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PAGE1Fremont-Winema National ForestJan 2024 Issue # 1Fremont-Winema

PAGE2Fremont-Winema National ForestTABLE OFCONTENTSP.0 3INTRODUCTIONThis issue opens with a letter from the Deputy Forest Supervi-sor and an editor’s note from Public Affairs.P.0 4TRAINING OPPORTUNITIESWant to take your career further We’ve got info on the NNLP and how to become a PIO.P.07SAFETY CORNERJust because it’s a wet winter doesn’t mean safe driving isn’t important Article by Heidi Ratliff.P.0 8FREWIN TEAM WINS AWARDFull reprint of the article on the PNW Regional Forester’s Honor Award.P.10DISTRICT HIGHLIGHTSCheck here for some things that happened around the districts last year. It was a big yearP.12RUMORS, Q&AHeard a rumor Want a question answered Send it to us and we’ll track it down for you. This month - how to be ready for those limited-time job openings on USAJOBS.P.13NFFE NEWSJK Boots and NFFE have a 15% discount on boots for NFFE members. For more details, check page 13.P.14FOREST HISTORYDid you know the stone buildings at the Bly Ranger Station were built by the CCC Article by Robert Montgomery.Cover: Palisade Rocks, Gearhart Wilderness. Photo by Ben Wilson.Call for SubmissionsDo you have photos you want to share with the Forest Want to write about something We want it Send any submissions to benjamin.wilson4@usda.gov or robert.montgomery@usda.gov.P.15NEW ARRIVALSMeet Steve Brown, the new detailed SE Zone District Ranger

PAGE3Fremont-Winema National ForestLetter from the Deputy Forest SupervisorWood River Day Use Area. Photo by Ben Wilson.Welcome to 2024 After the hard-working, highly pro-ductive 2023 we had, we want to encourage everyone to think about how to recharge and take a breather – not just over the holidays, but in a sustainable fashion going forward. This is an election year, which can make all of us tense – and we have a lot of work ahead of us, so keep an eye on yourself and the people to your left and right. The Northwest Forest Plan Amendment is also coming out this year, so be ready to pivot if some of our practic-es change as a result. RLT MeetingThe Regional Leadership Team Meeting this last month was very productive, and the Fremont-Winema was called out multiple times, in a positive way. Chief Moore specically called out the Fre-Win for our work on the WCS. So, just know that all the great work we’re doing is being noticed at the National level. The National Lead-ership Team is encouraging innovation throughout the agency, which we excel at Let’s continue innovating – everything is on the table. Housing and hiring were also mentioned. The NLT is committed to addressing the housing issue – hopefully we’ll see more about that in the next few months. Some cautions came up, as well. The Forest Service is exploring psychological safety in high-risk workplac-es – so be ready for this to come into the forest. Region 6 also has the highest per-employee rate of vehicle accidents. Normally it’s great to be on top of the list, but this is one of those times when it’s not. Let’s all focus on improving that statistic. Speaking of vehicle accidents – there have been reports of Forest Service vehicles going over 80mph. If you’re not an emergency vehicle or in a state with an 80mph posted speed, your vehicle should not be traveling at those speeds. Please be safe. The RLT update meeting had a Wildlife Crisis Strategy review. Here are some of the key points;• Region six went from 2 to 5 landscapes this year.• $188 million spent, 226,000 acres of Rx and 140 Grants and agreements.• The G to Z project was mentioned for innovation. The project spent $9.8 million and will treat 63,362 acres with prescribed re. Other Forests did some impressive work, but not reaching the levels of the Fremont-Winema.• This will continue to be a regional priority moving forward.• We need to continue to be willing to change and challenge norms as we move forward with WCS. Also, the Fremont-Winema was recognized for work on the WCS. Judd Lehman, Jade Souza, Emerson Cogburn, Evan Wright, and Dave Lilly were present to accept the award on behalf of the Forest. Although they accepted the award, it was for all the people that work so hard to make the project a success. Congratulations-Benjamin GoodinTwo of the big things that came up in our own regional management review were communication and transpar-ency. This newsletter is one part of addressing that. One of the items specically called out during the RMR was that information doesn’t come from the National Leadership Team, through the Regional Leadership Team, down to the Forest. We want to take that information and bring it to you, so you can see how the work that you do ts into the bigger regional and national picture. Some employees during the RMR expressed that they don’t know why policies exist or why decisions are made. To that end, Public Affairs has set up a form here, where you can ask those questions – for more info, look at Page 12.We’re also taking steps to make sure the union is more involved with the Forest Leadership Team and has dedi-cated avenues to communicating with everyone – so we have a dedicated space for our bargaining unit represen-tatives to write in on page 13.Editor’s Note - Regional Management Review

