News from the Enterprise Program

Goodbye: Paul Claeyssens, HSG Executive Officer

Author: Paul Claeyssens

I wanted to let you all know that I have retired on December 3, 2016. I think it's fitting that I’m retiring during the 50th Anniversary of the National Historic Preservation Act. I’ve spent 37 of those 50 years in an historic preservation career! I started out on the former Oakridge RD (now Middle Fork RD) of the Willamette NF back in 1979. After working for 9 years as a district archaeologist, with short details as Rec Staff I moved to the Ochoco NF in 1989 as their Forest Archaeologist during our initial rounds of Forest Planning in Region 6. Again after a few details as Rec Staff and FERC/Gas Line Lead Archy, I transferred to the Deschutes NF as their Forest Archaeologist in 1993. I was privileged to undertake what we now call Middle Leader training at that time and worked for a time as a Land Exchange Project Leader for a large multi-forest land exchange. Then in 2000 I was approached by the Ochoco NF to assume the duties of their Forest Archaeologist in addition to my Deschutes duties, and a few years later also assumed to role of Tribal Liaison for both Forests and the Grassland.

I had been a part of the Central Oregon Service First effort as part of the Clinton-Gore Reinventing Government and worked hard to forge a Central Oregon Heritage Group where we shared personnel, procedures and data management between the Forests and BLM-Prineville District. I was also exposed to the FS Enterprise Program at that time and began to explore ways to form a team that could join the program. I continued my services to the Forests and Grassland and then in 2007 had an opportunity to apply for and develop an enterprise team, with great support from Leslie Weldon, then Deschutes NF Forest Supervisor and my direct supervisor at the time, Bob Deane.

My team, the Heritage Stewardship Group was licensed in 2008 and we hit the ground running with lots of projects in many regions and different land management agencies. I was able to transfer and hire great people to my unit and by 2010 we had expanded to 15 full time and seasonal employees. Travel ceilings in 2011 forced a reduction in our field presence and we shrunk to the current size of 7, adding seasonal some years where sufficient funds were available.

My unit, HSG, has maintained positive cash flow under “full-cost” recovery each year and has more importantly served a variety of clients inside and outside the FS. They are what had made HSG; I just had an idea that the USFS could do better in heritage by incorporating free market principles to the federal CRM bureaucracy. I'm proud to have been a part of our shared legacy.

My retirement comes a month earlier than I originally planned, due mostly to the fact that I already had planned a 2 week+ visit to the UK in December to spend time with kids and grandkids and it just made sense to retire and make a clean break.

For now, I'll be starting up a small heritage consulting firm, continuing my role on my local historic landmarks commission, the Archaeological Society of Central Oregon, wildland firefighting and spending more time getting in my wife's way, telemark skiing, fly fishing (thanks Bret!), adventure traveling and camping. Hang in there the rewards are worth it!

It's been a privilege and honor to work with you all!