IRST Meetings

IRST meeting agendas and materials will be posted in advance of each meeting, and links to recordings will be posted after each meeting.

Decisions

  • On 19 March, the IRST voted unanimously to:
    • allow the IRST subcommittee (Jeff, Kelly, Michael, and Sean) to make edits to the road-stream connectivity RFP. The IRST will review the revised RFP for "fatal flaws" only and the subcommittee will decide if the RFP is ready to be announced. The RFP will only be announced after confirmation that the Governor has released the 25-27 biennium funds for IRST research.
  • On 12 February 2026, the IRST voted unanimously to:
    • accept the edits that the IRST subcommittee and INR will make to the Eastern Oregon Mass Wasting RFP based on today's full discussion with the IRST and release the RFP on 19 February.
    • re-elect Kelly Burnett to serve as Co-chair for an additional two-year term.

  • On 11 December 2025, the IRST voted unanimously for the IRST to work with the AMPC to determine what could be accomplished with the currently held $2.9 million for research – taking into consideration the road-stream hydrologic connectivity, eastern Oregon steep slopes, and amphibians research topics – which would allow the IRST to release the road-stream hydrologic connectivity RFP in March. The IRST will continue working on a $5.4 million request for proposal until a determination is made on funding from the 2026 Oregon Legislature.
  • On 20 November 2025, a quorom of the attending IRST members (Absent - Josh Roering) approved questions 1 and 2 of the amphibians research package.
    • Question 1: For each of the covered amphibian species, what is the distribution (including population diversity) within Oregon, and what factors (e.g., stream gradient, stream size, fish presence/absence, slope, aspect, temperature, seasonality, micro-habitat conditions) determine this distribution at a smaller spatial scale (e.g., watershed)?
    • Question 2: What is the population trend of the Columbia and Southern torrent salamanders over time on lands subject to the Forest Practices Act (FPA) rules? This question is informed by the following overarching biological goal as stated in the draft PFA HCP: “Forest practices that support the survival and recovery of the covered species by providing clean, cool, connected, and complex habitats.” Include any specific, broad-scale disturbances or factors as necessary, with an emphasis on specific events (e.g., wildfire, drought, ice storm).
  • On 27 October 2025, a quorom of the attending IRST members (Absent - Jeff Light) approved the IRST FY26 annual work plan.
  • On 19 May 2025, a quorom of the attending IRST members (Absent - Becky Flitcroft):
    • approved the submission of the amphibians 45-day scoping timeframe letter with clarifying questions included; and,
    • approved to submit the road-stream connectivity to the AMPC with minor modifications, including changing "physical connectivity" to "hydrologic connectivity" throughout the document.
  • On 8 May 2025, the IRST members unanimously voted to postpone submission of the road-stream connectivity scoping proposal to the AMPC from 12 May 2025 to 19 May 2025.
  • On 14 March 2025, IRST members unanimously voted to:
    • accept the proposed amendments of the IRST Charter;
    • accept the amendments in the IRST email to respond to comments outside of IRST meetings; and,
    • elect Kelly Burnett as the IRST Co-chair.
  • On 6 March 2025, IRST members unanimously voted to accept the following as the IRST's working definition of road-stream hydrologic connectivity:
    • "A road segment is considered hydrologically connected where surface runoff from road cuts, ditches, running surfaces, and fills exhibits a continuous surface flow path to a natural stream channel."
  • On 19 February 2025, IRST members unanimously voted to:
    • amend the IRST charter to have co-chairs and make a few minor edits in Article I Section 2 and in Article II Section 5;
    • postpone voting on a co-chair until the 14 March 2025 IRST meeting; and,
    • delay submission of roads package scoping proposal to the AMPC to 12 May 2025.
  • On 15 January 2025, the IRST members unanimously voted to submit the steep slopes research package scoping proposal to the AMPC.

  • On 18 December 2024, the IRST members unanimously voted to delay submission of steep slopes research package scoping proposal to the AMPC to 16 January 2025.
  • On 8 November 2024, the IRST members unanimously voted to delay submission of roads package scoping proposal to the AMPC to 1 March 2025.
  • On 8 November 2024, the IRST members present unanimously voted to approve the scoping proposal structure for the eastern Oregon steep slopes package, with amendments discussed during the meeting.
  • On 4 September 2024, the IRST members unanimously selected two candidates' names to be submitted to the Oregon Department of Forestry as new IRST members.
  • Document. Independent Research and Science Team Member Nomination and Application Process. Approved 3 May 2024. Amended 4 September 2024.
  • On 21 August 2024, the IRST members unanimously voted to accept the AMPC eastern Oregon steep slopes research questions as is and submit a scoping proposal to the AMPC on 31 December 2024.
  • Document. Content of the "Standards of Best Available Science" presentation about researchable questions to present to the AMPC. Approved 3 May 2024.
  • On 13 March 2024, the IRST members unanimously voted to ask clarifying questions to the AMPC about the roads-stream connectivity research questions and to submit a scoping proposal to the AMPC on 31 December 2024.
  • On 23 February 2024, the IRST members unanimously voted in Kelly Burnett as chair and Jessica Homyack as chair-elect.
  • Document. Standards for Best Available Science: A Guidance Document. Approved 19 January 2024, with the understanding that there will be amendments.
  • Document. IRST Charter. Approved 19 January 2024.

