APRIL 12

COMPANY NAME

Authored by: Your Name

SOUTHWEST

OREGON

DISTRICT ANNUAL REPORT 2020

1

M E S S A G E F R O M T H E D I S T R I C T F O R E S T E R

Without a doubt, 2020 will go down in the history books as one of

the most difficult and challenging years for Southwest Oregon District

and the entire Oregon Department of Forestry. Right at the beginning of

2020, we were faced with addressing a global pandemic: COVID-19. This

was uncharted territory for us all and required a coordinated and

strategic response from everyone. Plans were developed to reduce

exposure and transmission; offices were closed to the public and the

means of how we deliver training were altered. I can say that these

preparations paid off and were paramount to our successes, as we did

not experience an outbreak of COVID-19 on a SWO incident.

As if dealing with a pandemic was not enough, the

unseasonably dry and warm fall and winter brought about

severe drought conditions. By the middle of April, the

district was already experiencing fuels conditions that we

would typically experience mid-July. The first significant

fire of the year started on April 20; the Shangrila Lane Fire

burned nearly 20 acres and required the assistance of

multiple helicopters to suppress it. Because folks were

staying home due to COVID, we saw an increase in

escaped debris burns that necessitated the district to

implement fire season on May 1. This was the earliest start

to fire season since 1988. Weather conditions did

moderate some during the first part of June, which

allowed for us to focus on training and prevention.

Training was much different due to the COVID

protocols and generated a large amount of media and public interest. SWO District, in coordination

with ODF Salem Public Affairs, used this as an opportunity to educate the public about fire

prevention and how we prepare for fire season. Oregon Public Broadcasting did a feature story that

showcased our training efforts and how we as an agency focused on mitigating the risk of COVID-19

for the fire season.

Dave Larson

“I am so proud of the men and women who work for this district,

who, no matter how difficult the situation, rose to the challenge.”

The Shangrila Lane Fire

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The remainder of June and most of July was uneventful,

more typical of a “average” fire season for SWO. However, the

weather was hot and dry, and the last measurable rain fell on

the district on June 19. We would not see any rain for the next

113 days! On July 30, the Worthington Fire started just east of

Eagle Point. Fortunately, at the time of this fire, resources were

plentiful across Oregon, and we were able to quickly contain the

fire at 761 acres by the next morning. We entered August under

“extreme” fire danger, and throughout the month, experienced

increasing initial attack. I/A was very effective with 45 fires and

only 9.81 acres burned during this time. Visibility at times was

limited, creating challenges for our camera detection due to the

smoke that was blowing into the Rogue Valley from the

California wildfires.

Going into September, the fire season was shaping up to

be below average- but that was about to change. We started to

see indications of a significant weather pattern shaping up as we

went into the Labor Day weekend. Weather forecast models were beginning to show the

development of a sustained east wind event at a severity only seen once every 20-30 years. In

anticipation of the event, days off were canceled, additional outside district resources were

prepositioned and fire managers across all agencies were communicating multiple times daily. On the

Friday before Labor Day, the Grizzly Creek Fire was reported just east of Howard Prairie Lake and

under the extreme conditions, the fire was rapidly developing into a potential project fire. The

district immediately responded with a coordinated and aggressive attack of the fire. By early the next

morning, it had been stopped at under 350 acres. With the east winds coming, our plan was to dig in

and secure as much fire line as possible.

The Worthington Fire

Tanker 60 drops retardant on the Almeda Fire

3

In the early morning hours of September 8, the dry east winds arrived. By 1 a.m., the humidity

had fallen to 12% in Medford, winds were sustained at 25 miles per hour and would increase to 45

miles per hour by 10 a.m. The district was busy with initial attack all morning and was keeping up

containing the new starts. Shortly after 11 a.m., the Almeda Fire was reported and ODF responded

with a full response, assisting the local fire departments. Under these conditions, the fire quickly

grew and began to advance on the towns of Talent

and Phoenix.

Later in the afternoon, the South Obenchain

Fire was reported, and quickly exploded to 1,000

acres in the first 15 minutes. A request was made to

order an Incident Management Team for this fire,

but we knew that the district would be on its own for

the next 48-72 hours. Firefighting resources were in

extremely short supply due to a multitude of fires

from Washington to California. Almost the entire

west side of Oregon was experiencing massive

wildfires. As the day wore on, another fire

approached the District form California. The Slater

Fire was rapidly burning into Oregon and was

threatening the entire Illinois Valley. By nightfall on

September 8, SWO was dealing with four project

fires that were threatening nine different

communities across the district. Firefighting

resources were mobilized in coordination with the

Rogue Valley Fire Chiefs, U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management and ODF. It would take

almost two weeks to bring the blazes under control and the fall rains to finally suppress the fires.

