In late November 2016 Braden Britt was hired as John Day North AUF. Braden has worked in COD since 2009 as a seasonal wildland firefighter, including time on the ODF Helitack Crew and as a Forest Officer in the John Day Unit and a developmental assignment as a Forest Officer in The Dalles Unit. In addition to Braden’s wildland fire experience he is a recent graduate of Oregon State University with a degree in Forest Management with an emphasis in Wildand Fire Management. Braden’s ties to forestry run deep, as his family still operates the logging business his grandfather started more than forty years ago.
Adam Barnes was selected in January to fill the Prineville AUF job. Having grown up in Redmond, Adam started his career in Prineville, working as a seasonal firefighter and Forest Officer, before promoting to The Dalles Unit AUF in 2008. Adam has been a Division Supervisor on ODF’s Incident Management Teams over the past several seasons.In April Kiel Nairns began as The Dalles AUF Forester. He started as a seasonal wildland firefighter in 2004, working in Fossil, Prineville, and The Dalles over the years. Kiel has been the Permanent Forest Officer in The Dalles since 2010, is a Type 2 Wildland Fire Investigator, has taken on development opportunities as a Stewardship Forester in The Dalles and as an AUF in Fossil. In 2009 Kiel earned a degree in Forest Resources Technology from Central Oregon Community College.
The experience these three “new” Assistant Unit Foresters bring with them promises to make for a smooth transition looking toward the 2017 wildfire season in the Central Oregon District. Their enthusiasm for their positions, varied skill sets, hard work ethic, and positive relationships with landowners have set the groundwork for success in their new roles.
