The Caddis Fly: Oregon Fly Fishing Blog

From the desk of Tom Wolf, Oregon’s Trout Unlimited State Council Chair:

At the Board of Forestry meeting yesterday, the Board picked Doug Decker by a 4-2 vote to be the new State Forester to head the Oregon Department of Forestry. I was invited to a public evaluation of the three final candidates-Paul Bell, Doug Decker and Paul Little- and was asked to submit electronic comments evaluating all three candidates. I did a lengthy evaluation of all three candidates and picked who I thought would be the best choice for the agency.

My pick was also Doug Decker. He demonstrates key leadership abilities, good communication skills, the ability to work with all stakeholder groups and above all, vision for how he thinks ODF should meet the future with the responsibilities it has. I think he is the best possible choice to deal with ODF mission to harvest timber yet protect critical fish and wildlife habitat. I am excited to work with him and excited for the future of Oregon Department of Forestry.

Congratulations to BOF Chair John Blackwell and the rest of the board to pick someone who has the best skills to deal with the agency’s mission and balance harvest with fish and wildlife habitat needs.

The Long Tom Watershed Council is looking for 8-10 volunteers to help monitor the migration of coastal cutthroat trout in streams near Monroe. The goal of the project is to learn about the migration behavior of resident and fluvial-migrating cutthroat in the Long Tom Watershed. This information will help prioritize restoration projects benefiting these fish. Duties will include: Checking fish traps, assisting Council and/or ODFW staff with backpack electro-fishing, and installing PIT tags in collected fish.

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