A series of intense wildfire seasons has taken a toll on the Oregon Department of Forestry. That's released Tuesday by the Oregon Secretary of State's office.
Three consecutive summers of severe wildfires have stretched the resources of the state's agency dedicated to forest management. The audit found that fighting those fires has caused stress and fatigue for agency employees who spend an increasing amount of time away from home.
The agency is also falling behind on applying for reimbursements for the costs of fighting those fires. That means the state is paying interest on money it's borrowed to finance those costs in the short-term.
The audit also found that the effort and expense of fighting wildfires is eating into the agency's non-fire programs. Auditors recommended the agency analyze its workforce to learn how it can better use its current resources.
In a written response, Oregon's State Forester, Doug Decker, agreed with the audit's conclusions and recommendations.
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