Yesterday, January 9th, State Forester Cal Mukumoto, who also serves as director of the Oregon Department of Forestry, submitted his resignation to Board of Forestry Chair Jim Kelly, effective 5 p.m. on January 23, 2025.
While the Board of Forestry works through an open recruitment process for the position, Kate Skinner will be the acting state forester. Skinner has been with ODF since 1995 and has served as the district forester for the Tillamook District since 2014. Since August 2024, she has been supporting the organization as the interim Deputy State Forester.
Here is the full text of Mukumoto’s resignation letter:
“This email is a notice that I am resigning my appointment as State Forester effective 5 pm PST on January 23, 2025. Jim, working for you and the Board has been a real pleasure.”
The board and department will share more details on the recruitment process as they are available.
