The Siuslaw National Forest Headquarters has officially relocated to Oregon State University's campus.
At 63,000 acres, the Siuslaw National Forest stretches from Tillamook to Coos Bay along the Oregon Coast. It passes through several ecosystems, from coastal forests to sand dunes, and has been recognized nationally for more than 100 years.
The headquarters moved to Corvallis several decades ago, originally located downtown before moving to their last location on Research Way in 1985. Corvallis was chosen for the headquarters' location for several reasons.
On the practical side, Corvallis is central to the Siuslaw district offices, while also being within driving distance of their regional office in Portland. Beyond this, employees enjoy the atmosphere of Corvallis and having a connection with the university, which will be made all the stronger by the move.
Siuslaw National Forest publicized their decision to move onto OSU's campus about a week ago. With the lease expiring on their old location and discovering an opportunity on campus, the headquarters scooped it up and started the moving process.
"We are incredibly excited to move in with the Corvallis Forestry Sciences Lab," said Forest Supervisor Jerry Ingersoll in a press release announcing the move. "It is a wonderful opportunity to collaborate with researchers and the university."
Employees were indeed very excited about the move, not only because they get to work near forestry researchers, but also because of OSU's connection with forestry.
"We have been looking forward to this for quite a while, and we're happy the day is finally here," said Joni Quarnstrom, a public affairs officer for the Siuslaw National Forest, right before the big move.
The new headquarters are now located among the forestry labs on Jefferson Way. Since they are next to Peavy Hall, which houses OSU's department of forestry, it will be easy for employees of the headquarters to interact with students as well as host lectures or programs. As it is, Quarnstrom mentioned, there is already talk about a speaker session.
The headquarters isn't just for the forestry students though, and anyone who is interested can visit the office Monday-Friday between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. The front desk has forest permits and recreational passes, as well as maps, books and other things meant to "help everyone understand the natural world a little better," Quarnstrom said.
Katja Kozber, staff reporter
737-2231 news@dailybarometer.com
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