Forson

Moving to Central Oregon will be a homecoming for the new supervisor of the Ochoco National Forest and Crooked River National Grassland.

Stacey Forson is set to take over the top post at the national forest and grassland that share a headquarters in Prineville on Jan. 12, the U.S. Forest Service announced Friday. Forson is the recreation, lands and heritage staff officer for the Siuslaw National Forest in Corvallis.

Having grown up on a working ranch near Alfalfa, Forson, 54, graduated from Bend High School in 1978. She said Friday that she is excited to return to Central Oregon and be the lead official at the Ochoco National Forest.

“The Ochoco is a gem of a forest,” she said. The national forest encompasses 845,498 acres of public land.

After high school, Forson went to the University of Oregon for four years, studying journalism but not leaving with a degree. During college she said she started her more than 25-year career with the Forest Service, beginning as a temporary receptionist in Gold Beach on the far southern Oregon Coast.

Since then she has been a civil engineering technician, wilderness and trails supervisor, grant writer and recreation planner, among other positions.

She returned to college once she was in Corvallis, earning a bachelor’s degree in forest recreation resources in the mid-2000s.

“Stacy has strong skills in building relationships and developing innovative partnerships, and has demonstrated leadership on challenging issues, such as travel management planning on the Oregon Dunes and federal land acquisition,” said Jim Peña, Pacific Northwest regional forester for the Forest Service.

Forson takes over in Prineville for Kate Klein, who is retiring. Klein served as supervisor for the Ochoco National Forest and Crooked River National Grassland for 3½ years, having come to Prineville from the Umatilla National Forest based in Pendleton.

Another longtime Forest Service official, Klein’s career included time as a district ranger on the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest in Arizona. She said she plans to stay in Central Oregon but does not have specific plans for her retirement.

“It is a privilege to help manage our public lands,” Klein said. “It’s been fun, interesting. It’s been challenging work.”

Klein said her accomplishments as Ochoco supervisor include stream and restoration projects and playing a part in the creation of the Ochoco Forest Restoration Collaborative, which started in 2012 and includes local stakeholders in forest management.

Forson said she is thrilled to become a part of the collaborative.

“(I’m) really looking forward to working with people there,” she said.

— Reporter: 541-617-7812,

ddarling@bendbulletin.com