Often confused with the U.S. Forest Service, the Oregon
Department of Forestry is Oregon’s state agency (“the
other guys”) responsible for management of about 1 million
acres of state-owned forest; protection from forest fires on about
16 million acres of public and private forest; and implementation
of standards and rules to protect natural resources during forest
operations on private lands.
We started out as a fire department in 1911 with two paid
employees. Since then, our mission has grown to include planting
and management of the Tillamook, Santiam, Clatsop, Elliott, Sun
Pass and Gilchrist State Forest, and other scattered forest lands.
Today, we operate offices in 17 Oregon communities statewide, and
have about 800 full-time employees. Much has changed in 100 years:
land ownership, harvest practices, the economy, transportation
systems. What hasn’t changed is our commitment to serving
people and protecting Oregon’s forests.
As you seek out this cache, we hope you’ll appreciate the
history behind the place you’re going as you take a moment to
see the forest and the trees.
Safe and happy cachin!
Klamath-Lake
Headquarters
The Klamath-Lake District administers
Department programs on 1.4 million acres in Klamath and Lake
Counties located in south central Oregon. The District stretches
north from the California border to Crater Lake National Park and
east from the crest of the Cascades to the Warner Mountains east of
Lakeview. The District has deep historical roots with beginnings as
the Klamath-Lake Counties Forest Fire Association in 1908. The
Association changed its name in 1922 when it incorporated as
Klamath Forest Protective Association (KFPA). In 1975, the Oregon
Department of Forestry took over the fire suppression
responsibilities. The buildings on the compound were originally
built in 1946. Be sure to look at the historical photos in the
cache. There is no need to go inside the fence.
