Punches, John
Position Type:
Faculty
Job Title:
Associate Professor & Extension Forester for Union, Umatilla, and Wallowa Counties
Department:
Outreach and Engagement
Forest Engineering, Resources & Management
Degree Sought:
Office Location:
Union County Extension
Phone Number:
Email:
Counties Served (OSU Extension):
Union,
Umatilla,
Wallowa
Website:
Education
PhD, 2017, Forest Ecosystems and Society, Oregon State University
MS, 1993 Wood Science and Forest Products, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
BS, 1990 Forestry, Michigan Technological University
Research Interests
- Prescribed fire
- Fire behavior
- Forest Management
- Silviculture
- Forest restoration to promote resiliency to wildfire and climate stress
Currently engaged in development of a professional fire manager certificate program at OSU, with funding from the BLM.
Bio
John is an Associate Professor in the Forest Engineering, Resources and Management Department, and the Extension Forester serving the northeastern corner of Oregon (Union, Umatilla, and Wallowa Counties). He is actively engaged in development of new professional fire management courses and certification program at the departmental level, and in all-lands partnership efforts in northeastern Oregon to promote restoration of native forests to resilient conditions. John also serves as a search and rescue volunteer and instructor.
Courses Taught:
- Academic credit classesGuard School (wildland firefighter 2), prescribed fire practicum
- Extension non-credit classesforest management, forest health, forest treatment monitoring, home and property fire risk reduction, forest management planning, others as identified through local needs assessments
- Professional development coursesas requested within forestry and wildland/prescribed fire subject areas
Selected Publications:
- Schmidt, A., Leavell, D. M., Punches, J. W., Rocha Ibarra, M. A., Kagan, J. S., Creutzburg, M., McCune, M., Salwasser, J., Walter, C., Berger, C. A. (2022). A quantitative wildfire risk assessment using a modular approach of geostatistical clustering and regionally distinct valuations of assets - A case study in Oregon.. Public Library of Science.
- Life on the Dry Side magazine. Find recent additions: https://extension.oregonstate.edu/newsletter/life-dry-side-forestry-new…
Extension Title:
Extension Forester