Presented by Doug Decker, Former Director of the Oregon Department of Forestry

Join forest historian Doug Decker for a look back at key events and trends in Oregon’s wildfire history—including the great Tillamook Burn that devastated 500 square miles of the Oregon Coast Range—for clues to the challenges and opportunities of living with fire in the 21st Century. Doug will cover the evolution of firefighting policy and technique in Oregon, provide a detailed look at the Tillamook Burn fires of the 1930s-1940s, and close with a look at how recent fires illustrate the challenges ahead.

About the Speaker:
Doug Decker served as Oregon State Forester from 2011-2016, retiring after a 29-year career with the Oregon Department of Forestry, including 11 years in the Tillamook State Forest, where he led development of the Tillamook Forest Center, an interpretive museum that tells the story of past and present in the former Tillamook Burn. In his semi-retirement Doug is on the faculty at Portland State University, chairs the national Forest History Society based at Duke University, and actively investigates the history of northeast Portland for his website www.alamedahistory.org. He is also helping lead development of the Salmonberry Trail, a major rail-trail project that will connect Portland to the Coast. Time on his bicycle is one of Doug’s highest priorities and he loves riding wide loops from his home in Northeast Portland where he and his wife Marie have lived since the 1980s.

Photo Courtesy:
2017 Eagle Creek Fire, courtesy Oregon.gov

These monthly, free events are open to everyone interested in Oregon and Pacific Northwest history. Co-sponsored by like-minded historical and civic organizations, we bring you experts, scholars, first-person experiencers and historians who expound on topics from Lewis and Clark to shipwrecks, hop growing to women pioneers and far, far beyond. It's like being back in the classroom - except this time you get to settle into comfortable seats and enjoy a drink or two with dinner while you listen and learn.

This event is eligible for a History Pub Stamp