(Tillamook State Forest) — “This place has made me the better person I am today. Now, I think about others and not myself. I take pride in what I do. With the hands-on skills, training and certifications I learned here I’m set up to build a career,” said Michael Robinson, an adult-in-custody (AIC) at South Fork Forest Camp who is scheduled to be released in three weeks.
Robinson and other AICs helped design displays and were on hand to explain several of the key areas of their work to the more than 100 guests at the camp’s recent 75th anniversary celebration.
South Fork Forest Camp (SFFC) began in 1951 as a partnership between the Oregon Department of Corrections (DOC) and the Oregon Department of Foresty (ODF) with one simple goal: to help replant forests after a series of devastating wildfires known as the Tillamook Burn wiped out most of the trees in what is now the Tillamook State Forest. That mission has greatly expanded over the last 75 years to the benefit of those who value the economic, recreation, and environmental opportunities a healthy forest provides.
“The SFFC has contributed over a million worker days to natural resource and wildland fire management projects over those 75 years, which is extremely important and impactful to all Oregonians,” said Kacey KC, Oregon’s State Forester. “They have planted more than 60 million seedlings, fought more than 1,000 wildfires, and constructed and maintained over 15 million feet of recreation trail, just to name a few of their accomplishments.”
KC emphasized the key role the 60 combined SFFC employees have at the camp that can accommodate up to 200 AICs.
“It’s the passion and partnership of our staff that makes this place so successful,” said KC.
DOC leadership stressed the importance and effectiveness of the partnership that makes SFFC stand out.
“This represents the very best of Oregon’s state government,” said Mike Reese, DOC director. “We get much better outcomes than if we worked alone. What happens here transforms lives. South Fork provides opportunity, redemption, hope and transformation. This takes place because of the skills, hard work and effort of our combined staff. It takes courage to come work out here and you have my heartfelt thanks.”
It also takes courage to share the experience as an AIC at the camp but three, now ODF employees, did that at the anniversary celebration.
“South Fork Forest Camp changed my life,” said Jesse Lieble. “It made me excited to go out and work.”
Lieble is a wildland firefighter with a Type 1 qualification. He is working on his Engine Boss qualification—a high demand and important wildfire position for ODF.
“After what South Fork did for me, I hope it goes for another 75 years,” said Lieble.
The natural setting of the camp made a big first impression on Calen Gay now an ODF heavy equipment dispatcher.
“When I first stepped off the bus I said: ‘Whoa, what grand mountains are around this place!’ I loved the natural environment,” said Gay.
That first year he went through wildland firefighter training as nearly all the AICs at camp do.
“We became family after the training and being on fires—children of the flame was our catch phrase,” said Gay. “The one experience I’ll never forget is going to a fire and seeing all the signs from the local community thanking us for being there and caring about our wellbeing. To them we were firefighters not AICs. That helped inspire me to make a career in wildland firefighting.”
Mark Mayse, an ODF wildland firefighting engine boss, credits his SFFC experience for the drastic change in his life.
“The hard work and wisdom I gained here has really paid off,” said Mayse. “I made some bad decisions and tore myself down. But now, everyday keeps getting better. I’m so thankful ODF took a chance on me and hired me. Because they gave me that chance, my goal is to never let them down.”
For the ODF staff at SFFC the work can be hard, but the results are rewarding since it combines two career priorities they care most about.
“We are rebuilding forests and rebuilding lives,” said Aaron Auble, ODF’s camp manager. “We teach and demonstrate to the AICs that work matters, the pride behind that work matters. Sure, there are hard days and hard challenges but when given real responsibilities we can all rise above those challenges.”
For more on SFFC see: https://www.oregon.gov
