TILLAMOOK The Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) has a variety of events planned in April and May to provide vital maintenance of public facilities in the 364,000-acre Tillamook State Forest. Members of the public who would like to contribute their time to help keep their largest state forest accessible for recreation are welcome to help out at several projects.

On Saturday, April 9, volunteers will be installing concrete grid blocks on trail tread approaches leading to the two new 24-foot Off-Highway Vehicle (OHV) trail bridges recently donated by the Oregon Motorcycle Riders Association (OMRA). 

Volunteers with quads and the proper racks or tie-downs are welcome to assist with transporting grid blocks from the trail heads to the bridge sites. Work sites are within walking distance from the trail head, and volunteers are welcome to use their motorcycles or quads to reach the work sites. 

Volunteers are asked to gather and park at the Smith Homestead Trailhead lot, just east of the Tillamook Forest Center on Oregon Highway 6, between 8:30 and 9 a.m. that morning to register for the project.

For details, contact Dave Hiatt at (503) 815-7024 or dhiatt@odf.state.or.us

The forest will participate in the annual SOLV IT! Earth Day Event April 16 by sponsoring a clean-up project. ODF staff and volunteers will work together to remove garbage and invasive plant species from various locations across the eastern portion of the Tillamook State Forest.

Preregistration for this work party date is at http://tinyurl.com/ tfsolvit. Volunteers should come prepared for a long day, bring a sack lunch and wear clothing appropriate for messy work such as long pants, long sleeves, closed-toe shoes and work gloves. Registration starts at 8:30 a.m. at the ODOT sand shed at milepost 33 on Oregon Highway 6. 

For information, contact Stephanie Beall at (503) 359-7464 or sbeall@odf.state.or.us

The ODF will partner with co-host Jolly Jeepers on May 14 for a day of trail maintenance on a popular four-wheel drive trail in the Browns Camp OHV Area. Volunteers should bring hand tools such as shovels, loppers, pruners, hand saws, and rakes. 

Registration will start at 9 a.m. at the Rogers Camp Trailhead on Oregon Highway 6 at milepost 33. 

For information, contact Jahmaal Rebb at (503) 359-7463 or jrebb@odf.state.or.us

These three projects will be supervised by ODF staff, and ODF provides tools. Volunteers should bring their own work gloves, eye protection and rain gear, and wear leather boots that come up over the ankles. 

For information about volunteer opportunities in the Tillamook State Forest, go to www.oregon.gov/ODF/tillamookstateforest/volunteerhome.shtml