The Oregon Department of Forestry plans to hold training sessions for about 20 employees this month at an all-inclusive resort outside Bend that bills itself as an “idyllic luxury ranch.”
The two-night, three-day event at Brasada Ranch follows the agency’s plea last month for millions of dollars in emergency funding from Congress to cover the cost of fighting last year’s record wildfires.
According to the agency’s contract with the resort, the conference will be held from Jan. 28 to Jan. 30. The department has reserved five four-bedroom cabins with hot tubs for $428 per night per cabin.
The state also agreed to pay $1,736 in food costs. According to the contract, the room rate is estimated at $8,521, including taxes, resort fees and service charges.
The Forest Service provided a copy of the contract to The Oregonian/OregonLive in response to a public records request.
The deal was signed on Sept. 9, about two months before Congress convened a special session to address funding shortfalls related to last year’s wildfire response.
Joy Kracik, a spokeswoman for the agency, said Tuesday that the conference is aimed at forest managers based in eastern Oregon. This is intended to provide professional development training to administrative staff.
Krawczyk said the meeting will include a discussion of “lessons learned from 2024” and “mental health training for all government employees” after last year’s fire season.
He said attendees will also include agency business managers and management professionals. The agenda includes a session on “Understanding and Building Psychological Safety in the Workplace” and a session called “Firefighting Funds.”
Krawczyk said such conferences are held annually at various venues throughout eastern Oregon. The ministry said it is looking for locations that can provide both meeting space and accommodations as employees travel long distances to attend.
Krawczyk said the agency chose Brasada Ranch because it also agreed to “keep lodging and food prices within state rates.” Because the cabins can accommodate multiple people, “it’s actually a few dollars less than the state rate of $110 per person per night,” she said.
Still, the sight of state employees flocking to the resort struck some as a poor look for a cash-strapped government agency.
Former state Sen. Betsy Johnson, who ran unsuccessfully for governor in 2022, called the incident an “outrage.”
“Oregon’s small businesses that weren’t paid for last fire season are cash-strapped and are taking their employees to luxury hotels,” said Johnson, a well-known state budget hawk. Ta. “There are no words for that decision.”
Last month, Republican state Sen. Lynn Findley of Vail called for the resignation of state Forester Cal Mukumoto, whom she called mismanagement, and slammed the decision to hold a state meeting at the ranch.
“I think this is in pretty bad taste given the fact that they’ve been toughing on contractors across the state for months and they didn’t notify Congress that they were in a tough situation,” he said. said. “We bailed them out and now we’re hosting luxury retreats. I’m sorry, but it looks really bad.”
According to its website, the resort offers guests “stunning views, upscale accommodations, farm-to-table dining, and a wide range of outdoor activities set against the backdrop of the serene Cascade Mountains.”
Condé Nast Traveler readers ranked Brasada Ranch in the top five best resorts in the Pacific Northwest in 2023.
The resort is located on 1,800 acres near Powell Butte in Crook County.
The contract states that the Forest Service is reserving meeting space at the resort’s Wild Rye restaurant, which, according to its website, offers “stunning views of the Cascades at sunset. However, the restaurant offers an elevated dining experience that celebrates the unique character of the region.
During a special session last month, lawmakers approved more than $218 million to cover the huge bill the state collected during last year’s wildfires.
The Department of Forestry received about $82 million in funding to pay firefighters and support staff who have responded to more than 1.9 million acres of fires across Oregon.
The remainder will be donated to the Oregon Fire Marshal’s Office to help protect communities in the path of wildfires and to pay bills that both agencies hope will eventually be reimbursed by the federal government but need to pay now. Ta.
Last year, a top forestry official was embroiled in an internal investigation stemming from a workplace complaint.
Mike Shaw, the agency’s second-in-command, was fired after an investigation revealed he had a sexual relationship with a subordinate over a period of about two years, records show.
An investigation found that Mike Wilson, the state forestry director, was subject to state workplace regulations when he became overly intimate with a subordinate, made comments about her appearance, and appeared to mention the size of her genitals over drinks after work. The violations were revealed in records obtained by The Oregonian. Oregon Live showed us.
— Noel Crombie is a corporate reporter specializing in criminal justice. Please contact us at 503-276-7184. ncrombie@oregonian.com
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