Shimamoto takes new assignment

After six years as Sisters District Ranger, Karen Shimamoto will soon be leaving for the Deschutes National Forest Supervisor's Office in Bend.

Carolyn Wisdom, Deputy Ranger on the Bend/Fort Rock Ranger District, is to replace Shimamoto in Sisters.

The reassignments, which are scheduled to take place next January, are are considered to be temporary at this time.

Shimamoto will be working as Community Relations Team Leader, replacing an employee who is taking early retirement, according to Sally Collins, Deschutes National Forest Supervisor.

"Karen will be giving advice relating to the whole, forest-wide recreational area, as well as all the human resource programs. She's shown she can do a really excellent job and this change will be good for her career," Collins said. "She comes from a natural resource background, rather than a recreational background, so this will be a new experience for her."

Of her stay in Sisters, Shimamoto said that "six years ago the district was gridlocked. It was a battle ground of lawsuits and court injunctions. The most rewarding thing was to get past that."

Recently, she said, the Forest Service has been focused on "taking care of dead and dying trees and making the forest safer by reducing fuels."

Carolyn Wisdom said she was looking forward to her move to Sisters.

"I am excited at the opportunity and look forward to working with the great people out there. The area is particularly beautiful country, with a sophisticated, passionate citizenry who care about the land," Wisdom said.

Since the assignment is a temporary one, Wisdom will commute from her home southeast of Bend. She comes from a small town near Moses Lake in Washington.

During her last year as Deputy Ranger of the recently-combined Bend-Fort Rock Ranger District, Wisdom has had many of the responsibilities of a district ranger. The move to Sisters "is an opportunity to be completely responsible for a district," said Forest Supervisor Collins.

Before serving as Deputy Ranger, Wisdom was the project manager on the Newberry Monument Management Project and the Geothermal Development plans, and prior to that she was an Environmental Coordinator.

Facing large budget cuts, the Forest Service may make further personnel rearrangements after the budget is finalized in January.

But this move, Supervisor Collins said, "is a neat opportunity to give two excellent employees experience and provide outstanding support to the people in those programs."