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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate NEWS NOW Crews encircle Cleveland Ridge fire ... Lawnridge Street fire levels house, sends man to hospital with burns ... Truck crashes, spills gravel into road in east Medford ... Crews encircle Cleveland Ridge fire ... Lawnridge Street fire levels house, sends man to hospital with burns ... Truck crashes, spills gravel into road in east Medford ... ODF AUDIT Oregon audit: Forestry department stretched too thin Comment By The Associated Press MailTribune.com By The Associated Press Posted Aug. 25, 2016 at 12:01 AM By The Associated Press Posted Aug. 25, 2016 at 12:01 AM » Social News BEND — The time, effort and money spent fighting wildfires has strained workers and harmed other programs at the Oregon Department of Forestry, according to an Oregon state audit. The wildfire workload has increased and department staffing has not kept pace, according to the audit, forcing more employees to do fire-related assignments and work longer hours. The audit says the forestry department is fighting more severe fires with about the same number of employees it had 20 years ago, reported The Bend Bulletin. The department provides fire protection on about 16 million acres of private and public forestland in Oregon. It also handles land and recreation management, among other things, for the state's forests. Of the department's approximately $330 million 2015-17 budget, $126 million goes toward fire protection. State forests get $94 million, private forests get $40 million and $70 million goes toward agency administration. The Oregon secretary of state released the audit Tuesday. The report urged the department to do more long-term planning and reflection on its preventative measures. "As fire seasons lengthen and intensify, ODF needs long-term workforce planning to address its firefighting and fire-prevention missions, while still maintaining broader forest management responsibilities," Secretary of State Jeanne Atkins said in a statement. It recommended that the department collect and analyze data on the fire season's impacts on programs and workers, among other steps. In response to the audit, the department said it supports and agrees with the audit's findings and detailed ways officials plan to address the recommendations. By The Associated Press MailTribune.com By The Associated Press Posted Aug. 25, 2016 at 12:01 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2016 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501