2025 OREGON PRESCRIBED FIRE COUNCIL ANNUAL MEETING
In April 2025, the OPFC gathered in Sisters, Oregon for its 2025 Annual Meeting, graciously hosted by the Central Oregon prescribed fire community. With strong support from the Oregon Department of Forestry and the region’s collaborative fire practitioners, the two-day event was a productive and energizing success.
The meeting brought together prescribed fire leaders from across the state for insightful field tours, engaging presentations, collaborative planning sessions, and OPFC’s second annual awards ceremony.
This meeting was made possible by our partners at the Oregon Department of Forestry.
Session Highlights Included:
Certified Burn Manager Program Update – Amanda Rau, Oregon Department of Forestry
Burning to Manage for Wildlife – Thomas Stokely, The Nature Conservancy
Smoke Management & Bend’s Prescribed Fire Pilot Study – Sarah Worthington, Deschutes County
Policy Update & Discussion – Leslie Neu-Lamping, Alliance for Wildfire Resilience and Amanda Sullivan-Astor, Associated Oregon Loggers
Central Oregon Prescribed Burn Co-op – Rich Pasquale, Eric Metzger, and Ariel Cowan
Strategic Planning: Looking Ahead
As part of our forward planning, OPFC identified key priorities for the next six months:
Elect and onboard new board members (Vice Chair and Member-at-Large)
Develop a 2026–2028 Strategic Plan
Launch new fundraising efforts
Review and revise OPFC’s governance framework
2025 Awards
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Micah Schmidt
Micah Schmidt, OSU Ext. and chair of the Northern Blues Chapter of the OPFC
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Rich Pasquale, Ariel Cowan, and Eric Metzger
Central Oregon Prescribed Burn Co-op
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Leslie Neu-Lamping
Alliance for Wildfire Resilience & co-lead of the OPFC Policy working group
