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41 °F Forecast | Road Cams Tuesday, January 25, 2005 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Menu Guide How To Guide Wellness Connection Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Real Estate Guide Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Passport to the Rogue Valley EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People Volunteer Opportunities Moving to Southern Oregon? MARKETPLACE Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Classifieds Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend December 9, 2004 Schwanke Forester Schwanke retires at year’s end after 37-year career By PAUL FATTIG Mail Tribune As wildland firefighters began gaining on the 2002 Timbered Rock and Squires fires in southwestern Oregon, Jeff Schwanke figured he could squeeze in a day off for a medical appointment. Nothing much, just an operation to remove his gall bladder. "It really wasn’t a major deal," said Schwanke, the forester in charge of the Oregon Department of Forestry’s Southwest Oregon District. "I went in at 5:30 (a.m.) and came out at 3 (p.m.) — they just make four little holes in you now," he added. "I did make a phone call when I got home to check on the fires." And he went back to work the next day. Advertisement Folks who know Schwanke, 53, who is retiring at the end of the year after 37 years with the department, weren’t surprised at his devotion to the position he has held since June 1995. "Jeff has been a major contributor to helping us all work closer together — national, state and rural fire districts," said Brett Fillis, fire chief for Jackson County Rural Fire District No. 9. "He continued to strengthen interagency ties, to make them better." The districts and agencies now communicate routinely thanks to Schwanke, he said. "One of the things I always liked about the guy was that he didn’t beat around the bush," he added. "He always called it the way he saw it. I appreciate that." Schwanke made a special effort to organize meetings in the Applegate Valley to keep residents abreast of the Squires fire, which threatened hundreds of homes, said Applegate Valley resident Sandy Shaffer. "He really embraced the community," she said. "He found time to meet with the public because he knew it was valuable to everyone. He’s unassuming, but very passionate about what he does." Schwanke will be replaced by Dan Thorpe, the ODF’s Medford unit forester. Like Schwanke, Thorpe, a veteran of 31 fire seasons with the ODF, has a forestry degree from Oregon State University. An open-house reception will be held for Schwanke and Dianna Sandoval, the district office manager who is also retiring, between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. Friday at the ODF office, 5286 Table Rock Road, Central Point. The district includes state-protected lands in Jackson and Josephine counties. The ODF provides fire protection on Bureau of Land Management, state, county and private wildlands. Schwanke, who figures the 2002 fire season was the most challenging of his career, said any credit given him ought to be shared with others. "For the number of fires and the sheer size, along with the frustration you have with not enough resources, that’s what 2002 was all about," he said. "But we’re very fortunate in this part of the woods to have a lot of good cooperation between us, rural fire departments and the Bureau of Land Management and the Forest Service." He recalled one day during the 2001 fire season when there were nine human-caused fires in Sams Valley. When a lightning storm thundered in earlier than expected, local fire chiefs, realizing the ODF had its hands full, stepped in to help organize a battle plan, he said. "When you have fire chiefs that think that way, it makes your job a lot easier," he said. Schwanke was also quick to credit property owners in rural areas for working with the agencies during fire season. That includes members of the Rogue Forest Protection Association, he said, referring to a group of large-parcel owners. Schwanke and ODF staff have worked with local agencies to encourage rural homeowners to clear safety zones around their homes to reduce the threat of fire. "We had forest officers go out and talk to them about building defensible space around their homes," he recalled. "We found that 77 percent of the people did what we recommended they do." Schwanke began working for the department in 1968 when he served as a seasonal firefighter while still attending high school in Forest Grove. After graduating from OSU, he worked for the department in timber management, testified on forestry rules and regulations before the state Legislature and fought fires. He has worked throughout the state, including out of district offices in Forest Grove and Pendleton as well as in the state office in Salem. He and his wife, Meghan, who have three children, plan to stay in the area. Reach reporter Paul Fattig at 776-4496 or e-mail him at [email protected] Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities Student Loan Consolidation Conference Calls - $50/Month Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker, Trunk, Footlockers