LCSWA Upcoming Activities

Two days following the Fourth’s fireworks, Linn County’s tree farmers of the year are holding an open house. The public is invited Saturday, July 6 at 3 p.m. to tour a small woodlands property managed by the same family for more than 150 years. The 80-acres of forest are located near Waterloo, 1.2 miles up Ingram Road from Highway 20. Tree tour signs will guide visitors. Tim and Kathy Otis are Linn County's 2019 tree farmers of the year. Together, with much help from family, they manage more than 370 acres of forest land in the Middle Ridge area between Brownsville and Lebanon. Their family holdings include 135 acres of farmland and 25 acres of restored riparian woodlands along the Calapooia River east of Brownsville. The Linn County chapter of the Oregon Small Woodlands Association (OSWA) co-hosts the annual event. Guests are asked to bring a potluck dish and service. Drinks will be supplied. Among the day’s activities will be talks on the family history. Tree-re

Sunnyside Park near Sweet Home will be the site of the annual summer potluck picnic put on by the Linn County Small Woodlands Association. The woodlands organization will gather Saturday, Sept. 14 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Members and the general public are invited to attend. Directors meeting on June 6 agreed to the Sunnyside location to allow OSWA members and the public hear about plans to implement the Robert Mealey demonstration forest at the park. Funded through an endowment created by former Sweet Home resident Bob Mealey, the forestry group has been in early talks with Linn County to create an educational stand of trees with interpretive signs and perhaps a walking path. Board member Jim Cota presented a rough concept for the planting of Willamette Valley Ponderosa pines, including a mix of seedlings and staked 6-foot tall trees. The board asked Cota to meet informally with Linn County Park Director Brian Carroll to present the OSWA group’s proposal.