LEON HUNSAKER

602A fl]NNEL LOOP RD

GRAMTS PASS, ORE
97s26

DEC 29 , 1-997

DEAR LEON,

I APOLOGIZE FOR STARTING THIS ],ETTER OUT WTTH YOUR FIRST NAME, BUT
IT ,JUST DOESN'T SEEM RIGi{T AFTER ALI THE YEAR.S ] LISTEN TO YOU ON
KPNW TO CALL YOU ''MR. HUNSAKER''. I HOPE YOU DON'T MIND.

I WORK FOR THE OREGON DEPARTMENT OF FORESTRY OUT OF THE \TENETA,

WESTERN LANE DISTRTCT, AS A FOREST PRACTTCE LAW
ENFORCEMENT/AVIATION SPECIALIST. MY DUTIES REQUIRE THAT I MONITOR
ALL LOCAI, FORECAST, PLUS THE NATIONAL FORECAST. THIS INFORMATION
IS USED IN THE WINTER TIME TO HEI,P MAKE SMOKE MANAGEMENT DECISIONS
FOR THE DISTRICT, AND IN THE SUMMER TIME TO STAY ABREAST OF
CONDITIONS FOR FIRE SEASON. IVTY ENFORCEMENT AREA HAS THE CITY OF
EUGENE, CRESWELL, AND COTTAGE GROVE AS THE EAST BOUNDARY, SO IT IS
HIGHLY IMPERATIVE THAT I DON'T ALI,OW AIVY BURNING TO TAKE PLACE THAT
WOULD PUT SMOKE INTO ANY OF THE CTTIES. ALSO, ONE OF MY PRTMARY
FUNCTTONS IN THE SUMMER TIME IS AS AN AIR OPERATION BRANCH DIRECTOR
(AOBD) ON ONE OF THE DEPARTMENT'S THREE FIRE TEAMS THAT MANAGE
LARGE, COMPLEX FTRES ANYWHERE IN THE STATE
YOUR FORECASTS, WITHOUT A DOUBT, HAVE BEEN THE MOST HELPFUL, AND
THE MOST ACCURATE, OF ANY T'VE USED, TO THE POINT THAT I HAVE WON
SEVERAL BETS. TT WAS GETTING TO THE POINT THAT THE LOCAL
FARMER/LOGGERS WERE CALLTNG IN THE MORNTNG AND ASKING IF THEY
SHOULD BE LOOKING AT CUTTING THEIR HAY OR START ROAD CONSTRUCTION
IN THE NEXT TEN DAYS. THEY ALIJ KNEW I MONITORED THE FORECAST AND
THEY WERE LOOKTNG FOR A LOCAL FOCAL POTNT TO ASK ABOLry AT,T, THE
DIFFERENT FORECASTS. IT WAS ONE OF I{Y FAVORITE SAYINGS TO TELL THE
PEOPLE TO FORGET WHAT THEY SAW ON TV LAST NIGHT BECAUSE I'LYING
LEONII WAS PREDICTING SOMETHING DIFFERENT. AND IF I WAS THEM I WOI]LD
EITHER NOT CIIT OR GET GOING AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, AI{D IT WAS ALL
BASED ON YOUR FORECASTING. YOUR FORECASTING WAS RUNNING VERY
ACCURATE DURING THE W]NTER/SPRING/SUMMER WITH ABOUT AN 8O? ACCURACY
FOR THE LATE FALL.

ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS ON LARGE FIRES, HULIJ MOI]NTATN AND EAST