Looking back, for those who lived through the 2020 fire season, it will forever be ingrained in

their memories. I am so proud of the men and women who work for this district, who, no matter

how difficult the situation, rose to the challenge. Throughout this chaotic time, there were no

accidents or injuries to our staff. Their training, leadership, dedication and hard work was

exemplified during the 2020 fire season. For that, I will be forever grateful.

Thank you for your continued support,

Dave Larson

District Forester

The South Obenchain Fire

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2 0 2 0 F I R E S E A S O N R E V I E W The 2020 Fire Season in Oregon proved to be the most destructive in recent history, claiming

thousands of homes in the Labor Day fires that affected the entire state. In the Southwest Oregon

District, the Almeda, South Obenchain and Slater Fires all started on September 8, stretching

resources thin on both units. As the third longest fire season recorded on the district, our crews

responded to 221 fires in 190 days, with 40,494 acres burned. Despite these heavy statistics, 97.3%

of fires on the district were caught at 10 acres or less.

A lack of rain combined with warmer temperatures in the spring prompted an earlier start to

fires on the landscape; SWO firefighters responded to 57 fires from mid-February to late April. The

first notable fire was the Shangrila Lane Fire on April 21; due to gusty winds, it grew to 18 acres on

private land. Light rain in the forecast assisted crews in a quick mop-up, but it became clear

conditions were rapidly shifting, as the long-range forecast called for above average temperatures,

below average precipitation with extreme drought-like conditions. Following a multitude of escaped

debris burn piles, the 2020 fire season was declared on May 1, a month early from the typical June 1

start on the Southwest Oregon District. This presented the district with an

added challenge; public use restrictions

were in place, and seasonal staff had not

yet been hired. As a result, both unit

brush crews were pulled off projects and

assigned engines. In “low” fire danger, the

call volume was manageable for a few

weeks as seasonal firefighters were

brought on. On the Medford unit, fire

school began on May 26 and extended

into early June with socially distant lessons

outside, while the Grants Pass unit condensed the material into a week-long course to mitigate

COVID-19 risks.

Triple digit temperatures at the end of June prompted an increase into “moderate” fire

danger. Call volume also began to surge at that time; from the beginning of June through mid-July,

SWO firefighters stopped more than 50 fires at an acre or less. On July 17, the fire danger level was

raised to “high,” and two days later, the Memorial Fire was reported in the hills east of Ashland. It

rapidly grew to 61 acres; however, crews were able to halt its progress within two hours. A week and

a half later, the Worthington Fire northeast of Eagle Point was sparked by lightning. With a red flag

warning in effect, the fire was fueled by windy conditions and triple-digit temperatures, growing to

more than 150 acres within the first two hours, and reaching 600 acres by the next morning. At that

time, the district kicked into “extreme” fire danger. By utilizing aggressive tactics, local ODF, BLM and

contracted resources were able to contain the Worthington Fire within two weeks at 761 acres.

Fire School at the Medford Unit

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Through the month of August, SWO engines responded to another 50 fires, all but two under

an acre. This included the Graves Creek Fire, caught at two acres thanks to repeated retardant drops

by Tanker 60. On September 4, the Grizzly Creek Fire was reported on private property, one mile

north of Howard Prairie Lake, a popular summertime camping area. Road closures and evacuations

were immediately put into place, as the fire grew to 300 acres in the first three hours. Dozers worked

overnight to line the fire, and mop-up work began. However, hot, dry weather conditions persisted,

and an approaching east wind event, triggering red flag warnings across the region, brought with it a

promise of explosive fire growth. In the early morning hours of September 8, relative humidity

plummeted to nearly single digits, temperatures were forecasted to reach the 90’s and wind gusts

began to push through the valley. In Northern California, the Slater Fire was reported in the Klamath

National Forest around 6:45 a.m.; it would later burn into Oregon on more than 6,500 acres of ODF-

protected land in Josephine County.

