[ODF_Private_Forests] New forestry offices in Sisters, John Day to boost fire response, local economy

[WEEKS Kevin]

Oregon Dept. of Forestry
NEWS RELEASE

New forestry offices in Sisters and John Day to boost fire response, local economy

July 1, 2010
Contacts:
Kristin Cotugno, 541-447-5658, kcotugno at odf.state.or.us<mailto:kcotugno at odf.state.or.us>, or
Rod Nichols, 503-945-7425, rnichols at odf.state.or.us<mailto:rnichols at odf.state.or.us>

New Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) offices slated for Sisters and John Day promise both short- and long-term benefits for the communities. The current offices (built during the presidential terms of Franklin Roosevelt and Harry Truman) were originally sited outside urban growth areas but are now surrounded by homes and businesses. This delays firefighters when they respond to reports of wildfires. The new offices will be located near main highways and away from residential concentrations.

Construction of the two offices will boost the local economy. The department awarded the construction contract for the John Day office to Kirby Nagelhout Construction Company. The Bend-based firm has pledged to purchase building materials from local suppliers, and the projects will draw on the local labor pool for workers, where possible. Food, lodging and fuel needs will be provided by area businesses.

Construction of the ODF John Day Unit office and shop is underway, with occupancy scheduled for May 2011. Designed by BBT Architects, Inc. of Bend, the project includes an administration building and warehouse. It is being built on Patterson Bridge Road, directly across from the Malheur National Forest Supervisor's Office.

The Sisters Sub-unit office will be built two miles east of Sisters on Highway 126. Construction will begin in late fall/early winter 2010 with a target date for occupancy of September 2011. Also designed by BBT Architects, Inc., the project will consolidate administrative and warehouse functions in a single building.

The $4.75 million expense to construct the Sisters and John Day replacement offices was authorized in ODF's 2007-2009 budget. "Go, Oregon!" stimulus funds make up $2 million of the total and state Certificate of Participation (COP) dollars $2.75 million. In February 2009, Gov. Ted Kulongoski signed Go, Oregon! into law, a state stimulus program authorizing the sale of bonds to fund important capital projects at public facilities throughout Oregon. ODF received a share of the funding to help replace the two aging offices. Certificate of Participation (COP) funds are similar to a mortgage. The agency will pay six percent on the COP dollars it received.

Both funding sources are earmarked specifically for infrastructure maintenance and replacement. Neither the Go, Oregon! nor COP dollars can be used to offset current shortfalls in personnel or other budget categories.

As the new offices are completed, ODF will put the old properties up for sale. While the buildings themselves are declining (The Sisters office was built in 1939 and John Day in 1950), the lots have increased in value over the decades. Proceeds from the sales will help defray the cost of replacement.

Central Oregon Assistant District Forester Kristin Cotugno views the new facilities as remedying several shortcomings of the existing offices.

"The structures have basically exceeded their lifespan, and it is costing more and more to repair them," Cotugno said. "Also, there isn't enough space to accommodate current business needs."

And the gradual urbanization of the offices' once-remote settings has become a detriment both to ODF operations and the neighboring community. It takes precious time, she said, to maneuver through neighborhoods and town to respond to fires.

"In a typical fire season, we respond to more than 100 wildfire incidents out of each location," she said. "These new facilities and new locations will help us improve our efficiency and effectiveness in protecting Oregon's Forests."

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