Cal Mukumoto, in this undated supplied photo, submitted his resignation in a short email to Jim Kelly, chair of the Oregon Board of Forestry, on Jan. 9, 2025.
Courtesy of Mason Marsh via Oregon Department of Forestry
Oregon State Forester Cal Mukumoto announced Thursday that he will resign.
Mukumoto submitted his resignation in a short email to Jim Kelly, chair of the Oregon Board of Forestry. Mukumoto said in the two-sentence letter that working for Kelly and the board had been “a real pleasure.”
The letter does not dive into the reasons for Mukumoto’s departure.
Mukumoto faced at least one recent call to resign from state Sen. Lynn Findley, R-Vale. During a special legislative session in December, Findley said the Oregon Department of Forestry failed to keep lawmakers informed about the mounting cost of the 2024 wildfire season.
Related: Explaining Oregon's problem paying for wildfire work
The forestry board announced that Kate Skinner, currently the interim deputy state forester and longtime Tillamook district forester, will take over as acting state forester.
Mukumoto was named forester in 2021 after the resignation of Peter Daugherty. Mukumoto’s resignation is effective Jan. 23.