By 11 a.m., the first start of the Almeda Fire, just north of Ashland, had been reported to

Ashland Fire-Rescue. In its early stages, it was reported as a half-acre grass fire threatening two

homes. Within 15 minutes of the fire’s start, SWO’s air attack plane spotted the smoke while

returning from a recon mission. Even though ODF-protected land was not involved or threatened,

additional air resources were ordered to assist on the fire, which was rapidly growing with the

gusting winds. Additional structure resources from Greensprings Rural Fire District, Jackson County

Fire Districts 3 and 5, Jacksonville Fire Department and Medford Fire-Rescue arrived, and ODF self-

dispatched multiple engines as well. The Almeda Fire continued to spread north into Talent, burning

through homes and businesses along Highway 99. Multiple other fire starts in the area were

reported. SWO firefighters assisted in evacuations, in some cases transporting residents out of

harm’s way in ODF pickups and engines. Interstate-5

was closed by the Oregon Department of

Transportation at 1 p.m., and downed powerlines on

rural roads created additional hazards to residents

fleeing the fast-moving wildfire. Tanker 60 was

ordered by SWO to make several retardant drops

along I-5 over Talent and Phoenix.

At 2 p.m., additional smoke was reported

further along the greenway. By that time, the South

Obenchain Fire, located on BLM land northeast of

Eagle Point, had been reported. The remaining SWO

resources were dispatched, uniting with Lake Creek

and Butte Falls Fire engines on scene. The South

Obenchain fire, largely wind-driven, was growing at

an alarming rate, jumping roads and chasing out fire

crews into the Worthington scar. Within 15 minutes,

it had raged to 1,000 acres and was continuing to The S. Obenchain Fire

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intensify. Additional aircraft was ordered, and firefighters worked with law enforcement to begin

evacuations, as multiple homes became threatened. Many residents refused to leave, creating

additional challenges for crews trying to hold a line. As hours passed and the fire spread, embers

carried by the wind caught nearby houses, starting structures on fire. With an increased need for

evacuations, Butte Falls Highway was closed to regular traffic at 6:30 p.m. The entire town of Shady

Cove was placed on a level two “be set” evacuation notice.

Meanwhile at the Almeda Fire, ammunition rounds were going off at evacuated houses while

firefighters and law enforcement continued to move through subdivisions and knocking on doors.

The fire had progressed through Talent and into Phoenix, backing up all roads leading out. Both fires

raged through the night; at 5:00 a.m. on September 9, an Oregon State Fire Marshal Team took

command of the Almeda Fire, estimated to be 3,000 acres with thousands of structures lost

overnight. The South Obenchain Fire had reached an estimated 8,000 acres with a 1,000-acre spot

fire, growing to more than 20,000 acres around the 24-hour mark. With a drastic wind shift, the fire

began pushing toward Shady Cove, resulting in the

evacuation of the entire community of 5,000

residents.

Additional fire starts continued to be reported

around the valley, including a 2 acre fire in Central

Point, not far from the Jackson County Expo, where

Almeda Fire victims were being sheltered. SWO

resources remained heavily engaged in the South

Obenchain Fire until Northwest Incident

Management Team 8 arrived on September 10. At

that point, the Slater Fire had crossed the border into

Oregon and onto ODF-protected land. Resources

from the Grants Pass unit were assigned, and the

California Interagency Management Team 10 was

assigned to the fire, now more than 120,000 acres.

The Devil Fire, just east of the Slater Fire, was

detected at 500 acres. Both would grow in the

following weeks to reach more than 157,000 acres.

Lives were lost in multiple fires on the Southwest

Oregon District in 2020. Three people were killed in the Almeda fire, and two people lost their lives

on the California side of the Slater Fire. Thousands of homes were destroyed between the Almeda

and South Obenchain fires, along with countless businesses, outbuildings and vehicles. As numbers

were solidified with GPS mapping, the Almeda Fire was declared to be more than 3,200 acres; only

22 were ODF-protected land.

“Extreme” fire danger lasted into October, decreasing to “high” on October 9 for a short three

days before dropping into “moderate.” Following three weeks of small weather systems bringing

The Slater Fire

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periodic rain, fire season was officially declared over on Friday, November 6. Clean-up will last years

following the devastation of the 2020 Fire Season, and a taskforce is dedicated to the efforts in

Almeda’s wake. Despite the long road ahead, progress is being made, as these communities are

working hard to come back even stronger than they were before.

