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.
Dear Reader,
For more than 100 years, OPB has offered reliable news and connection. Through wildfires, elections and economic downturns, OPB has been there to inform and connect our communities. Today, journalism faces new obstacles.
But this work is only possible because of people like you — readers who turn to articles like this and continue to engage with independent journalism in our community. If OPB has been a part of your life, if it has helped you see your community or the world more clearly, please consider making a contribution today.
— The OPB Team
Please select an amount to give. Your contribution ensures that fact-based reporting, cultural connection, and stories that strengthen our community remain freely available to everyone.
