SISTERS, OR -- The Forest Service breaks ground on a new Sisters Ranger Station this month. "The old ranger station is no longer up to code," the Deschutes National Forest's Kassidy Kern tells KBND News, "There are issues with the HVAC and the wiring. So, it was just really not something we could feasibly upgrade." She notes, "That building opened in 1962 and was well-suited for a 1962 workforce. We are now a 2023 workforce, and this building needs to last decades to come."

That 2023 workforce needs better electrical and internet infrastructure to accommodate increased connectivity. "If we have fires that are impacting the Sisters Ranger District, maybe we need to be holding community meetings that would probably be virtual as well as in person; and then, just generally speaking, we use technology all the time," says Kern. "This is really about bringing updated technology into a building for people who require technology and increased connectivity to do their jobs." She adds, "As well as we can, [we] kind of forecast out the needs of this and future generations." Kern says the 1962 building will eventually be torn down.

The new 13,500 square-foot facillity will be built next to the existing station. Construction begins in earnest in December, and it's expected to open by the end of 2025. 

Kern says the nearby Sisters Ranger District Warehouse was also recently renovated, "Together, these two buildings are really an investment, not just in the forest, but certainly in being in Sisters for a long time."

The Forest Service sold off 68 acres next to the ranger station a few years ago. That land sale provides some of the funding for the $9.6 million project.