Meetings 2026

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Meetings 2025

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Meetings 2024

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  • Document 1 - Agenda
  • Document 2 - Steep slopes literature search strategy, updated
  • Document 3 - Preliminary steep slopes literature abstracts
  • Document 4 - Preliminary literature review and scoping proposal structure
  • Document 5 - Results of draft roads-stream connectivity literature compilation reviewed to date
  • Document 6 - Oregon Government Ethics Commission advisory opinion

Meeting Notes 

Meeting Materials 

Meeting Notes (forthcoming)

Meeting Materials

  • Document 1 - Agenda
  • Document 2 - Proposed amendment to the IRST membership nomination and application process
  • Document 3 - Compilation of IRST responses to Dube 2010 review (this is Document 2 from the 21 August meeting)
  • Document 4 - Roads literature search strategy (updated draft, v1)

Meeting Notes

Meeting Materials

Meeting Notes 

Meeting Materials 

  • Document 1 - Agenda
  • Document 2 - Letter to the Oregon Government Ethics Commission
  • Document 3 - Response from the AMPC on the roads clarifying question (this is Document 2 from the June 2024 meeting)
  • Document 4 - Literature review approaches overview
  • Document 5 - RFPs and other models overview
  • Document 6 - AMPC's Eastern Oregon steep slopes research questions package (sent to IRST on July 11, 2024)
    • Document 6a - Forest Practices Administrative Rules and the Oregon Forest Practices Act 2024

Supplemental document

  • Document 7 - Finalized AMPC research questions for roads

Meeting Notes 

Meeting Materials 

  • Document 1 - Agenda
  • Document 2 - AMPC responses to IRST clarifying questions and comments on road package
  • Document 3 - Forest Roads Inventory and Assessment (FRIA) Overview (PDF of presentation from IRST March 2024 meeting)
  • Document 4 - Notes from IRST May 7th meeting refining roads research questions
  • Document 5 - Presentation: Literature search strategy introduction (PDF) from 3 May 2024 IRST meeting
  • Document 6 - Revised "Research and Monitoring in Adaptive Management" presentation (PDF)

Meeting Notes

Meeting Materials

  • Document 1 - Agenda
  • Document 2 - DRAFT IRST application form v2 (starting on page 5)
  • Document 3 - Best Available Science presentation (draft) from 23 April 2023 meeting
  • Document 4 - AMPC responses to first half of IRST clarifying questions
  • Document 5 - Presentation: Draft literature review questions for consideration (go to video recording of meeting)
  • Document 6 - Presentation: Literature search strategy introduction (PDF)

Meeting Notes

Meeting Materials

  • Document 1 - Agenda
  • Document 2 - Draft IRST nomination process and application form template
  • Document 3 - Standards for BAS: Amendment Information - research and monitoring, and researchable questions (these documents are from the Feb 2024 IRST meeting)

  • Document 4  -  AMPC’s Roads Research Questions Package (final) -- this document is from the Feb 2024 IRST meeting

Meeting Notes

Meeting Materials

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Meeting Materials

  • Document 1 - Agenda
  • Document 2 - IRST Charter adopted 19 January 2024
  • Document 3 - 2024 IRST Roadmap
  • Document 4 - Best Available Science  (BAS) guidance document adopted 19 January 2024
  • Document 4a - Appended BAS document
  • Document 5 - Draft IRST Peer Review Process and Process used by CMER
  • Document 6 - AMPC’s Roads Research Questions Package (final)

Supplemental Reading (not required)

Dubé, K., A. Shelly, J. Black, and K. Kuzis. 2010. Washington road sub-basin scale effectiveness monitoring first sampling event (2006-2008) report. Cooperative Monitoring, Evaluation and Research Report CMER 08-801. Washington Department of Natural Resources. Olympia, Washington. https://www.dnr.wa.gov/publications/fp_cmer_08_801.pdf

Martin, D. 2009. Forest road runoff disconnection survey for private timberlands in Washington. Olympia, WA: Washington Forest Protection Association. https://www.forestsandfish.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/17/2018/12/Road_Mgmt_Survey.pdf

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Documents Approved

  • IRST. 2024. Charter. Independent Research and Science Team. Adaptive Management Program, Oregon Board of Forestry. Approved 19 January 2024.

  • IRST. 2024. Standards for Best Available Science: A Guidance Document. Independent Research and Science Team. Adaptive Management Program, Oregon Board of Forestry. Approved 19 January 2024.

Meeting Notes

  • Part 1: Morning presentations, IRST Charter
  • Part 2: IRST Charter, best available science, research topics
 

Meeting Materials

Meeting Notes

  • Video Recordings 
    • Part 1: IRST member presentations, highlights of IRST member intake questionnaire responses, Department of Justice presentation; IRST Charter discussion
    • Part 2: IRST Charter discussion (continued), closing remarks

Meeting Materials

Meetings 2023

Comments

  • G.M., 22 Feb 2025: The meeting was interesting.  My thoughts include some concern that the group does not demonstrate any experience with working with Federal Regulatory Agencies and the NEPA process both of which will be required for a HCP.  You will also need cooperation with Federal and Tribal resource managers to develop a comprehensive data base.  You are attempting to address biological issues which do not recognize political boundaries.  There also may be some issues with scale bias.  An over simplification is that what your data shows may be real but it does not represeny reality.