As a Board Certified Master Arborist, forester, landscaper and restoration specialist, Chris has had a lifelong love of the natural environment and has been professionally caring for it for most of his adult life.

From the age of 5 Chris could be found joyfully walking through the forest, digging holes, and dragging brush across the backyard. He began his career planting and selectively harvesting trees on the Oregon coast, working and apprenticing as an eco forester. He then managed community forestry and riparian restoration projects for the South Coast and Lower Rogue Watershed Councils, planting tens of thousands of trees along salmon-bearing streams

and managing forests for future generations. He was then introduced to tree climbing, urban forestry, and arboriculture, founding Canopy LLC in 2013.

Chris settled with his family in the Rogue Valley in 2011. He serves on the Ashland Tree Commission and is a recipient of the Oregon Dept of Forestry’s Urban and Community Forestry Award. When not immersed in running the

business, you might find Chris hiking the forest with his family, taking a habitual morning swim with the Rogue Valley Masters swim group, or perched fireside with a good book.

Cat Gould serves as the Board Secretary for OUR Community Forestry (OURCF), playing a pivotal role in advancing the organization's mission. Her extensive background in environmental advocacy aligns seamlessly with OURCF's goals. With a diverse skill set that includes a BFA in Acting and a Master Naturalist Certificate, Cat effectively bridges the gap between communication and environmental stewardship.

Cat actively participates in local environmental groups, demonstrating her commitment to OUR Community Forestry through hands-on involvement in tree planting and land restoration projects. Her governance experience, gained through her role on the board of the Ashland Children's Theatre and contributions to various committees like the Ashland Tree Commission and the Climate and Environment Policy Advisory Committee, underscores her readiness to engage in environmental policy discussions.

In her capacity as a liaison to the Ashland Forest Commission and the Ashland Parks Committee, Cat excels at connecting OURCF's objectives with community efforts. This ensures that the organization's activities align harmoniously with and promote local ecological and educational goals. Cat Gould's distinctive skill set and unwavering dedication make her an invaluable asset to OUR Community Forestry.

Furthermore, Cat's leadership within OURCF is pivotal for driving the organization's strategic initiatives, including data-driven urban forestry planning, community planting events, and the nurturing of urban trees. Her advocacy and policy-shaping skills, combined with her strong commitment to community service, are instrumental in OURCF's mission to expand its not-for-profit model, starting with the rural communities of Southern Oregon. Cat's role ensures that OURCF remains at the forefront of uniting communities and cultivating nature, ultimately contributing to a more resilient and greener future.

Dr. Donovan received his PhD in forest economics from Colorado State University in 2001. Since then, he has worked as an economist for the USDA Forest Service in Alaska and Oregon. His primary research focus is quantifying the benefits of urban trees. These have ranged from intuitive benefits—reduced summertime cooling costs and increased home values, for example—to less intuitive benefits such as crime reduction. He has worked extensively on the relationship between trees and public health finding that mothers with trees around their homes are less likely to have underweight babies, and when trees are killed by an invasive pest, more people die from cardiovascular and lower-respiratory diseases. Currently, he is focusing on how exposure to plant diversity may protect against a range of immune diseases.

Brittany is the Community Assistance Urban Forester for the State of Oregon, currently serving on the advisory team for Oregon Urban Rural and Community Forestry. With a wealth of experience in plant research and conservation, Brittany brings a unique perspective to her role in the urban forestry department. Prior to joining the department, she was collecting data for Portland's Parks and Recreation Urban Forestry Division's street tree inventory project, where she honed her skills in data collection and analysis. Before that, she worked as a plant specialist for a local nursery, where she developed her expertise in plant identification, care, and propagation.

Brittany has also contributed her skills and knowledge to various conservation projects throughout the Western United States, including pollination ecology data collection in Northern Arizona, forest plot assessments in Colorado, botanical surveys and seed collection in Texas and Southern Arizona, and captive rearing and release of the federally endangered Taylor's Checkerspot butterfly in Washington. Her experience in research and conservation has given her a deep appreciation for the importance of sustainable urban forestry practices and community engagement in urban forestry initiatives.