Dates Fire Danger Level # of days

May 1 – June 29 Low 59

June 29 – July 17 Moderate 18

July 17 – July 31 High 14

July 31 – October 9 Extreme 70

October 9 – October 12 High 3

October 12 – November 6 Moderate 26

D E T E C T I O N While the 2020 Fire Season started May 1, the Southwest Oregon Detection Center was not

fully staffed until July 6. This fire season, the Detection

Center added two new sites: Biebersdet Butte

(Temporary Tower) and Dutchman Peak. With these

additions, we increased our coverage to 13 sites with

two cameras each, allowing for continuous monitoring

while one camera is in live mode. The monitored

detection system sites include Manzanita, Tallowbox,

Sexton, Old Baldy, Peavine, Reuben, Little Grayback,

Round Top, Tombstone, Soda Mountain, Dutchman,

Biebersdet and White Point.

SWO Detection has a total of five staff

members, three of which maintain a constant scan and

actively attempt to spot smoke or fires as small in size as possible. SWO Detection Center refined

smoke reporting protocols and conducted the first ever regional training event for detection folks

from Klamath District.

The Southwest Oregon District experienced an extreme east wind event on September 8,

2020 that generated a high volume of fires and smoke reports within the district. From this event,

SWO Detection provided live video stream coverage of the advancement of several devastating and

deadly fires to responders, fire managers and emergency managers within Jackson and Josephine

counties.

Detection Center Workstations, 2019

8

Throughout the fire season, there was a

total of 219 fires detected from the SWO

Detection Center, 27 of which were reported

prior to any other source, making it the fourth

year that the system has exceeded the historical

average of initial detections by manned lookouts.

The emailed smoke report developed the

previous year was refined and expanded to

additional ODF and other external fire managers

throughout the southern Oregon region. This capability allowed dispatch centers to receive emailed

smoke reports that also offered hyperlinks to view the live stream directly from the camera.

The SWO Detection Center has been a positive addition to the Southwest Oregon District

since first being added in 2009. The cameras continue to help the district with early fire detection

and resource management, as well as provide monitoring to ongoing fires in the valley. Plans for

adding additional cameras have been delayed due to both federal and state funding, but we were

able to complete the installation of Dutchman and install a temporary tower for Biebersdet this

season. The Biebersdet permanent tower foundation has been constructed and the permanent

tower is scheduled to be constructed prior to June 2021. Onion Mountain has been awarded FEMA

grant funding and the state-matched funds became available at the end of the season. Onion is

expected to be installed and operational by June 2021 as well.

A V I A T I O N R E S P O N S E Southwest Oregon District’s Aviation Program was

very successful again in 2020. Our dispatchers, aviation

personnel, firefighters and fire managers alike were

reminded of the value that these aircraft bring to our

suppression efforts. We continued to build our aviation

program by adding aviation management and initial attack

capacity to the district with a committed five-day-per-week

Air Attack Forest Officer, seven helitack positions- two of

which were severity funded through WPA, and two detailer

positions funded through the SFA protection training fund

throughout the summer. This increased capacity was

immediately utilized and proven invaluable throughout the

season. The district had three exclusive use contracts with

local Southern Oregon companies in 2020, operating

throughout the season; the first arrived on July 6, the last

left on October 14.

S. Obenchain Fire September 8th, 2020 – From Biebersdet

“4MM”

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The first to arrive was the severity-funded

Type 2, a Bell UH-1H++, based in Grants Pass. Owned

and operated by Marble Mountain Helicopters from

Myrtle Creek, its tail number is “4MM.” The second,

“O3X” is a Cessna 206T fixed wing used for aerial

detection and as an air attack platform. It was

contracted to the district from Interstate Aviation

from Pullman, WA and based at the Medford

AirTanker Base. Our third district exclusive use aircraft was a high-performance Type 3 helicopter, a

MD902, “4AF,” provided by Brim Aviation; it was based at the Medford Unit Headquarters. Our

district exclusive use Type 2, a Bell UH-1H++, “9PJ” operated by PJ Helicopters from Red Bluff, CA was

the last to start on July 14. This helicopter was again based out of the Medford Unit Headquarters.

In addition to our exclusive use contracts for aircraft, the Southwest Oregon District was also

home base for two statewide severity aircraft that supplemented the efforts of the district’s initial

attack ground and aerial resources, while being available to aid the rest of the state as needed.

“4MM,” as mentioned above, was stationed at the Grants Pass Unit Headquarters. “Tanker 60,” the

Erickson Aerotanker-owned and operated DC-7 was based out of the Medford Air Tanker Base

(MATB) and finished its last year of exclusive-use service to the State of Oregon.

