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Clallam County forestry staff warn retirements, staffing shifts could complicate wildfire response and timber operations
Summary
Forestry staff told commissioners that retirements and short-term medical leaves will remove several experienced employees over coming months; staff are using seasonal hires year-round where possible and expect to keep some workers on through the off-season to maintain operations.
Clallam County forestry staff briefed the Board of Commissioners that several impending retirements and an employee medical leave will reduce experienced staff in the short term and could affect both timber operations and wildfire response staffing.
Drew, a forestry staff member, announced that district staffer Rain Turner has set a retirement date: “He is gonna come back late in April and give you a week and a half of his time. And then April 30, he’s done.” Staff said Ben will serve in an acting role for Turner through mid-summer while the county recruits to fill the position.
Staff told the board they are also losing a biologist and another unit forester in April, and that several long-tenured employees across the affected districts collectively represent more than a century of institutional knowledge. The program manager said seasonal firefighters who previously were hired only for fire season have in recent years been retained as non-permanent forestry staff in the off-season; that practice, staff said, has helped maintain capacity while positions are filled.
Commissioners asked whether the staffing shifts could reduce the county’s availability of personnel for firefighting this summer. Staff answered that federal firefighting commitments and the severity of the coming fire season are unknown and will determine whether county foresters and seasonal staff are mobilized for national assignments. The program manager said, “It depends on the severity of the fire season and the availability of that staff,” and that the county continues to coordinate with neighboring agencies.
Staff also said one head engineer in the Straits district is leaving for a division-level post, which the manager described as a mixed outcome: the county will lose regional engineering support but gain a person with district experience in a higher post. Staff said they are actively recruiting for several positions and trying to fill leadership roles sequentially.
Ending: No formal decisions or votes were taken. Staff described ongoing hiring and interim assignments, sought commission support for recruitment timelines, and said they will return with updates; they did not present a formal staffing plan for immediate commissioner action.