EVANS CREEK OUT OF MEDFORD AND GRANTS PASS, I WAS EXPECTED TO STOP .,i
THE FIRES USING MY AIR TANKERS AND HELICOPTERS" ON BOTH OCCASIONS
WE I{AD NATIONAL WETHER FORECASTER ONSITE AS PART OF THE FIRE TEAM /
MAKING PREDICTIONS. ON BOTH OCCASIONS THE FIRST DAY THEY WERE SO
FAR OUT TO LUNCH THAT THE PLANS FORMUIJATED AROUND THEIR FORECAST
FATI-,ED. BOTH TIMES, THE SECOND DAY I CALLED BACK TO MY DISTRICT
AND ASK THEM TO TAPE WI{AT YOU WERE FORECASTING AND ON ONE OCCASION,
 HIILL MOUNTAIN, T WAS ABLE TO CONVTNCE THE INCIDENT COMMANDER TO
FORMUIJA.TE A BACK_UP PLAN, BECAUSE YOU I.IAD CALLED FOR A HEAT SINK
WHICH CAUSES DOWN HILL WINDS LATE IN THE AFTERNOON AFTER HEATING
OCCURRED. JUST TOTALLY OPPOSITE OF WHAT THE FORECASTER ON THE FIRE
WAS CALLTNG FOR. WELL TO MAKE A LONG STORY SHORT ] COMMITTED THE
LARGEST AIR FORCE OF AIR TANKERS AND HELICOPTERS EVER USED TN THE
STATE BY ALL AGENCIES TO A PI,AN BASED SOLELY ON YOUR FORECAST. THE
TEMPATURES CLIMBED TO ABOUT 105 AIID ABOUT 3;00 PM WE EXPERIENCED 30
MPH DowN srroPE wrNDS ALL CAUSED FROM THE HEAT srNK you I{AD
PREDICTED. I USED 58 AIRCRAFT TN A ROUND ROBIN OPERATION AND SET A
NEW RECORD FOR THE AMOUNT OF RETARDANT AND WATER EVER DELIVERED TO
A}IY FIRE IN THE STATE. THE BOTTOM I,INE WAS WE STOPPED THE FIRE.
IF WE }IAD FOLLOWED THE ORTGTNAL ACTTON PLAN FOR T}IAT DAY WE WOULD
HAVE BEEN CAUGHT AT THE OPPOSITE END OF THE FTRE AND WE WOULD HAVE
LOST SE\rERAI MORE HOMES.
WE AT
OUR OFFICE MISS YOU, THE NEW GI.IY, TTM CHEWY, READS WORD FOR
WORD THE NATTONAL FORECAST AND HAS MTSSED THE BEAT SO MANY TIMES WE
IIAVE QUIT LISTENING TO THAT STATION. WE LOST THE BEST TOOL WE HAD
FOR ACCURATE FORECASTING, NOW WE SEEM TO BE TOSSING A DART. WE RUN
WITH THE FORECAST THAT ARE AVAILABLE, AND WE HAVE FOUND THAT ALL
THE EXPERTISE WE HAVE IN THIS OFFICE ARE GENERALIJY BETTER AT
CALLTNG THE SHORT RANGE FORECAST, BUT FAIL
'^IE MEASURABLY AT THE LONG
RANGE.

YOU HAVE IUANY OF US IN THE FTRE SERVICE THAT LISTENED TO YOU DAII,Y
AND THAT RELTED ON YOUR FORECAST, MISSING THE MOST VAI,UABLE TOOL WE
HAD, YOU REALLY ARE MTSSED AND I HOPE THAT YOU CAN FTND A WAY TO
GE? BACK TO DOING WHAT YOU DO BEST, AND THAT'S THE LONG RANGE
FORECAST.

FoREsr PRACTTCE FoRESTER/ PRoTECTToN srAFF AVTATToN spECrALrsr/ArR

OPERATTON BRANCH DIRECTOR
OREGON DEPARTI"IENT OF FORESTRY
I,ANE OTSttTCt
V.IESTERN
PO BOX 543
VENETA, OREGON
97487

Phil Hufstader
Protection Staf[,Aviation SprrialisL
Forest Praclices Forester
Westent Lane District
DEPARTMENTOF
FORESTRY
PO Box 157
\/eneta, Oregon 97 +E7 -0157
.Certified
. Contragts
. Fire
ICS

.Aviation Planner

Phil Hufstader
Trainer

tu
AVIATION
MANACEMENT
(503) 9i5-2281 {s4{} 935-2176
FAX (503) 935-073.1 CONSULTANT
l
E9 P.O. BOX 543.VENETA, OREGON 97487
 7 t10t12
Shannon Young
2668 Dellwood Ave.
Medford, Oregon 97504

Dear Shannon:

It was good to see you last Saturday! As usual you were a breath of
fresh air.