2020 AIRCRAFT STATS AT A GLANCE: 232 Aviation Resource Orders processed in 2020

Aircraft Missions Flown &

Days Assigned to Incidents

Additional Info

03X

120 flight hours

41 missions flown,

4 Recon & 37 were Air Attack missions

Herb Johnson performed as the ATGS

primary throughout the entire 2020

season

4AF

86 flight hours

42 Missions,

43 days assigned to incidents

76,000 gallons delivered and 171

PAX transported.

9PJ

50 flight hours

24 IA incidents flown,

40 days assigned to fires

166,000 gallons delivered

4MM

60 flight hours

total

19 IA’s, 3 IA’s for others Spent nearly 95% of time in SWO

district

TANKER 60

59 hours utilized

statewide

7 incidents in SWO throughout the

season

200,000 gallons of retardant

delivered across the state

“O3X”

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The Medford helitack crew

responds to a fire

In its third season, the district helitack crew had another

great year. The program is a joint effort, comprised of three SWO

District funded positions, two Wildfire Protection Act/severity-

funded positions and two protection training funded detailer

positions to allow for 7-day coverage on the District’s Type 3 &

Type 2 helicopters. 2020 helitack accomplishments include:

The Medford AirTanker Base

played an essential role in aiding the

suppression efforts. The MATB directly

supported seven SWO District incidents.

Additionally, SWO received a much-

needed hand from our local cooperators

and their aircraft at various times this

year. ODF Statewide Severity, DFPA, CAL

FIRE and USFS aircraft were all

instrumental in supplementing our initial

attack and extended attack efforts and

helped to catch several of our fires with potential. Our success on several fire lines were due in large

part to the quick response of our cooperators willing to join the fight.

Initial attacked 24 fires, including incidents for SWO, CALFIRE, CFPA and DFPA

Completed 171 Passenger transports

Spent 43 days assigned to incidents over the 72-day contract

Completed 22 training actions or missions

Completed 16 task books, opened nine, and renewed two qualifications (HECM, HMGB, ABRO, HEBM, AOBS, HELCO,

and ICT4 are the most common)

Participated as cadre and students in ATGS and HELCO SIM trainings

Lead as cadre & platform in four local S-271 course curriculums

Assisted extended attack helibase operations at 10 helibases around the state, including deployments to John Day helitack booster, Madras, and Holiday Farm

Managed over 15 additional helicopters for ODF over the course of the season and provided helicopter manager

relief for other SOA severity ships

Filled vital roles in our district suppression system as Engine Boss, Engine Crewmen/FFT1, Dozer Boss,

Taskforce Leader, Aerial observer, ICT4, ICT5, ABRO, etc.

MATB staff pose in front of “Tanker 60”

A contracted helicopter gets

ready for bucket drops

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F I R E I N V E S T I G A T I O N In 2020, the district had six

permanent qualified investigators: District

Forester Dave Larson, Medford Unit Forester

Lee Winslow, Medford Unit Wildland Fire

Supervisor Bill Smith, Medford Forest

Officers Jesse Blair and Mike Fillis, and

Grants Pass Forest Officer Derrick Johnson.

Chuck Miller, a former SWO employee,

contracted with the district to provide an

additional resource.

During an investigation, if the

responsible party is found to be willful,

malicious, or negligent, or fails to make every

reasonable effort to control and extinguish

the fire, it is the district’s policy to recover

fire suppression costs. Several 2020 fires are

in the process of cost collection through

Salem; a settlement has been proposed for

the Shangrila Lane Fire, located three miles north of Rogue River. The district was also able to settle

the cost collection for the Gyda Lane Fire of 2019. The Labor Day Fires in September remain under

investigation.

P R I V A T E F O R E S T S It was another busy year of

transitions for the Private Forest Program.

Technology presented many opportunities

for the Stewardship Foresters to assist with

the planning and implementation of

tethered or cable assisted equipment,

cutting, and yarding systems to allow

operators higher production on steep

ground with less human risk exposure.

These systems are becoming more

prevalent and the district will be adapting

the fire waiver guidelines to allow these

systems to operate safely during fire

season.

Cause # of Fires Acres Burned

Lightning 9 775

Railroad 1 .01

Equipment 87 88

Recreation 17 2

Smoking 24 7

Debris Burn 27 3

Arson 8 .78

Juveniles 5 4

Miscellaneous 35 4

Under Investigation 8 39,611

TOTAL 221 40,494

Cable yarding on the Southwest Oregon District

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54%

17%

24%

5%

IFPL

I II III IV

STATS AT A GLANCE: 2 0 2 0 I N S P E C T I O N S

The SWO District was able to support many non-industrial landowners in several grant

programs, including Stewardship Plans, the ODF NRCS agreement, Post Fire Relief, funding from the

American Forest Foundation for Forest Management Plans and Bark Beetle Mitigation. Due to

staffing changes on the district, some responsibilities were shifted around to different positions,

allowing the program to grow and additional employees to become involved.

