The Ranger's Corner: New Year, same us

A former boss told me once, as we were dodging a boulder garden in a raft on the North Umpqua River, “humans are like houseplants; after a couple of years, both need repotted.” So, after almost seven years here as the district ranger in Sisters, last fall I voluntarily and temporarily repotted as the forest supervisor on the Modoc National Forest in northern California. Part of the reason was curiosity, part of it was the timing, part of it just could have been a wanderlust for new adventures and experiences. Maybe part of it was I thought my pot was getting a little tight, and I needed four months in a lonely Forest Service bunkhouse to remind me that’s it’s just the right size here in Sisters.

The Modoc National Forest is a fascinating and isolated landscape. Some of it is like central Oregon, minus the people, with its juniper and ponderosa pine, sage and bitterbrush. Much of it is a rugged, windswept volcanic plateau. In spring, these poorly-drained soils of the Devil’s Garden become ephemeral wetlands and factories for nesting waterfowl and shorebirds. The eerie “cruggggg” of the sandhill cranes flying overhead greeted me daily during my hitch on the Modoc.

Water on the Modoc National Forest travels three directions: into the large coastal river systems of the Pit-Sacramento or the Klamath, or east into the Great Basin to die a lonely evaporative death. My favorite place on the Modoc was the Warner Mountains, a long fault block system running north-south that reminded me of Steens Mountain in Oregon. Like Steens, the Warners are covered in quaking aspen, as well as conifers such as the Washoe pine, and abundant wildlife. On the Modoc, wild horses outnumbered houseless encampments about 1,200 to one and cattle are king, with almost the entire forest in active or vacant grazing allotments. Alturas, where the forest headquarters is located, still boasts a busy auction yard, where abundant national forest forbs and bunchgrasses are converted into favorable auction prices.

The Modoc has an interesting and often tragic history, with prehistoric villages, pioneer trails and outposts, and conflicts. The Modoc Indian wars were significant battles between U.S. military and local tribes, with Kintpuash (aka Captain Jack), a famous Native American leader who was tried and executed as a war criminal at Fort Klamath. Subsequently, the small town where my bunkhouse was located was named after General Edward Canby, one of the few military generals killed in Indian conflicts. Current tribal relations on the Modoc National Forest are positive, and I worked with tribal leaders and staff from the Pit River Tribe, Fort Bidwell Reservation, Modoc Nation of Oklahoma, and other tribal groups during my stint there. Tribal support was key in the recent proclamation of a national monument on a portion of the Modoc.

So, what did I learn in four months spent in rural northern California? As the country song goes — but perhaps unsupported by social media comment sections — “I believe most people are good.” Over a 25-year career in posts ranging from: John Day to Flagstaff; Baker City to Ashland; Gold Beach to Alturas; Ukiah to Sisters; not to mention dozens of fire incident command posts and spike camps strewn all over the West, I’ve considered myself very fortunate to get to work with the incredible group of Forest Service employees that I have crossed paths with, and the Modoc and the Pacific Southwest Regional employees were no exception. And the same holds true for those partners of the Forest Service, whether they are tribes, other agencies, ranchers, loggers, elected officials, outfitter guides, or non-governmental organizations; I believe most of them are also good. On the Modoc, I worked closely with the county board of supervisors as well as CalFire, Bureau of Reclamation, and the grazing associations. I also learned, or reaffirmed, that public lands are incredibly important to all, not just those who live directly adjacent to them; and that those who depend on those lands have valuable information that should be sought out and considered when making management decisions.

Getting back to Sisters Country, I would be remiss if I did not thank Lauren DuRocher, who served as the acting district ranger while I was on temporary assignment on the Modoc. Lauren did a heckuva job keeping all the plates spinning, and brought the district to a better place than it was when I left it. On the home front, my wife Annie deserves equal recognition.

Our work here on the district for 2025 will focus around three forest priorities: 1. Community wildfire protection; 2. sustainable recreation; 3. public engagement. Expect a public forum to engage with us around special uses and recreation in February or March, a public meeting to discuss a proposed amendment to the Northwest Forest Plan on February 13, and our annual open house in early April where we will answer questions and share our detailed program of work for the year.

Finally, we welcome two new permanent employees to the district: Nate Price is a wildfire prevention technician and Emily Long is our incoming recreation team leader. We hope to connect with you at an upcoming public engagement session!