PAGE4Fremont-Winema National ForestTRAINING OPPORTUNITIESNational New Leader Program FY24The Forest Service’s success is made possible through leaders at all levels of the organization work-ing in a variety of roles. Whether you hold a formal leadership title or lead informally from where you are, you shape how we achieve our mission, foster a positive work environment, and serve our public. Strong leaders create a safe environment where new ideas can be shared, employees feel like they matter, and development is encouraged. For employees at the GS7-GS10 grade level or wage grade equivalent, you have an exciting training opportunity to become a stronger, more inclusive leader through the rich learning experiences in the National New Leader Program NNLP.What: NNLP is a competitive leadership development program, and the GS7-GS10 employees or wage grade equivalent selected to participate in the FY24 program will represent all areas of the For-est Service, bringing unique skills and abilities, and aligning with the Forest Service values of diversity, safety, conservation, interdependence, and service.How to apply: The Application Link includes eligibility criteria and instructions on how to apply. For more information about the program, check out the NNLP SharePoint site. Note: This is only accessi-ble from a government system.For application deadlines see page 5.

PAGE5Fremont-Winema National ForestInterested in becoming a Public Information Ofcer Want to know what a Public Information Ofcer is Want to know what the differences between a PIO and a PAO are hint: it’s a lot more than just one letterRegion 6 Fire Communications is holding a Teams session on February 6, from 1-3 PM. Cohort Week 1 Week 2 Location Application DeadlineNNLP 15 VirtualApril 22-26, 2024 June 3-7, 2024 Virtual February 22, 2024NNLP 16 In-PersonJuly 8-12, 2024 September 16-20, 2024Week 1: Atlanta Week 2: Grey Tow-ersMay 9, 2024NNLP 17 VirtualAugust 12-16, 2024 October 7-11, 2024 Virtual June 13, 2024NNLP SessionsPIO OpportunitiesThe session will cover:What is a PIO?Key rolesA day in the life of a PIOWhy it mattersHow to become a PIOAnd more!No prior experience requiredContact your forest PAO for the link;benjamin.wilson4@usda.govHave additional questionsemail Jennifer Risdal at;jennifer.o’learyrisdal@usda.gov

PAGE6Fremont-Winema National ForestHazardous Weather Drivingby Heidi RatliffSAFETY CORNERI know that we’ve all heard this before but being one of a small group of long-distance commuters, it weighs heavily on my mind, as it pertains to every driver on the road.Yes, I am referring to winter driving. This month in many areas around our forest, we’ve seen fast-accumulating snow, and in some areas, in large amounts. We have also experi-enced dropping temperatures accompanied by very strong wind gusts. All of this, in combi-nation, can often be a recipe for disaster.Growing up in Chemult, I’ve experienced some of the worst driving conditions on our forest. Yet, it never ceases to amaze me how ‘over-ly-condent,’ self-centered drivers do not take heed to public announcements/news regard-ing current conditions. Yes, we all need to get somewhere in a timely matter - but not at the expense of endangering others.I just want to remind all drivers and throw some things to think about, out there:• First, and foremost, not everyone has the same condence, skills, experience, or a good-handling vehicle for hazardous weather driving. Maybe it’s their rst time driving in adverse weather conditions, or maybe their all-weather tires don’t grip as well. • I have become a rm believer in “KNOW BEFORE YOU GO.” During winter months, I check The Weather Channel for any Winter Storm Warnings, and ODOT’s TripCheck cameras for current road conditions, DAILY. Use that information - NOTHING is worth risking your life• Give plenty of room between you and the driver ahead of you. Has anyone ever received positive results from tailgating Most, when having someone following too close, will slow down even more. Count-er-productive to your intent of trying to force someone to drive faster. According to the Oregon Driver’s Manual, “A safe follow-ing distance is dened as 2-4 seconds. For speeds greater than 30 mph, a safe follow-ing distance should be 4 seconds or more to allow you time to make a decision and take action.” And “There are situations… when you need even more space between your vehicle and the one in front of you.” • Finally, speeding. For those of you who know me, you know that my right foot weighs more than my left foot. As a matter of fact, I wear two different shoe sizes. Not really Lol But my dad used to race circle track when I was young, and I have always felt an inherited need to drive faster than most - but not at the expense of others. I no longer tailgate drivers. Nor do I pass when there’s close, oncoming trafc. And, if someone wants to pass, I let them. What is it my business if someone chooses to drive faster than I Kindly, let them go by. Speeding in winter months is a different ball of wax. I have seen so many wrecks along highway 97 because drivers were driving too fast on icy roads. And then there’s black ice – often undetected until the driver slides into a ditch. Being cautious is better than being dead. So please, when the road conditions become dangerous, don’t drive unless it’s absolutely necessary. And if you do, please be consider-ate and aware. The next time you have to drive in hazardous weather conditions, on bad roads, I hope you will think about my off-sized feet just kidding and it reminds you to slow down and drive safe. We all have someone that wants to see us at the end of our trip.Wishing you all safe travels

