Oregon State Forester Cal Mukumoto gives his two-week notice

Cal Mukumoto, the head of the Oregon Department of Forestry announced his resignation in a brief letter Thursday, noting his last day would be Jan. 23.

“This email is a notice that I am resigning my appointment as State Forester effective 5 pm PST on January 23, 2025. Jim, working for you and the Board has been a real pleasure.”

Jim Kelly, the letter's recipient, heads the Oregon Board of Forestry, an appointed group of volunteers that are tasked with hiring the State Forester, among other duties.

Kelly read the letter to the rest of the board near the end of a Thursday board meeting, already more than five hours into a session that Mukumoto was present at and had participated in. But after a break, the meeting resumed and Kelly deviated from the board's scheduled agenda about an hour after the meeting resumed.

"So, I've said before, we try to operate with no surprises, but sometimes surprises are unavoidable," Kelly said. To his immediate left sat Mukumoto.

"I have the unpleasant task of informing all of you that I have received a resignation letter just in the last hour from our State Forester, Cal Mukumoto," Kelly said.

Kelly said Mukumoto would stay on for two more weeks until Jan. 23.

The surprise on the faces of Kelly's colleagues was evident as Kelly spoke, and Kelly struggled to get his next words out as he shook Mukumoto's hand and thanked him. "Cal, you've been serving in a near impossible job, so, I want to personally thank you for everything you've done," he said.

"It's been great to work with you… I hope we'll have…"

He appeared to struggle for words

Then he shook the resigning state forester's hand.

"Yesterday, I thanked the ODF, and it wasn't because I was planning on resigning today," Mukumoto said. "I really want to thank ODF and all the workers at ODF for all the work they've done," he said.

Mukumoto cited "political things" as clouding his ability to continue as state forester. He praised the board and wished them the best.

The Oregon Department of Forestry has been in the spotlight for years as it struggles to handle finances after year after year of historic wildfire seasons.

Allegations of misconduct have also roiled the agency in recent months.

In December, Oregon's legislators were called to Salem to address a gaping hole in the budget that left the Oregon Department of Forestry unable to pay contractors for their work during the historic 2024 season at wildfires across the state.

Cal Mukumoto took the state's top forestry job in October 2021, on the heels of the resignation of the last state forester, Peter Daugherty.

In two weeks, Tillamook District Forester Kate Skinner will step up to temporarily take the job, the Oregon Department of Forestry said in an email to this newspaper.

Skinner will hold the post while the Board of Forestry begins a recruitment process for the next State Forester.

"Skinner has been with ODF since 1995 and has served as the district forester for the Tillamook District since 2014. Since August 2024, she has been supporting the organization as the interim Deputy State Forester," said Joy Krawczyk, a spokesperson for ODF.

Skinner works closely with the Forest Grove District, headquartered in the city of Forest Grove, on forest management and wildfires in and near the Tillamook State Forest. In fact, emails to local forest workers and operators regarding forest and wildfire issues are often jointly signed by Skinner and Forest Grove District Forester Mike Cafferata

"The board and department will share more details on the recruitment process as they are available," said Krawczyk.