Sisters Ranger District’s Jeremy Fields named Forest Service NW Region Employee of the Year

PORTLAND, Ore. (KTVZ) - The USDA Forest Service honored employees and partners for exemplary work, dedication and commitment during the Pacific Northwest Region Regional Forester’s inaugural Honor Awards Ceremony held on Dec.13 in Portland, where Jeremy Fields of the Sisters Ranger District was named Employee of the Year.

This year’s theme for the awards was "Growing Towards the Future: Celebrating Success in a Changing World."  

“The theme of this year’s event reflects the forward-thinking approach demonstrated in the work we do here. I have been truly inspired by the innovative spirit, drive, commitment, and collaborative efforts that define our award recipients,” said Liz Berger, Acting Regional Forester. “Our employees are trailblazers, embodying the Forest Service core values and leading the agency in rising to the challenges of our changing world. The efforts of our award recipients are shaping our present for the better and paving the way for a more resilient future.” 

Berger and Deputy Regional Forester Merv George Jr. presented awards for 12 categories to employees and partners across the Pacific Northwest, which includes 16 National Forests, two National Scenic Areas, a National Grassland, and two National Volcanic Monuments within the states of Oregon and Washington. The Regional Honor Award categories and recipients included: 

Regional Forester’s Priorities - Post-Disaster Recovery: Awarded to an employee or group that advanced the objectives of recovery on our landscapes by improving soil integrity, watershed health, wildlife or aquatic habitat, and returning safe access that allows the agency to meet our multiple use mission. 

• Disaster Recovery Team, Willamette National Forest: Brett Blundon, Lowell Evans, Heidi Anderson, Erick Larkin, John Trebesch, Shadie Nimer, Molly Baumann, Joseph “Dock” Chastain, Sydney Randall 

Advancing Relationships with Public and Partners: Awarded to an employee or group that demonstrated achievement through engagement of the public and partners to inform, consult, involve, or collaborate on the stewardship of the natural environment; and/or contributed toward partnerships that enhance local community economic development.  

• Tabatha Rood, Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest 

Organizational Transformation: Awarded to an employee or group that contributed to the transformation of our work environment by changing or supporting systems and programs that advance employee well-being, work-life balance, and reflect our values (service, interdependence, diversity, and/or safety); proposed and/or advanced ideas or took action to improve our systems and processes, and internal relationships and integration. 

• Angell Job Corps and Siuslaw National Forest Fire Zone 

Special Recognitions: Awarded to an individual or group that demonstrated stewardship of our agency values of service, interdependence, diversity and/or safety. 

• Tiller Fire and Roseburg Interagency Communications Center Organizations, Umpqua National Forest 
• Lars Hovde, Siuslaw National Forest  

Employee of the Year: Awarded to an individual or group that demonstrated commitment to our mission and stewardship of our agency values of service, interdependence, diversity and/or safety.   

• Jeremy Fields, Deschutes National Forest 

EMPLOYEE OF THE YEAR AWARD RECIPIENT

JEREMY FIELDS
DESCHUTES NATIONAL FOREST

Jeremy Fields is a 25-year veteran of the Sisters Ranger District that has worked
tirelessly to protect the Deschutes National Forest from resource damage caused
by non-recreational campers and other issues. He does this with humanity, humility
and grace, building relationships with community partners and houseless
individuals in the process. Jeremy’s official title is special forest products
administrator, but he wears so many more hats including forest protection officer,
community liaison, hazard tree inspector, houseless advocate, relationship builder,
spokesperson for the agency, and many more. Remarkably, he has been able to
enlist support from the community, other skilled organizations such as Deschutes
County Sheriffs Office and Deschutes County Behavioral Health, Sisters
Coldweather Shelter, and Sisters Community Leadership Initiative.

In 2022, Jeremy was sponsored to go to North Carolina by the community for a
training around community collaboration in homeless problem solving. Jeremy has
built an incredible relationship with the law enforcement community (both county
and FS LEI), non-profits and private sector, and the houseless individuals
themselves. He has been responsible for thousands of pounds of trash, tents,
trailers, and abandoned vehicles being removed from the national forest using
innovative and creative solutions.

It is important to note that Jeremy was severely injured on the job in 2021 while
inspecting a FS reforestation contract. He has been dealing with OWCP
successfully for over two years for his injury which has left him with chronic pain
and partial disability in his leg and changed his mobility and the type of work he has
been able to do. Rather than dwell in regret, he has changed the scope of his
duties to make a positive impact for all of those he comes in contact with. He does
this with such humility and grace, it is an inspiration for all.

 A program with names and photos of the award recipients, as well as descriptions of each, may be found at: https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fseprd1155255.pdf

Photos of the Regional Forester’s 2023 Honor Awards Event:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/forestservicenw/albums/72177720313503568/  

 For more information about the Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Region please visit https://www.fs.usda.gov/r6.