I've enclosed a copy of Phil Hufstader's letter regarding the Hull

Mountain Fire. It is not my wish to have you read the whole letter. Besides
there not being enough time, I'm afraid some the facts may have been
overblown a bit. For example: On the second page instead of 68 aircraft
were used in a round robbin---how about several dozen aircraftwere used in
a round robbin---. He called me "Lying Leon"! It makes the third
paragraph on page #1 more believable and should get a few chuckles from
the audience. Even though it is not my favorite nick-name I don't want
people to think I couldn't handle "a little sand tossed in my face"--especially
when the intent wasn't malicious.

My two son's families have invited me to visit them in Utah again

this summer. I probably will sometime this fall. But right now the
California project needs attention and my pump house needs some repairs.

Wishing you the best of summers!

P.S. I also decided to include a letter from Dan Shults. One other thought:
I don't want you to feel obligated to spend much time on these letters--just a
few high points. oh Yes! Toss the saved 5 homes routine. My mind must
already be in Utah.
August 17,2006
DEPARTMENT OF
FORESTRY
Leon Hunsaker
c/o The Dove Radio
Southem Oregon Area
1236 Disk Drive
Of6ce
Medford, Oregon 975A1

Dear Mr. Hunsaker,

I just wanted to send a quick note to let you know that your weather forecasting
@
"STEWARDSHIP
services are'rnuch appreciated by the Oregon Department of Forestry in Southem FORESTRY"

Oregon- Your forecast is most helpful in our decision making on resource allocation
and our ability to share resources with other parts of the state.

You may recall, when you left KPNW in Eugene several years ago, that I wrote you
a letter expressing my appreciation for your service and my regret that you would no
longer be on the station locally. I still feel that way today. At the time, I was the
District Forester for Eastem Lane and Linn Districts and relied frequently on your
weather inforrnation as an aid in making decisions - particularly during fire season.
I am now Souflrern Oregon Area Director responsible for ODF operations from the
California border through Linn County on the west side-

I stilllive in Springfield and can't hear you on the radio. However, Dan Thorpe,
District Forester for our Southwest Oregon Distict office in Central Point, listens
faithfully. At our morning fire season conference calls, he provides us with the key
points from your weather forecast. Particularly helpful is the longer term
infonnation - though I recognize the degree of forecast certainty decreases with
time. We find this insight very helpfi.rl in our short and longer term planning. Your
experience in the region shows in the accuracy of your forecasting. ThJugh no
'hreather guesser" (no disrespect intended) is 100%, you are certainry one of the
best. Thanks and keep up the good work. It's important.

Sincerely,

odtb
Dan Shults
Southem Oregon Area Director
s4l-580-7479 (cell)

cc: Dan Thorpe 1758 NE Airport Road

Roseburg, OR97470
$oq m-vLz
FAX4N-3424
$|AP_PU_?S'H BIffiYH0AY
tElll{ HUTSAKER
"fleath ermaa Extrao rd ina i re,,
*lay 0, IggB
Drop by the Grants pass
Abby's Pizza Next to
Fred Meyers on

BetweenGpm&7pm
to wish him a
Happy Birthday
 F!AP_PU$_,H BIffiTHDAY
TEIIII HUTSAI{EN
"Ueathe rma n Extra o rdi na ire,,
filay 6, lgg3
Drop by the Grants pass
Abby's Pizza Next to
Fred Meyers on

BetweenGpm&7pm
to wish him a
Happy Birthday

\'--5' \

fFctiEl JET STREAM WEATHER

ed Forecasts
6A2A Tunnel Loop Rd.
Grants Pass, On 97526
Consulting (541) 474-2731 {
+

LEoN M. HUN6AKER

supERVrslNG METEoRoLoGTsT
GAs coNTRoL oEPARTMENT
PACIFIC GAS ANO ELECTRIC COMPANY
245 MARKET STREET
SAN FRANCISCo
415 . 7A1.4211
<x
LEON IIUIISAIrER
oY"' F+0oD\'64\
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