Following the devastating Labor Day fires, many landowners on the district were left with

ashes where once was forestland. Our local district partnered with the Farm Service Agency to

participate in the Emergency Forest Restoration Program (EFRP). The purpose of EFRP is to provide

emergency funding relief to landowners to restore their forests after a fire. This includes debris

removal, site prep, reforestation, and maintenance/release. The district has requested funding to

help 16 landowners affected by the S. Obenchain Fire, which would impact 1,824 acres.

The American Forest Foundation (AFF) grant was awarded to ODF through a subgrant

agreement (originally given to AFF by NRCS) in 2019. SWO accepted 17% of the statewide funds from

this program. To date, 18 basic forest management plans have been written to the non-commercial

landowners with 12 of those being written this fiscal year. Overall, 2,359.5 acres will be treated, with

1,281 completed in 2020. These plans have helped to narrow search areas for future grant areas, as

well as give shovel-ready projects for neighboring grants and funding.

STATS AT A GLANCE: AFF Forest Management Plan

ACTIVITY GRANTS

PASS

MEDFORD SWO

2019 2020 2019 2020 2019 2020

PRE 24 12 30 107 54 129

ACTIVE 90 116 68 160 158 276

POST 72 102 98 170 170 272

INACTIVE 31 29 12 96 43 135

PLANTING 2 10 4 22 6 32

FTG 5 7 12

SUBTOTAL 219 274 212 562 431 836

FIRE 49 78 106 172 155 250

SUBTOTAL 268 352 318 734 586 1086

Initial give of $117,846

Spent $92,679.72 12 plans created in 2020. 18 for the duration of the grant Total 1,281 acres in 2020 2,359.5 acres completed over the duration of the grant

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In 2020, the district used the NRCS agreement for four Conservation Implementation Strategy

(CIS) project areas. Greensprings has been running for four years and has one year remaining in

Jackson County. CIS projects in Williams and Takilma are in year two of five in Josephine County. The

Taylor-Klondike post fire recovery CIS is wrapping up in 2021. During the year, ODF foresters were

able to meet with several landowners to take inventories, develop prescriptions, and certify

completed acres. Over 3,400 acres received prescriptions for NRCS treatment. The district provided

537 deliverables to the NRCS for

inventory, layout, and certifications.

Six landowners enrolled to have

new stewardship management plans

written by consultants. These landowners

represent roughly 1,298 acres of

forestland in the district that will have a

long-term management plans for a

variety of uses, such as commercial

timber management, wildlife habitat, fuel

reduction, stream restoration, and other

forestland uses.

The SWO District was also able to

sign up 10 new landowners for bark

beetle mitigation projects in 2020, for a total

of 83 acres of treatment. The goal is for these

treated acres to resist a future bark beetle outbreak or to mitigate an ongoing outbreak. These

projects obligated roughly $31,125 to these landowners. Many thanks to all of our stakeholders for

all of their communication and cooperation in protecting Oregon’s natural resources and providing

for public safety.

S M O K E M A N A G E M E N T The 2020 prescribed burning season was very similar to the last two seasons. With fire season

stretching into November again, it’s an added challenged to get prescribed burning accomplished in

the higher elevations before snow starts to fall. There were no smoke impacts to the Rogue Valley

caused from prescribed burning on private or state lands.

2020 Accomplishments Units Acres Tons

Private/State 168 10,087 74,108

Units Acres Tons

10 year Average Accomplishments 129 7,435 50,017

2020 logging operation

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G O O D N E I G H B O R A U T H O R I T Y The Southwest Oregon District takes part in Good Neighbor Authority (GNA) projects with our

federal and local partners. In the past, some of the district’s GNA work has included administrating

fuels reduction and restoration activities within the unit boundary’s older timber sales; this took

place in the Butte Falls area and was made possible through KV Funds (Knutson-Vandenberg Act of

1930). In 2020, ODF staff contracted and administrated KV restoration activities within five units of

two older timber sales, treating over 740 acres using local private contractors. Medford and Grants

Pass ODF fuels crews also completed additional KV restoration activities in the Butte Falls area in

2020.

In the Prospect area, the Medford ODF fuels crews assisted with restoration activities within

two recreation sites burned during the 2017 Fire Season. These GNA activities included hazard tree

falling, understory thinning, roadside brushing and chipping. This project work will continue into

2021.

