The Nugget Newspaper - News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon

A brand-new Sisters Ranger Station will begin to rise from the forest floor at the west end of Sisters, starting with groundbreaking on the headquarters site this month.

The new building is expected to be completed in 2025.

The building contract was awarded in September. This new Ranger Station will replace the current one that was built in 1962, rising on the same parcel of land. The new building will be designed for a 21st century workforce that requires increased connectivity and technology to accomplish the agency's mission.

"It's been kind of cobbled together over the last 50 years," said Sisters District Ranger Ian Reid. "We're currently spread out in three buildings."

Reid said that just having all the personnel under one roof will make operations more efficient. The district ranger pushed to include a large, state-of-the-art community room that can accommodate big meetings or briefings with an incident management team - but will also be a resource for the broader Sisters community.

Reid is pleased with the design created by Steel Associates of Bend.

"We're really lucky to get them to do it," he said.

DSL Builders will take on what Reid described as an "aggressive timeline" for construction of the 13,242-square-foot office facility. Reid said that the staff will continue working on-site through the demolition/construction process.

"It'll be one of those 'excuse the mess' kind of things," he said.

He believes a spring 2025 move-in date is realistic.

The Sisters Ranger Station is complemented by the recently finished Sisters District Warehouse. It will be used for common workspace, and storage of equipment, fire engines, and supplies. The warehouse is compliant with Architectural Barriers Act (ABA) standards, which are more stringent than the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards for workspace, with adequate security that directly contributes to the District's ability to perform critical work for the Forest.

The warehouse will accommodate fire operations, recreation, and all timber and silviculture staff and equipment.

Reid noted that the Sisters Ranger District campus will be more secure than the one that has been in place for the past 50-plus years.

"It'll look classy, but there will be a perimeter fence around it," he said.

The District Ranger noted that the construction is partially funded by the sale of a portion of the Forest Service land along Pine Street, which has become Sisters Woodlands.

Construction of the new Ranger Station means that the local personnel will be able to continue operating in the local community.

"We're committed for the long term for the citizens of Sisters," Reid said.

Author Bio

Jim Cornelius, Editor in Chief

Jim Cornelius is editor in chief of The Nugget and author of “Warriors of the Wildlands: True Tales of the Frontier Partisans.” A history buff, he explores frontier history across three centuries and several continents on his podcast, The Frontier Partisans. For more information visit www.frontierpartisans.com.

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