Robert Sanchez is the new forest supervisor of Willamette National Forest, overseeing 1.6 million acres of one of Oregon’s most iconic and productive forests that has been recently impacted by wildfires and job cuts.
The Willamette includes a wide swath of the Central Cascade forest, foothills and mountains east of Salem and Eugene. It includes areas from Detroit Lake to Oakridge, along with the west sides of Mount Jefferson, the Three Sisters and Diamond Peak.
Originally from Texas and a University of Idaho alumnus, Sanchez, who was named to the position in April, began his career as a hydrologist working in national forests across the West…