PAGE7Fremont-Winema National Forest

PAGE8Fremont-Winema National ForestFREMONTWINEMA TEAM WINS PACIFIC NORTHWEST AWARD FOR WILDFIRE CRISIS WORKIt’s usually a bad day when ‘Oregon’ and ‘re’ make it into the headlines. A team from the U.S. Forest Service is changing that.Wildres have been worsening over the past two decades, aided by a changing climate, growing development in the wildland-urban interface (WUI), and ac-cumulating fuels in the forest. In 2015, 2017, 2020 and 2021, more than 10 mil-lion acres burned from wildre – that’s an area over six times the size of Delaware.The situation looks grim, but there are answers – a ten-year strategy to address the Wildre Crisis. It calls for treatment and mitigation, a simple term for a com-plex, ongoing process, involving, among other things, thinning forest stands, removing excess burnable materials – called fuels – and using prescribed re to reduce the risk of catastrophic res.In Fiscal Year 2023, a group from the Fremont-Winema National Forest part-nered with other organizations ranging from federal, state, tribal, and local gov-ernments to contractors, corporations and nonprots. Their award-winning work will lead to about 100,000 acres being treated for reduction of fuels – meaning a signicant positive impact on the resil-ience of the Forest. That’s in addition to the importance it has to the local econo-mies that depend on the Forest for jobs, rangeland, education, recreation, and renewable forest products.Tackling a crisis of historic proportions needs more than just hard work, though; “If we were totally traditional with our work,” says Emerson Cogburn, Timber Management Assistant, “It wouldn’t have happened. Trust built between our work group, partners, and contractors provid-ed the space to try new things.”Emerson, along with Judd Lehman, District Ranger for the Chiloquin and Chemult ranger districts, Jade Souza, West Zone Planner, Evan Wright, Zone Fire Management Ocer, David Lilly, District Fire Management Ocer, and Kyle Gomez, Project Manager for the Klamath River Basin Priority Landscape, are receiving the Pacic Northwest Re-gional Forester’s Honor Award for their work on the Wildre Crisis.Lower risk of catastrophic wildfires, less disease, better habitat for wildlife, and healthier Forest stands sound pic-ture-perfect – but there are still some hurdles to overcome. Smoke from pre-scribed burns and the burned appear-ance of treated areas immediately after prescribed re are unpleasant when the community is used to crystal-clear air and verdant ponderosa groves. Experts say, however, that an elevated particulate count and RX burning are the ideal state for the Forest.“It’s not a matter of if the Forest will burn, it’s a matter of when,” says Alissa Tan-ner, Branch Chief for Hazardous Fuels Management. “When the public comes knocking on my door, asking when we’re going to burn the Forest next to them, I’ll call that mission accomplished.”With 2.3 million acres to treat on the Fre-mont-Winema alone, the award-winning team has their work cut out for them over the next year. “It’s challenging to achieve this scale of implementation,” says Kyle Gomez. “It takes a whole Forest working together to achieve this. I’m grateful for the employees that make up the team on the Fremont-Winema.”(is article reprinted from its original publication)

PAGE9Fremont-Winema National ForestAbove:Liz Berger and Merv George present the Region 6 Regional Forester’s Honor Award to the Fremont-Winema team.Above: 242 Fire burned area being replanted. Photo by Ben Wilson.

