Anthony departs Sisters for temporary assignment

Craig Eisenbeis | Last updated Jan 27, 2009 12:0pm0

Craig Eisenbeis count

Sisters District Ranger Bill Anthony (right), with his temporary replacement, Craig Letz.

The Sisters area is so closely tied to the surrounding forest that any changes in forest management have a potential impact on nearly everyone. And few individual positions have more influence on the management of our local forest than that of Sisters District Ranger.

So, it caught people's attention when word got out that District Ranger Bill Anthony is headed for another job in the Okanogan and Wenatchee National Forests.

"This is just a temporary assignment," Anthony said. "It doesn't mean I'm leaving. I'll be coming back. This is an opportunity for me to grow professionally by putting myself in a whole new leadership situation for a few months. I've been with the Forest Service for 30-plus years, and I've been rangering for 17. I plan to keep at this for at least a few more years, and this will give me a chance to see if I want to keep being a district ranger or whether its time to move on."

The "temporary assignment" will be as Deputy Forest Supervisor, a position that is second in line after the Forest Supervisor. Typically, the Forest Supervisor oversees multiple ranger districts in each national forest. Anthony has previously had similar short-term assignments, most recently in 2004 with the Deschutes National Forest in Bend.

So far, however, he has resisted making any permanent changes because he enjoys living and working in Sisters. Still, his superiors keep encouraging him to move up the bureaucratic ladder. Earlier in his career, he spent three years at Forest Service Headquarters in Washington, D.C.

"The thing I remember from that experience," Anthony said, "was that the higher-ups always reflected on being a ranger as the best job they ever had. It was then that I decided I wanted to be a district ranger, and I'm cautious about leaving it now. It's really great to wake up every day and have a passion for what you do."

At the same time, he is looking forward to his four-month assignment in Wenatchee and notes some similarities to the Central Oregon area. For example, both are on the east side of the Cascades, so the climate and forest have much in common.

On the other hand, the Okanogan and Wenatchee National Forests, at over four million acres, present a much larger area of responsibility. That compares to 1.6 million acres in the Deschutes National Forest and 320,000 acres in the Sisters Ranger District.

Further, the combined Washington forests stretch more than 160 miles, from the Canadian border to the Yakama Indian Reservation. Anthony also noted that the proximity of the sprawling Seattle metropolitan area presents unique challenges.

Smiling, he added, "Plus, they have grizzly bears up there."

Anthony feels he is up to the challenges.

"I look forward to stretching myself by getting out of my comfort zone. Up there, I'll have to learn how to succeed in a whole new management environment," he said.

So, he will take another look at the idea of moving up, but he emphasizes that he's definitely coming back to Sisters - at least for now. In the meantime, he said he's keeping an open mind about future assignment possibilities. When he finishes his work in Wenatchee, he will be in a better position to make a decision.

In his absence, Deputy Interagency Fire Management Officer Craig Letz of Prineville will be filling in for him (see related story, page 28).

Acting ranger looking to grow as leader

In the months leading up to this year's fire season, the Sisters Ranger District will have the benefit of guidance from one of Central Oregon's leading fire specialists.

Craig Letz, the incoming Acting District Ranger, is currently the Deputy Interagency Fire Management Officer for the Central Oregon Fire Management Service in Prineville. COFMS is the interagency organization responsible for coordinating fire management for the Deschutes and Ochoco National Forests and the Central Oregon lands administered by the Bureau of Land Management.

Letz comes to the job with extensive experience in wildland fire management, and the majority of that experience was with the National Park Service. He says that moving among the various federal agencies has been a relatively easy thing to do.

After graduating from Iowa State University in Forest Resource Management, Letz began his fire management career in 1990 at Idaho's Clearwater National Forest. Shortly thereafter, he landed the first of two permanent posts with the Park Service at Grand Canyon National Park. Sandwiched in between his Grand Canyon postings was a tour at Oregon's Crater Lake from 1999-2002.

Prior to his present assignment, Letz was a fuels planner, suppression foreman, helicopter operations specialist, Fuels Manager, and Deputy Fire Staff Officer at the Grand Canyon. He has been in Prineville since 2006, where he is the Deputy Interagency Fire Management Officer.

When the announcement came that the Sisters Ranger, Bill Anthony, had been tapped for a career-broadening temporary assignment, Letz jumped at the chance to backfill into Anthony's slot. "This type of temporary assignment is common within both agencies (USFS & BLM) and is considered a professional growth tool."

Deschutes Forest Supervisor John Allen made the final choice, but Letz says that Anthony was closely involved in the decision as well. He believes that he was selected for the job because of his multi-agency experience and demonstrated leadership skills.

"I bring a different perspective...sort of like a new set of eyes," he said. "Hopefully, they see some potential in me to give me this chance for professional development of my leadership and community relations skills. These assignments have kind of a trickle down effect. While Bill is off on his assignment, I have the opportunity to fill his job; and there's somebody on my staff who gets to step in behind me."

Letz is excited about the prospect of starting next week as an Acting District Ranger.

"I'm looking at it as both a leadership challenge and a professional growth opportunity," he said.

He realizes that the four-month stint is not a lot of time and doesn't expect to be making any sweeping changes: "I want to keep the momentum going while Bill is gone...but maybe I can offer some new ideas...small subtle things. Bill will come back and pick up the ball and keep running with it."

The luxury of ample transition time has been a real bonus from Letz' perspective.

"Bill and I have spent a lot of time working together to continue things on the current path and make sure we're serving the public," he said. "I've been able to go to community meetings and meet people and make sure I'm informed on current issues. This has been a huge opportunity.

"There are so many different demands on the forest today. It's an incredible challenge to find the right balance in forest use, but there is a great staff here that will make my job a lot easier."