S A F E T Y O N T H E D I S T R I C T & C O V I D – 1 9 Safety has always been taken very

seriously on the district, however, 2020

brought challenges that required creative

solutions at every level of service we provide.

COVID-19 had made international headlines

for a of couple months before the first

recorded cases were identified in the U.S.,

prompting an unprecedented national

lockdown. With fire season quickly

approaching, the agency as a whole was

tasked with creating procedures to protect

permanent staff, seasonal firefighters and

contract resources in a few short months. The

district recognized the need for social

distancing, and the opportunity to work from

home was extended to staff.

The district’s Safety Committee, which

regularly meets monthly, took on the

responsibility of disseminating COVID

protocols to the Medford and Grants Pass

unit offices. Added precautions included the

installation of sinks and hand sanitizer

stations around both compounds, and hand sanitizer and disinfectant wipes were made available at

The SWO Safety Committee meeting minutes of March 2020

15

every workstation. Thanks to these precautions, the district was fortunate to make it through a

typical Southwest Fire Season with no reports of a COVID-19 case.

Aside from COVID, the Safety Committee also orchestrated annual earthquake and fire drills,

reviewed accidents and injuries, provided helpful tips on topics such as winter driving and needed

preparations, and discussed and implemented additional safety procedures at the district level. The

Committee also performed a monthly walk-through of each office to identify potential risks and

provide safe solutions. Every three months, the Committee brought OSHA through to confirm both

offices were in compliance and maintaining the qualities of a safe workplace.

T R A I N I N G Due to COVID-19, training looked a little

different in 2020. Fire School was held outside under

our parking structure to provide for safe social

distancing. Other classes were offered through

Zoom. On the Medford unit, Fire School took place

May 26-June 12; Grants Pass shortened the courses

to one week with a total of 40 hours of instruction.

Between both units, 107 task books were opened in

2020, and 86 were completed.

Interagency training was made more widely

available through a new program requested to the Rogue Interagency Training Association (RITA) by

the Rogue Valley Fire Chief’s Association: The Southern

Oregon Wildfire School (SOWS). Engine operations and air

operations were offered to more than 50 structural

firefighters from our partner agencies across the region.

Engine operations allowed the group to learn pump and roll

tactics, pump operations, drafting and hoselay construction.

The SWO helitack group and Medford Suppression

Supervisor Taylor Wilkerson led the air training. This included

four hours of classroom aviation familiarization and target

description terminology, followed by four hours of live air-to-

ground communication with Timberland’s type 3 helicopter.

This allowed firefighters a training scenario to communicate to

the helicopter pilot where they wanted bucket drops.

Fire School on the Medford Unit

Outdoor classrooms were necessary

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P R E V E N T I O N & P U B L I C O U T R E A C H During a regular year, Southwest Oregon District

representatives actively take part in 10-20 annual

events including open houses, community

showcases, fire safety fairs, youth summer camps

and Team Teaching school presentations. However,

due to COVID-19, public events and demonstrations

were severely diminished amid safety concerns. In

February before the lockdown began, we were able

to visit a few classrooms with Smokey Bear and talk

with elementary-aged children through our Team

Teaching program. SWO is looking forward to

interacting with our community again when it is

safe to do so.

F I R E W I S E C O M M U N I T I E S &

G R A N T O P P O R T U N I T Y The state of Oregon ranks second in the nation for recognized Firewise sites. The Southwest

Oregon District saw the most new Firewise communities in the entire state, adding 10

neighborhoods to the list in 2020. They include:

• Ashland – Glenn Vista Estates and Mill Pond Homeowners Association

• Central Point – Jackson Oaks Neighborhood Association

• Grants Pass – Birdseye Creek, Board Shanty, Hugo/Hidden Pine Drive and Woodson Drive

• Jacksonville – Timber Ridge Homeowners Association

• Shady Cove – Deerfield Park 1 and 2

Throughout the year, the district

completed more than 300 home inspections,

working with Firewise communities,

identifying areas for improvement and

providing funding when possible. Our crew

completed 24 acres of home ignition zone

wildfire hazard reduction work in Firewise

USA sites, funded by a Title III grant. This

work was done within existing Firewise USA

sites, protecting 72 homes in Ashland and

Team Teaching in February in the

Grants Pass unit

Firewise work in Josephine county

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Jacksonville. In general, landowners receive a rebate of $500/acre of work done.