PAGE10Fremont-Winema National ForestDISTRICT HIGHLIGHTS2023 was a big year. Here are some highlights from around the Forest;Mazama Zone:• Go Big G to Z: : First of its kind, this contract will utilize a con-tractor to take the lead on a 66,000-acre area where we have provided the end results that we want and it is the contractors responsibility to set it all up to meet that. There will be timber removal and lots of fuel reduction service work that will result in a very large area being treated and ready for prescribed re. Out of the 66 thousand acre project, the following was funded in scal year 23: $9,814,569.00 - including approximately 7,000 acres of timber product removal, 11,000 acres of small tree thinning/fuels mitigation, 2,704 acres of mastication, up to 75 miles of road reconstruction services, and all required forestry preparation services for the full 63,362 gross acres of the project area including recon, unit layout, cruising, nding and posting archy sites for avoidance, etc.• FY 23 Timber Target: The Zone awarded roughly 57 MMBF being completed and roughly 19k acres. We were able to get this large amount of volume completed and advertised by utilizing timber modernization methods such as DxP, virtual boundaries, and LiDar data. Completed Nepa and surveys allowed the ground to be shovel ready. • Hawks Timber Transport Project with the Wild Turkey Feder-ation: We responded in a very quick time frame to provide a timber transport project to the Region to meet National priorities. The partner has been implementing the project for a few months now including sale prep, timber removal, and small tree thinning.• Dillon Creek Managed Fire: Last spring the zone took advantage of two lighting strikes in the Red Knight Project Area on the Che-mult Ranger District to reintroduce re onto roughly 3,000 acres. The effects from the re were excellent, and the project set a model that we intend to duplicate this spring if conditions allow.• Digit Point Campground Rec Presence: We had a great season for campers at Digit Point Campground at Miller Lake on the Chemult Ranger District. Recreation staff were very engaged to provide excellent opportunities for the public and to minimize loud campers that had been a problem the few years before.KRD Highlights:• Welcomed new employees in critical positions, including WZ Fish Bio/Prog Mgr Jona Molina, WZ Rec Prog Mgr Danilo Mick-ey Figueroa, and WZ Silv Seth Chrisman. They have all excelled at learning their new job, colleagues, and the area They also fostered and developed new sh, rec, and timber partnerships.• Signicant improvement in CG, trail, and other rec site mainte-nance through increased patrols, cleaning, repairs, etc. Also start-ed multi-year effort to re-invigorate/re-establish our winter rec program, specically non-motorized XC and snowshoeing trails.• Instituted new redeemable bottle & can collection partnership with Klamath Trails Alliance. All proceeds support local trail maint.• Removed thousands of pounds of trash, scrap, and recyclables from NF lands.• Converted Palmer Brock to full-time botany position, who then helped lead robust summer intern program. More surveys com-pleted, more weeds sprayed• Rx Burned as many acres as possible. Supported other Districts, and Forests across the agency. Provided key leadership on Dillon Creek Fire.

PAGE11Fremont-Winema National ForestSE Zone highlights:• 17 acres of bitterbrush planted to restore mule deer habitat within the Bootleg fire, cooperating with Oregon Hunter’s Association and Warner Creek Correctional Facility they grew the bitterbrush• Approximately 4700 acres of roadside danger tree removal, accomplished under stewardship contracts and commercial timber contracts.• 170 acres of precommercial thinning/fuels reduction work com-pleted and accepted• 338 acres of commercial timber harvest completed and ac-cepted • We also entered into 2 partnership agreements with Patriot Ops and TWC Corp. Winter Rim highlights:• Fence reconstruction in contracts completed approximately 60 miles of fence reconstruction in Brattain, Cougar Peak, and Bootleg res• Fence reconstruction in an agreement with SWCD Soil and Water Conservation district about 80 miles completed of re-construction of fences in the 2020 and 2021 res• Fence clearing within the three res soon to be awarded 1,445 acres will be completed in 2024• Emergency repairs were completed on multiple roads during 2023.

PAGE12Fremont-Winema National ForestRUMORS, QUESTIONS AND ANSWERSHave questions* We have answers. Here’s how you can ask:Email: Send an email to either;robert.montgomery@usda.gov-or-benjamin.wilson4@usda.gov-or-frewinnf@gmail.com*Questions sent in will go to the Public Affairs team and will not be anonymous.Or ask via Google form:https://forms.gle/ZbKjTDwEGs-rxX44A6Q: I saw a job that I wanted to apply for on the Forest, but I didn’t have enough time to write up a resume and apply before it closed. How can I apply in timeA: We don’t always have control over the length of time a vacan-cy is posted for - so the best practice is to have a resume ready to go on USAJOBS ahead of time, and set up alerts on USAJOBS. You can get a digest of all the jobs that match grades and locations that you’re looking for, and choose how often you get emails about jobs.

