Willamette University Forest

The 305 acre property is used by many of Willamette University’s faculty, students, and staff in academic courses, for research projects, club activities, and restorative recreation.

In 2008, Willamette University purchased this land from the Trust for Public Lands. As part of this purchase, Willamette University entered into a conservation easement that protects the property from development into other land uses (such as viticulture), promotes conservation efforts, and supports economically viable sustainable forestry practices. Prior to its acquisition by Willamette University, this property was managed under German scientific forestry principles, including elements of uneven-age management and selective cutting. Willamette’s objectives are to offer students experiential, place-based educational opportunities involving ecosystem restoration, ecological forestry, wildlife habitat conservation, agroforestry, and sustainable food systems. Willamette University’s Forest is an ecologically significant conservation area. 

The State of Oregon and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife have identified the entire Zena Forest Complex and surrounding landscape as a regional and statewide priority conservation area that connects with nearby Baskett Slough National Wildlife Refuge and other neighboring conservation lands. 

Trout Mountain Forestry provides a full range of planning and land management services for forest owners in NW Oregon and SW Washington. They emphasize creating unique management plans that work for each family or forest owner. As they put it: "We believe that the long-term ability of forests to provide for families and communities depends on harvesting trees in a manner that respects all of the values of the forest."

Trout Mountain planned and implemented the harvests for the Hanschu Family Forest, Camp Namanu, Camp Adams, and Willamette University to supply logs for the lattice roofing in the PDX-NEXT Airport remodel.