United States Department of Agriculture

U.S. Forest Service Pacific Southwest Region News Release 1722 South Main Street Yreka, CA 96097 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 28, 2021 (530) 863 3092 www.fs.usda.gov/knf Media Contact: Duane Lyon, (530) 863 3219 www.fs.usda.gov/knf www.facebook.com/KlamthNF Twitter.@KlamathNF

New District Ranger for Happy Camp and Oak Knoll Ranger District, Klamath National Forest

YREKA, —Klamath National Forest Supervisor Rachel Smith announced that Roberto Beltran will be the new District Ranger for the Happy Camp and Oak Knoll Ranger District. Beltran replaces Jeremy Sullens who transferred to the National Wildfire Coordination Group in Boise, Idaho.

“Roberto Beltran has been working as Acting District Ranger for the Happy Camp and Oak Knoll Ranger District since the August 2020--so he is no stranger to challenges faced on this complex Ranger District”, said Acting Forest Supervisor Rachel Smith. “Roberto brings valuable experience from his work on ranger districts on the Six Rivers National Forest--most recently as Deputy District Ranger on the Lower Trinity Ranger District, Willow Creek, CA. His natural resource management experience and work with a wide variety of partnerships will be an invaluable addition to the Klamath National Forest”

Beltran grew up in the coastal redwood country in Northern Mendocino and Southern Humboldt Counties. He graduating with a dual major in history and forestry from Humboldt State University (HSU). His career in forestry started in the summer of 2003 on the Tillamook State Forest in . Following graduation from HSU in 2006 he began work as a forester on the Orleans Ranger District, Six Rivers National Forest.

In 2015 he was promoted to Supervisory Forester and became responsible for planning, implementation and administration of the timber management program for the Orleans Ranger District and the Ukonom and Lower Trinity Ranger District. During this assignment he served as agency administrator’s representative as well as lead READ during a number of Type 1, 2 and 3 wildfire incidents. Beltran worked with diverse stake holder groups through the National Cohesive Strategy in the Western Klamath Restoration Partnership to collaboratively plan and implement landscape level restoration with local tribes, environmental groups, local community groups and various local stakeholders. (cont.)

Beltran became Deputy District Ranger on the Lower Trinity Ranger District of the Six Rivers National Forest in 2019. He assisted in the preparation of the program of work for management, protection and development of resources assigned to the unit. He provided leadership in allocating resources and implementing activities to accomplish agency multi-cultural organization direction, equal opportunity and civil rights policies.

In August 2020 he became Acting District Ranger for the Happy Camp and Oak Knoll Ranger District—at the same time the Slater and Devil Fires began. This required him to very quickly get up to speed with the new job.

“I have had the pleasure of growing up, going to school and working in this part of ” said Beltran. “My arrival to the Happy Camp and Oak Knoll Ranger District was literally a baptism in fire. It required me to greatly compress the time normally devoted to getting acquainted with a new job—and that has had some definite benefits. I’m impressed with the quality and efforts of the employees on the ranger district. And I’m impressed with how the members of this community have faced the most heart breaking and difficult challenges you can imagine. I’m looking forward to working with members of the communities, other stakeholders, including tribes and agencies, in helping to restore natural resources and infrastructure impacted by wildfire. And at the same time I’m looking forward to working together to minimize the risk and impacts of such a wildfire on communities in the future.”

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