In Jackson county, the Long Gold Western States Fire Managers (WSFM) grant in the Sam’s

Valley area provided fire hazard reduction work on 26 acres, directly protecting 16 homes. In the

Evans Galls WSFM grant focused in Rogue River and Wimer, 156 acres of similar work was planned,

with 71.5 acres completed. These completed acres protect 45 homes. In Josephine county, the Wild

Murphy Grant WSFM covering Wilderville, Wonder, Selma and Cave Junction helped to create 69

acres of defensible space. The Eagle Williams Grant Community Assistance grant provided fuels

reduction on 96 acres in South Grants Pass, Murphy and Williams. Both of these Josephine county

grants positively impacted more than 85 homes in the communities listed. The total risk reduction

amount spent in Josephine county was $446,790.

F O R E S T L A N D C L A S S I F I C A T I O N Forestland Classification of Jackson and Josephine counties continued into 2020, as the

district geared up to host a series of public meetings to finalize the process. Those meetings were

held in February and March of 2021, with the order finalized in April, paving the way for the first

accurate classification to be completed since the 1960’s. The district began this in-depth process in

2017, when the board was first created.

The formal review covers all 1.8 million acres of ODF-

protected land within the district boundary to classify the

vegetation type as timberland (Class 1) or grazing land (Class

3). Property owners pay a Forest Patrol assessment to ODF for

wildland fire protection; Class 1 lands are taxed at $2.50 per

acre and Class 3 lands are $1.47 per acre. Smaller lots pay a

minimum assessment of $18.75, and improved lots pay an

additional $47.50 surcharge.

The seven-member committee is comprised of SWO

District Forester Dave Larson, who was appointed by the state

forester; Mike Hussey, operations chief of Jackson County Fire

District 3, who was appointed by the Oregon State Fire

Marshal; Max Bennett, the OSU Extension forester for Jackson

and Josephine counties, who was appointed by the director of

the Oregon State University Extension Service; Jake Groves and

Charlie Phenix, who were appointed by the Josephine County

Board of Commissioners; and Marty Main and Randy White,

who were appointed by the Jackson County Board of

Commissioners.

Land was looked at in ¼ ¼ sections to

reclassify tax lots

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Before Forestland Classification

ACRES Timber Grazing Exempt Timber Grazing Exempt

Jackson County 667,976 170,379 11,397 748,146 114,242 16,650

Josephine County 272,667 0 0 308,209 25,998 11,906

District Totals 940,643 170,379 11,397 1,056,355 140,240 28,556

After Forestland Classification

ACRES Timber Grazing Exempt

Jackson County 748,146 114,242 16,650

Josephine County 308,209 25,998 11,906

District Totals 1,056,355 140,240 28,556

F A C I L I T I E S & P E R S O N N E L There were only a few personnel changes in 2020 for the SWO District. In the Central Point

Unit, Bill Ostrander retired after 30 years of service with ODF on December 31, 2020. Bill was the

Communications Systems Analyst 3 for ODF. He left big shoes to fill and will be missed. Troie Zuniga

left ODF October 29, 2020 to fully retire and spend time with her family. She held the Administrative

Specialist 1 Limited Duration (AS1 LD) position. SWO is currently recruiting for this position.

In the Grant Pass Unit, Bonnie Dozier started as the temporary Office Specialist 2 (OS2)

position on May 29, 2019 and became a permanent hire in the OS2 position on April 13, 2020. Kelly

Foster transitioned from the Grants Pass Unit to the Central Point

Unit as a Natural Resource Specialist 2 on January 7, 2020. Kelly

Foster been with ODF for 17 years.

A S P E C I A L M I L I T A R Y

T H A N K Y O U Southwest Oregon District would like to extend a special

thank you to our active and retired military members, including

Tobi Beavers and Connor Lane, who both served in Somalia during

2020. Tobi Beavers’ first day back

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B O A R D O F D I R E C T O R S

PRESIDENT DIRECTORS ADVISORY DIRECTORS

Greg Johnson Corey Copeland Greg Johnson Kristin Babbs

Dave Erickson Susan Kendle Dan Quinones

VICE PRESIDENT Ed Fallon Justin Kostick Dave Lorenz

Dave Streeter Jacob Groves Mike Meredith David Schott

Whitney Henneman Dave Streeter Natalie Simrell

SECRETARY-TREASURER Charity Ireland Tom Young Kyle Williams

Dave Erickson

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2020 ODF Southwest Oregon District Annual Report

2020 ODF Southwest Oregon District Annual Report