SALEM, Ore. — Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) and Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) are offering perennial stream survey certification training starting in mid-May. This training will help landowners and operators who are planning timber harvests with streams in the harvest area determine non-fish bearing stream vegetation retention requirements. 

As part of the Private Forest Accord, many of the Forest Practices Act rules have been changed and adopted.  One of those changes revises the flow permanence protocols in riparian management areas (RMAs).  These are key in developing a harvest plan. 

“We are grateful to have the ODFW stream biologists giving this training,” said Jennifer Ward, ODF’s Forest Resources Division training coordinator.  “They have scheduled training days across the state and those dates, locations, and times can be found by clicking on each area biologists name on Step 7 of the interest form.” 

ODFW plans to continue offering trainings into the coming years and may add more training sessions later this year depending on interest. 

“It’s important to fill out the interest form, then the biologist will contact you with more information,” said Ward.   

Below is the announcement from ODFW: 

ATTENTION: private forest landowners, foresters, consultants, and anyone else that conducts Flow Permanence surveys for forest management:  

The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) is providing certified Flow Permanence Survey training sessions statewide this spring. The ODFW Private Forest Accord (PFA) Stream Biologists will conduct several training sessions in various locations within their respective areas. These training sessions will be free of charge and will include a classroom-based presentation, with plenty of time for questions, a field-based walkthrough to demonstrate how to conduct the survey, and a self-graded assessment. Training will include a review of the revised Flow Permanence Protocol, background information on why flow permanence surveys are important, answers to frequently asked questions, walkthrough examples for a variety of field scenarios, survey tips, helpful handouts, and more! The sessions will consist of one full day of training tentatively from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. Space will be limited to 15-30 participants per training session based on classroom and field site capacity. Surveyors are welcome to attend training at any location, although they are encouraged to attend one of the trainings that their regional PFA Stream Biologist conducts, so they get a chance to meet and work with the local Stream Biologist.     

Please fill out this interest training form as soon as possible. Due to capacity limitations for the classroom/field portions for this training, it may not be possible for everyone to attend the training they prefer. Your PFA Stream Biologist will reach out to everyone who filled out the interest form shortly after April 26th. If you have a reserved spot, you will receive a confirmation using the email you provide in the form. Closer to the training date, you will also receive an email with details for the training (including meeting location, a finalized time schedule, and gear list). To accommodate a broad audience and best fit the capacity limitations of some of our training locations, your PFA Stream Biologist may ask you to send fewer representatives from your organization or offer other locations that have more spaces available. If we are unable to accommodate you for your preferred training session, we will reach out to you after April 26th and will also update this form to reflect what sessions still have open spaces available. If you are unable to attend a training session at a different date/location or if all training sessions are full, we will keep your name/email on file for additional training sessions we may schedule. Looking ahead, ODFW intends to phase-in the training and certification of field surveyors over the next several years.     If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out to your PFA Stream Biologist. We look forward to meeting and working with you.    

  ~ODFW PFA Stream Biologist Team  

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