From the Oregon State University’s Extension Service, “In the Woods” is a monthly podcast series with the forestry and natural resources Extension program. This podcast aims to share the voices of researchers, land managers, and members of the public interested in telling the story of how woodlands provide more than just trees, they provide interconnectedness that is essential to your daily life. Discover a new topic related to forests on each episode.
In this episode of Oregon State University Extension’s In the Woods podcast, host Jacob Putney talks with wood products extension specialist Scott Leavengood about a new lumber grading training program created in response to Oregon Senate Bill 1061 (the Oregon Forest to Homes Act). The program will certify small-scale sawmill operators to visually grade their own lumber for use in Oregon building construction under a limited, direct chain of custody, without applying grade stamps. The one-day trainings will teach simplified, conservative grading rules for key Oregon softwood species and include a hands-on test; certification is valid for five years. Use is limited to lumber sold directly to homeowners/builders for one- and two-family detached dwellings, with documentation provided for building inspectors. Initial sessions are planned for October in La Grande and Roseburg, with registration via the Oregon Wood Innovation Center website.
16 Apr 2026
Episode 74: Public Burn Associations
Oregon State University’s In the Woods podcast host Jacob Putney interviews OSU Extension regional fire specialists Chris Adlam (southwest Oregon) and Micah Schmidt (northeast Oregon) about Prescribed Burn Associations (PBAs) and their role in expanding prescribed fire on non-federal lands. They describe how fire suppression became dominant over the past century despite long Indigenous burning traditions, and how PBAs re-emerged in the 1990s in the Great Plains and later spread to California and Oregon. PBAs are community networks where neighbors and partner organizations share labor, equipment, planning, and training to conduct safe burns, often with volunteers and sometimes paid coordination. Guests discuss Oregon PBAs’ growth and accomplishments, benefits like changing public attitudes and building social license, and barriers including capacity, permitting, funding, liability concerns, and limited region-specific research. They share ways to get involved via OSU’s Extension Fire Program resources, trainings, and documentaries.
00:00 Podcast Intro
00:32 Meet The Hosts
01:21 Chris Fire Ecology Path
02:22 Micah Prescribed Fire Work
03:32 What PBAs Are
03:52 Prescribed Fire History
05:11 PBA Origins And Growth
06:47 How PBAs Form Operate
09:49 Who Can Participate
12:58 Oregon PBAs Impact
17:22 Changing Fire Relationships
20:48 Extension Role In PBAs
24:01 Barriers And Challenges
26:14 Prescribed Fire Roadblocks
26:27 Landowner Research Gaps
27:39 Permits And Capacity Fixes
28:36 Future Of PBAs
30:34 More Fire And Youth Training
31:39 How To Join Or Start
35:39 Volunteer Skills Needed
37:20 Parting Thoughts And Tribal Roots
38:57 Training And Broad Support
41:45 Lightning Round Micah
45:33 Lightning Round Chris
50:00 Wrap Up And Credits
7 Apr 2026
Episode 73 - Post Wildfire Recovery, pt. 2
OSU Extension forester Jake Barker interviews Becca Shively of Sustainable Northwest about post-fire recovery and restoration after Oregon’s 2020 wildfires, focusing on the Western Oregon Cascades Recovery Effort (WOCRE (https://www.jswcd.org/western-oregon-cascades-recovery-effort)). Shively explains Sustainable Northwest’s forestry work and describes WOCRE’s (https://www.jswcd.org/western-oregon-cascades-recovery-effort) landowner assistance program, which provides intensive technical support and financial help to small family forest landowners facing barriers such as limited seedling access, lack of capacity after trauma, contractor shortages, and cost-share requirements. She outlines how the program aggregates bulk seedling orders and bundled contractor bids, pays contractors directly, and coordinates with conservation districts, USDA NRCS RCPP funding, a Forest Service grant funded through the Inflation Reduction Act, and American Forests for seedlings. The program will serve 40 landowners across Clackamas, Marion, Lane, and Jackson counties, treating about 2,000 acres, and has faced federal funding disruptions and staffing constraints.
· 00:00 Podcast Intro (applewebdata://1948B592-A19A-4FD9-B2B1-25E29AA44C91#_[00:00:00]_Podcast_Intro)
· 00:41 Why Post Fire Recovery (applewebdata://1948B592-A19A-4FD9-B2B1-25E29AA44C91#_[00:00:41]_Why_Post)
· 01:58 Meet Becca Shively (applewebdata://1948B592-A19A-4FD9-B2B1-25E29AA44C91#_[00:01:58]_Meet_Becca)
· 02:48 Sustainable Northwest Overview (applewebdata://1948B592-A19A-4FD9-B2B1-25E29AA44C91#_[00:02:48]_Sustainable_Northwest)
· 04:04 Recovery Work Categories (applewebdata://1948B592-A19A-4FD9-B2B1-25E29AA44C91#_[00:04:04]_Recovery_Work);
· 06:24 Behind The Scenes Work (applewebdata://1948B592-A19A-4FD9-B2B1-25E29AA44C91#_[00:06:24]_Behind_The)
· 07:52 Landowner Assistance Barriers (applewebdata://1948B592-A19A-4FD9-B2B1-25E29AA44C91#_[00:07:52]_Landowner_Assistance)
· 12:13 Enrollment Status And Reach (applewebdata://1948B592-A19A-4FD9-B2B1-25E29AA44C91#_[00:12:13]_Enrollment_Status)
· 13:17 Partners Funding Seedlings (applewebdata://1948B592-A19A-4FD9-B2B1-25E29AA44C91#_[00:13:17]_Partners_Funding)
· 16:59 Aggregation And Contracts (applewebdata://1948B592-A19A-4FD9-B2B1-25E29AA44C91#_[00:16:59]_Aggregation_And)
· 21:29 Planning And Eligibility (applewebdata://1948B592-A19A-4FD9-B2B1-25E29AA44C91#_[00:21:29]_Planning_And)
· 23:16 Scaling The Model (applewebdata://1948B592-A19A-4FD9-B2B1-25E29AA44C91#_[00:23:16]_Scaling_The)
· 26:20 Federal Funding Curveballs (applewebdata://1948B592-A19A-4FD9-B2B1-25E29AA44C91#_[00:26:20]_Federal_Funding)
· 29:08 Why Reforestation Matters (applewebdata://1948B592-A19A-4FD9-B2B1-25E29AA44C91#_[00:29:08]_Why_Reforestation)
· 34:56 Fit In Regional Recovery (applewebdata://1948B592-A19A-4FD9-B2B1-25E29AA44C91#_[00:34:56]_Fit_In)
· 38:09 Lightning Round (applewebdata://1948B592-A19A-4FD9-B2B1-25E29AA44C91#_[00:38:09]_Lightning_Round)
· 39:40 Wrap Up And Credits (applewebdata://1948B592-A19A-4FD9-B2B1-25E29AA44C91#_[00:39:40]_Wrap_Up)
Who has been a guest on In the Woods
Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.
Andrew Millison
Dr Steve Strauss
Nancy Geyer
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Apple Podcasts (US)
4.7 / 5
12 ratings
Spotify
4.6 / 5
11 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 55 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
76
Social presence
0
YouTube
0
Engagement
85
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