Barnes |
| 2012 | Douglas | Bill & Joan Arsenault |
| 2011 | Klamath | Jim & Phyllis Dalm |
| 2010 | Union | Harry Merlo |
| 2009 | Linn | Jim Cota; Scott & Robbie Melcher |
| 2008 | Union | Ted & Mary Brown |
| 2007 | Klamath | Bob Mezger |
| 2006 | Benton | Ken & Karin Faulk |
| 2005 | Lane | Bob Kintigh |
| 2004 | Lane | Steve Woodard |
| 2003 | Baker | Chris & Donna Heffernan |
Recent County Tree Farmer of the Year award winners are shown below.
| County | Recipient |
| Benton | Ed Easterling |
| Clackamas | Linda & Michael Buser |
| Lake | Roger & Louise Linton |
| Lane | Sara Leiman & Ed Cummings |
| Linn | Shirley Jolliff & Lee Peterman |
| Union | Maurizio & Allison Valerio |
| Washington | Barrett Brown |
| Yamhill | LeLand Payne |
| County | Recipient |
| Benton | Sid Picht & Diana Blakney |
| Clackamas | The Guttridge Family |
| Lane | Gail & Gordon Culbertson |
| Linn | Kathy & Tim Otis |
| Washington | Ernie & Linda Rieben |
| Yamhill | Harry & Bonnie Robinson |
| County | Recipient |
| Benton | The Oaks Family |
| Clackamas | Debi Poppe & Tim Dahl |
| Lane | Hull Timber Ranch LLC |
| Linn | Weld Family Tree Farm |
| Umatilla | Tom & Cindy Beechinor Family |
| Washington | Rich and Connie Gaebel |
| County | Recipient |
| Clackamas | Bob and Marianne Kahl |
| Columbia | Eve Lonnquist |
| Klamath | Ken and Linda Dollinger |
| Lincoln | Mike Newton |
| Linn | Ivan and Rebecca Wolthuis |
| Polk | Dave Hibbs and Sarah Karr |
| Washington | Steve and Lynn Harrel |
| Yamhill | Edward and Patricia Zakocs |
| County | Recipient |
| Clackamas | The Jack Thronson Family |
| Lincoln | Nicholas & Megan Dahl |
| Linn | Joe & Shirley Holmberg |
| Washington | Mel & Wendy Mortensen |
| Yamhill | Susan Watkins & Arnie Hollander |
| County | Recipient |
| Benton | Greg & Barbara Vollmer |
| Jackson | Bill & Mary Potterf |
| Linn | Dave & Karen Bateman |
| Washington | John & Kathy Dummer |
| County | Recipient |
| Benton | Mike & Molly Albrecht |
| Clackamas | John Poppino |
| Douglas | Bob & Naomi Ragon |
| Jackson | Jim & LaVonne Stumbo |
| Lane | Jim Christian |
| Lincoln | Peter & Alice Bregman |
| Linn | Linda Butts |
| Union | Harlan Scott |
| Washington | Chuck Price |
| Yamhill | Brian Doyle |
| County | Recipient |
| Benton | Paul Lorenz |
| Clackamas | Matt & Beth Twist |
| Douglas | Rick & Audrey Barnes |
| Jackson | Michael & Barbara Meredith |
| Linn | Rod & Ann Bardell |
| Washington | Sam Sadtler |
| County | Recipient |
| Benton | Wayne & Verlyne Phillips |
| Columbia | Keasey Family Tree Farm |
| Jackson | Ed & Jody Reilly |
| Lane | Derrick & Shannon Salyers |
| Lincoln | Dave Schmidt |
| Linn | Jim & Ed Merzenich |
| Polk | Bob & Kay Feldman |
| Yamhill | Roger Fendall |
| County | Recipient |
| Benton | Jerry O’ Brien |
| Clackamas | Dave Harmon |
| Coos | Dean & Jane Muffet |
| Lane | Ron & Karen Gilson |
| Lincoln | Bill & Virginia McKinnie |
| Linn | Henry & Mollie Wolthuis |
| Washington | Terry & Jan Howell |
| Yamhill | Mike Barnes |
| County | Recipient |
| Benton | Tom & Karen Harding |
| Clackamas | Frank Schenck |
| Douglas | Johannes & Catharina Besseling |
| Klamath | Bill Ganong |
| Linn | Dale & Shirley Crocker |
| Polk | Hal & Elin Hagglund |
| Union | Harry A. Merlo |
| Washington | John Mulhollund Family |
Periodically, the Oregon Department of Forestry may have funds available to cost share development of stewardship plans [aka, forest management plans]. To find out if funds are available, contact your local ODF Stewardship Forester. Stewardship Forester contact information can be found at: http://www.oregon.gov/ODF/Working/Pages/FindAForester.aspx
We welcome your comments about our website, articles, or information presented on this website.
Contact Steve Vaught by email at:
[Be sure to put "OTFS" in the subject line]
or Contact OTFS at 503-588-1813
The Memorial Fund can accept donations from persons or organizations as Memorials, as Honorariums, or as Special Gifts. Donations can be cash, property, securities or any other form of wealth acceptable to the Fund Administrator. Current donations amount to over $100K working for OTFS through security investments.
The donated principal amount can never be withdrawn. Only interest, dividends, long and short term capital gains, and/or investment gain can be removed from the Memorial Fund as measured by a clear formula applied yearly at December 31.
The Memorial Fund was designed to provide property owners an opportunity to offer conditional or non-conditional property gifts, for example, Family Tree Farms.
Conditional gifts could carry a written contractual agreement instructing the Fund Administrator how that donation must be handled. The landowner may instruct the Memorial Fund to manage the property for benefit of the Memorial Fund or any other named beneficiary.
Alternatively, instructions may provide the Memorial Fund direction for selling the property. Conditional gifts must be approved by the Fund Administrator before acceptance. Inquiries held in strictest confidence.
Please send your donations, phone, or email inquiries to:
Dick Courter, Standing Chair and Founder
OTFS Memorial Fund
1600 NW Skyline Blvd.
PORTLAND, Ore. 97229
(503) 297-1660
A Forest Legacy
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Wood Production
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Water Quality
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Recreation
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Wildlife Habitat
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History Preserved
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Public Education
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Member Benefits
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Note: Contact Number is 503-588-1813
Oregon Tree Farmer Jeff VanNatta operating a Morgan SX-70 skidder to thin their forest in Northwest Oregon. You can watch the YouTube video below.