Travis Mason, acting district ranger, on local projects

Travis Mason is the acting district ranger for the San Jacinto Ranger District (SJRD). He began his tour Jan. 3 and is the latest in a series of “acting district rangers” since Julie Hall left for the Inyo National Forest a year ago.

Mason has spent much of his U.S. Forest Service career (more than 20 years) on the San Bernardino National Forest (SBNF) and most of his assignments have been in the Front Country Ranger District. He has been the recreation officer, spent time with the forest’s fire service, and performed vehicle and road maintenance and management.

“I’m a local guy,” Mason said proudly and added, “I’m an endangered species, a local Southern California guy who’s still here.” He grew up in Orange County and graduated from California State University, Long Beach. In college, he studied anthropology and archaeology.

However, the SJRD has a compelling personal history for Mason. Not only did he meet his wife here, during an eighth-grade Boy Scout and Girl Scout camping trip, he eventually proposed to her on San Jacinto Peak and they held their wedding ceremony here.

“I’ve been coming here since Cub Scouts,” Mason said and remembers camping at Riverside County’s Regional Park.

How does he feel about this assignment?

“I love it. It’s a dream come true to be sitting at this desk,” he said with enthusiasm. “I’ve been trying to get assigned to this district for some time.”

Now that he is here, Mason said there are a lot of active projects on the district. Recently he has been busy preparing for a group of foreign dignitaries who want to see the forest. This past week officials from the Asia-Pacific Economic Conference held their first 2023 meeting in Palm Springs. The state department organizers reached out to the SBNF requesting a visit and tour of the SJRD.

Preparation to host a visit of officials from more than 20 countries has been a large entree on his platter recently, Mason acknowledged.

And the more traditional forest projects also are active this winter. The rains have pummeled the mountain. In total, more than the February 2019 storm, but not in intensity. Nevertheless, he has had staff surveying forest roads for possible damage and obstacles.

“The Bee Canyon Road was damaged and will be closed to motor vehicles for safety until repairs have been completed,” he stated. So far, the recreation staff has not yet discovered any significant damage on the district’s trails, he added, but the snow has prevented a thorough examination.

“Every fire module is fully staffed,” Mason said, “and pile burning has begun — about 20 acres have been completed.” He added proudly that the SJRD was the first of the SBNF’s districts to begin the mitigation burns. So far burns have been near the Vista Grande, Keenwild and Kenworthy stations. The Cranston area is next.

Recreation areas are also improvement targets, according to Mason. Work has begun at both Lake Hemet and Lake Fulmor to enhance facilities.

The infrastructure work at Lake Hemet will provide four new shade structures along with purchasing new grills and tables. At Lake Fulmor, the work will include repairing asphalt, and a new restroom and new concrete paths.

The wildlife staff also is busy. Some habitat for the mountain yellow-legged frog will be closed in the spring. Also, they are fencing is being placed near the Fairview Fire area. This also will require rehabilitation of those trails and some roads, Mason said.

Mason and his wife, with their three children, including twins, live near Redlands. So he has a daily commute to Idyllwild. Fortunately, some other district employees live near there and they have a small carpool group.

Mason is not sure how much longer this assignment will continue. The hiring process is moving forward and he is one of the applicants for the district ranger position.

“I am committed to this town and to this district,” he affirmed. “But a lot of people want this job. I love being here and am hopeful there will be a permanent ranger by summer.”

Since Hall left in 2022, there have been three acting district rangers — Mason, Shanisha Reese and O’Dell Tucker — as well as one short-term permanent ranger, Marc Stammer.

“Marc Stamer took the permanent position on the SJRD in 2022, and a few months later he was selected for a temporary promotion as the deputy forest supervisor on the White River NF,” Kay Wiand, SBNF deputy forest supervisor, told the Town Crier. “Then shortly after he returned to the district, he was selected for a new permanent position (a promotion) as the field manager for the Barstow Field Office, Bureau of Land Management, in December 2022.”

“Because we anticipate some time before the position will be advertised and (hopefully) filled, we will have another short-term acting district ranger in place following Travis,” Wiand added.