PAGE13Fremont-Winema National Forest NFFE Teams Up with JK Boots to Offer Discounts for Union Members January 23, 2024 Last week, the National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE) finalized a partnership with JK Boots to offer a 15% discount on fire boots for all NFFE-IAM members. The partnership with JK was proposed by NFFE National Business Representative Max Alonzo, a former U.S Forest Service employee that also worked many seasons as a wildland firefighter. Alonzo now services NFFE’s Land Management Agency locals, and is working with other stakeholders in the wildfire community to bring positive reform to federal wildland fire. “Over the many years of working with wildland firefighters, it has become overwhelmingly evident that they are one of the most loyal, gritty, hardworking, and overlooked communities,” said Tim Khadzi of JK Boots. “It only seemed like a natural partnership to work together going forward, to give back to our federal wildland firefighters, and to support NFFE’s ever-growing efforts for comprehensive change in wildland fire.” The discount applies to JK’s collection of specialized boots made for wildland firefighters: Fire Inlander, Honey Fire, Overtime, and Fire Inlander LTT. All JK Boots are 100% made in the USA, constructed in the Pacific Northwest from American sourced materials. To access the discount, NFFE-IAM members can reach out to JK Boots at general@jkboots.com or by phone at (509) 487-0154. The discount will also be honored for boot purchases at JK’s five retail stores, located in Spokane, WA, Tri-Cities, WA, Boise, ID, Redding, CA, and Phoenix, AZ. You will need your NFFE-IAM member number or proof of NFFE dues deductions. “Working with the Khadzi family to bring our members this deal has been such a great experience,” said Max Alonzo. “John Khadzi started this boot building and repair business many years ago, and his sons Tim and Will grew up working in the shop and now run the business. They understand true craftsmanship and how critical it is for wildland firefighters to have a properly constructed fire boot. They also recognize that wildland firefighters have been a big part of their success, and I applaud them for wanting to give back to this community.” www.NFFE.org NFFE News

PAGE14Fremont-Winema National ForestFOREST HISTORYArticle by Robert MontgomeryMany of us may have driven past or even visited the Bly Ranger station on the Fre-mont-Winema National Forest, but did you know that the buildings there have historical value Some of the buildings were built by the Civilian Conservation Corps CCC. The Civilian Conservation Corps nds its place in history when President Franklin D. Roos-evelt created the program as part of the New Deal legislation on April 5, 1933. The country was suffering from high unemployment during the Great Depression, and the CCC was a method to create jobs for hundreds of thousands of young men. It did not take long to mo-bilize the CCC, and by July, more than 300,000 men were put to work in camps, making the CCC the most rapid peace mobilization in U.S. history with Region 6 hosting 26,355 men.Most of the work accomplished by the CCC took place in the west. Much of this work included reforestation, ghting res and construction. The CCC constructed many things from roads, trails, parks, and buildings. Recreationalists also benetted from the work per-formed by the CCC, as campgrounds saw the creation of picnic tables and other facilities.The Fremont National Forest was one of the locations within Region 6 where the CCC constructed buildings for Ranger Stations. The Bly Ranger Station was noted during an in-ventory by Region 6 Recreation Staff, Elizabeth Gail Throop, as she highlighted the unique-ness in construction material and design quality of the Bly Ranger Station. The buildings were the only ones within Region 6 to incorporate stone as the primary material for the exterior walls.Finding history in your backyard is a great aspect that the Fremont-Winema National For-est has to offer. So, if you haven’t already, stop by and visit the Bly Ranger Station and ad-mire these unique buildings.

PAGE15Fremont-Winema National ForestNEW ARRIVALSMeet Steve Brown - the new detailed SE Zone District Ranger.Steve was born and raised in Oregon, grad-uating from Oregon State University with a Bachelor of Science in Forestry Recreation Resource Management and a Minor in Law Enforcement. He spent his junior year at OSU as an exchange student at Lincoln University in the South Island of New Zealand, and com-pleted his internship at Tongariro National Park in the North Island of New Zealand. He spent the next 10 years working for Paci-Corp, with the last 2 years as the Plant Super-visor on the N. Umpqua Hydro Facility. Steve began his career with the State of Oregon in 2002 in Lakeview as a supervisor with the De-partment of Human Services and retired from the Oregon Department of Corrections as the Superintendent of Warner Creek Correctional Facility. Steve began working with the Forest Service in May of 2021 as the Timber Management As-sistant/Silviculturist on the South East Zone of the Fremont-Winema Forest, then in October of 2022 he accepted a position as the National Environmental Policy Act Coordinator for the East Zone. In October of 2023 he took a posi-tion with the Wildland Fire Crisis team for the Klamath River Basin. Steve has been married to his wife, Tami, for over 30 years, and has 5 children. He en-joys camping, hunting, shing, exploring and spending time with his family in the outdoors. Steve is very excited about his newest adven-ture as the SE Zone District Ranger and work-ing with all the wonderful employees on the Fremont-Winema Forest.

PAGE16January 2024 - Issue 1, Volume 1