New Lyon Payne Trail Volunteer of the Year Award
Richard Chapman (L) and Barrett Brown, chairperson for State Forests Trust of Oregon
On February 8, State Forests Trust of Oregon and Oregon Motorcycle Riders Association (OMRA) present the very first Lyon Payne Trail Volunteer of the Year Award to a true steward of the trails, Richard Chapman.
The award recognizes incredible legacy of OMRA member Lyon Payne, who sadly passed away in 2022. Lyon dedicated his life to giving back, quietly working on trails to ensure others could enjoy them. The award is a tribute to his spirit of generosity and commitment to paying it forward.
Richard knew Lyon well and worked by his side. After Lyon’s passing, he stepped up, ensuring the trail work never stopped. He has maintained and cared for OMRA’s tools, kept them in top condition, and absorbed countless hidden costs along the way—all without seeking recognition.
State Forests Trust of Oregon appreciates all that OMRA does to encourage riders to not only enjoy the trails, but to help preserve and enhance them through grassroots volunteer efforts.
Save the Date
We have an exciting spring planned. Join us for these events:
TRAIL BUILDERS presentations about our partnership with Trailkeepers of Oregon
March 20 - Tillamook & April 23 - Beaverton
SPRING CLEANING to prepare trails for the 2025 season
March 29 - Tillamook
DONORS & FRIENDS LUNCH to look back at our beginnings as well as learn what's ahead.
April 26 - Tillamook Forest Center
Meet Matthew Grantham
Matthew began studying Forestry at Northern Arizona University before switching gears and earning a degree in Parks and Recreation Management from Arizona State University. His career started as a Fire Lookout for the Kaibab National Forest, a role he describes as, "Getting paid to stare at trees and make sure they weren’t on fire—a job I still consider underrated."
Since then, Matthew has worked as a natural resource specialist for Chugach State Park in Alaska, the Bureau of Land Management in Arizona, and now the OregonDepartment of Forestry, where he is Recreation Coordinator out of the Astoria District Office on the Clatsop State Forest. Over the years, he's tackled invasive weed management, long-term recreation planning, GIS, travel management, facility construction and maintenance, cultural and wildlife resource protection, grant writing, product development, and even graphic design, "Because sometimes even nature needs a good infographic," says Matthew.
What he loves most about the field is the variety. "One day, I’m deep in a spreadsheet, the next, I’m miles up a trail making sure a project is on track." Having worked in some of the most stunning places in the West, he ranks the Pacific Northwest as, "Definitely a top contender for the best office view."
Q&A with Matthew
What’s your favorite thing to do when you get a free day to enjoy the forest?
If I’m not working in the forest, my favorite thing to do is find a quiet spot with a good view, sit down, and just exist. No emails, no meetings—just me, the trees, and whatever weird drama the local wildlife has going on —whether it’s a hawk dive-bombing its lunch or a squirrel in the middle of an existential crisis. Nature never disappoints.
What's the favorite thing you and your family like to do together for fun?
My wife and I have always been hardcore National Park nerds. We’ve hit nearly every park on the West Coast and Alaska, and we even got engaged in Denali—because nothing says romance like breathtaking landscapes and the possibility of a grizzly bear third-wheeling your proposal.
These days, we bring our two boys along for the ride, sharing the adventure (and the inevitable snack shortages) with them. It’s been fun watching them explore, ask a million questions, and develop their own love for the wild—though, to be fair, they might just be in it for the s’mores.
What’s the most unexpected or funny thing you’ve seen while managing recreation outdoors?
Once, while hiking alone in the Superstition Mountains, I heard something skittering behind me. I’d stop—it would stop. I’d speed up—it stayed right on my heels. Sometimes it sounded small, sometimes big, which was deeply unsettling because I had no idea if I was being stalked by a tiny demon or a full-grown mountain lion.
The Superstitions are already creepy, with Mojave Green rattlesnakes, mountain lions, and territorial treasure hunters. Against my better judgment, I panicked and took off running. Whatever was following me kept pace effortlessly.
Realizing I wasn’t getting away, I spun around, ready for a dramatic showdown. And then… nothing. Just an eerie silence and a suspiciously long, wet trail of dirt behind me.
Turns out, I had yanked the hose off my water pack, and the relentless pursuer I was fleeing? It was my own hydration. I had successfully run myself out of water in the desert.
Advocating for Oregon’s Trails: The Trust Supports SB 179
The State Forests Trust of Oregon recently submitted testimony regarding SB179, a bill that seeks to provide lasting recreational immunity protections for landowners who allow public recreation. Without these protections, trails and outdoor spaces could face closures due to liability concerns. The Trust cited the need for a permanent fix to recreation immunity. Testimony on the bill is scheduled for Wednesday, February 19, 2025