With a Bachelor's degree in Environmental Science from Northern Arizona University, Brittany brings a strong academic foundation to her work in urban and community forestry. Her passion for botany and ecology extends beyond her professional life, as she spends her free time reading science fiction, identifying plants and insects on hiking trails, and creating botanical illustrations. Brittany's dedication to environmental stewardship and community outreach make her an invaluable asset to the Oregon Department of Forestry and the advisory team for Oregon Urban Rural and Community Forestry.

Paul Ries is the Principal Consultant for Insightful Nature LLC, a natural resources consulting, communications, and training company, and the Director of the Graduate Certificate in Urban Forestry Program at Oregon State University. Paul holds Bachelors and Masters degrees in Natural Resources and a Doctorate in Educational Leadership. He has over 30 years of experience in the

natural resources and urban forestry fields, working at the state, local, non-profit, and academiclevels. His work as a college professor, state urban forestry program manager, wildland fire public information officer, and non-profit Executive Director has given him a wide range of experiences in a variety of organizational settings. His clients include state and local governmental agencies and non-

profit organizations in the field of natural resources. Paul is a Past President of the International

Society of Arboriculture (ISA) and has been an ISA Certified Arborist since 1988.

Scott Altenhoff is the Urban and Community Forestry Program Manager for the Oregon Department of Forestry. Prior to assuming this position in 2022, Scott spent 18 years working as an urban forester with the City of Eugene. Scott currently serves as a past president and ISA Liaison on the Board of the Society of Municipal Arborists (SMA), as Chair of the Board of Canopy Watch International. He is also a Steering Committee member for the Urban Wood Network at the state, regional, and national levels. Scott has a long-standing interest in promoting urban sustainability via trees and green infrastructure.

Plant Oregon Nursery is a family-owned and operated tree nursery located in Talent, Oregon. Founded in 1974 by father and son team Dan and Dave Bish, the nursery has become a premier source for high-quality, native and climate-resilient trees in the Pacific Northwest.

With over 110 species of trees and more than 5,000 trees for sale, Plant Oregon Nursery boasts an impressive inventory of specimen trees. The nursery's commitment to innovation and sustainability is evident in their production methods, which prioritize organic and low-impact techniques. They are constantly adapting and pioneering new approaches in the nursery industry to produce healthier and more resilient trees.

In addition to their tree inventory, Plant Oregon Nursery also grows tens of thousands of native shrubs, flowers, and pollinator-specific plants. The Bishes' dedication to conservation efforts has led them to conduct over one hundred miles of riparian restoration work, and they have personally planted over one hundred thousand trees in the Rogue Valley.

Over the past decades, Plant Oregon has donated thousands of large specimen trees to local municipalities, K-12 schools, and Southern Oregon University. The nursery has also built and planted two arboretums, including the largest and most diverse private arboretum in Oregon.

Dan and Dave Bish's passion for trees is evident in every aspect of their work at Plant Oregon Nursery. Their commitment to quality and sustainability has made them a trusted source for specimen trees and native plants in the Pacific Northwest.

Pam Marsh was first elected to House District 5 in southern Oregon in November 2016 and reelected to a fourth term in 2022. She currently serves as Chair of the House Climate, Energy and Environment Committee. In addition, she serves as a member of the House Committee on Agriculture, Land Use, Natural Resources and Water, House Committee on Revenue, and the Joint Committee on Tax Expenditures. She is a member of the State Broadband Advisory Council (OBAC), and a member of the Task force on Cannabis-Derived Intoxicants and Illegal Cannabis Production.

Prior to joining the Oregon Legislature, Pam served the City of Ashland as a City Councilor for four years, and as a member and chair of the city Planning Commission and a member of the Ashland Charter Review Committee.

Pam has lived in Southern Oregon since 1994, when she and her husband moved their four children from Palo Alto, California, to the mountains above Ashland.