World Forestry Center is proud to announce that the Oregon Legislature recently approved $1 million for World Forestry Center’s planned campus transformation, one of 13 projects recommended through the Cultural Resources Economic Fund (CREF).
The funding supports World Forestry Center’s campus transformation project in Portland’s central Washington Park, including the development of a new Mass Timber Experience Center. This innovative facility will complement the existing Discovery Museum and serve as a dynamic public space featuring an exhibition hall, auditorium, canopy, cafe, and renovated outdoor plaza. The Experience Center is designed to engage all visitors on the critical issues shaping the future of forests and the communities that depend on them.
“As Oregonians, forests are a key part of our identity and it is an honor to have the State as a partner as we seek to help communities and sectors find their voice in the forestry conversation.” said Joseph Furia, Executive Director of World Forestry Center. “This funding is a vital investment in our vision to create a more engaging, educational, and inspiring space where people can connect with forests in meaningful ways.”
Administered by the Cultural Advocacy Coalition of Oregon, CREF is a competitive state fund that supports capital projects for nonprofit arts, heritage, and humanities organizations across Oregon. The state legislature fully funded all 13 projects on this year’s CREF slate with bipartisan support. The fund helps preserve cultural infrastructure and strengthen Oregon’s creative and environmental economy.
ABOUT WORLD FORESTRY CENTER – World Forestry Center is a 501(c)3 nonprofit with nearly 60 years of working at the intersection of people and forests. Its mission – to create and inspire champions of sustainable forestry – is centered on people. Through innovative programming, unconventional collaborations, and a revitalized urban campus, World Forestry Center is changing the way people see forests. The 5.5-acre campus in Washington Park features banquet and meeting halls, a central plaza, and the Discovery Museum, which invites visitors to examine forests and consider all the ways forests impact our lives; open Wednesday-Sunday from 10am – 4pm.
