Written by Dr Gary Ivey, Retired Wildlife Biologist and FOMR Founding Member

Sadly, one of our longtime Friends, former Malheur Refuge Manager, Forrest W. Cameron passed away May 8, 2026, surrounded by his children.

He began his career with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 1969, serving for a total of 42 years before retiring in 2011. He started his career at the Desert National Wildlife Refuge outside Las Vegas, later serving at two North Dakota refuges; Lostwood National Wildlife Refuge and Tewaukon National Wildlife Refuge, before moving to Ruby Lake National Wildlife Refuge in Nevada. He then went to the Northwest Regional Office in Portland, Oregon, later moving to Burns, Oregon to manage the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge. He ultimately returned to Portland to serve as the Northwest Regional Refuge Manager, overseeing refuges across the Northwestern states, Hawaii, and the U.S. Island territories.

He was selected as Project Leader/Refuge Manager at Malheur in 1989 and served there through January of 1999. During his time at Malheur, Forrest brought refuge uses into compliance with US Fish and Wildlife Service policies. Staff looked at all recreational and habitat management uses to ensure that they were compatible with the wildlife purposes for which the refuge was established.  This included hunting, fishing, birdwatching, photography, hiking, and economic/habitat management uses such as grazing and haying.  Compatibility determinations meant that all uses had to be beneficial to wildlife or they were not allowed on refuges.

Forrest (LEFT: Far left with Malheur Refuge Staff in 1992) led his staff in the development of Refuge Step-Down Habitat Management Plans for the Blitzen Valley and Double-O units. These plans were considered state-of-the-art plans setting the stage for improved management of migratory bird habitat on the Refuge. Forrest focused on using science in refuge management and was a strong supporter of the refuge’s biological programs. Those habitat management plans addressed the compatible uses of haying and grazing as habitat management tools – tools still used today to manage habitat for migratory birds.

Forrest spent a considerable amount of time finding funding to replace refuge boundary fences that were destroyed by the high water levels in the early 1980s, as well as the construction of new boundary fences where refuge lands were unfenced and degraded by trespassing cattle. Additional interior fences were constructed to exclude cattle from habitat (uplands, riparian zones and springs) that did not benefit from haying or livestock grazing.

Forrest was a people person and helped improve strained relations between the Refuge and local ranchers. He was respected in the local community and worked well with regional stakeholders who were interested in Malheur Refuge. During his tenure as manager the Refuge built strong fire, public use, archaeological, and law enforcement programs. He was able to increase the refuge staff to over 30 individuals and found funding to support acquisition of private property parcels within or immediately adjacent to the refuge boundary.

However, not all neighbors were happy with the refuge management changes, and one local ranching family caused Forrest and his staff a lot of grief. This precipitated an incident in 1994 when the family opposed the construction of boundary fences adjacent to their property and eventually led to their arrest for obstruction and death threats to Forrest, his family and other refuge staff – those charges were eventually dropped. Continued conflict between this family and local land management agencies was used as the excuse for the 2016 occupation of Refuge Headquarters and the plan to “give Malheur back to the ranchers.” Forrest endured these conflicts during his tenure as refuge manager and provided great leadership to his staff.  He accomplished a lot in his decade at the refuge, and I was proud to be working for him.

It was Forrest’s interest in having a Refuge Friends Group that led Alice Elshoff and I to create the Friends of Malheur Refuge in 1999. In the photograph to the right, Forrest (RIGHT: Top, second to far left) is celebrating the establishment of the Friends.

Forrest left a powerful legacy in his demonstrated love and lifelong support of our nation’s National Wildlife Refuges – he will be missed.

A celebration of life will be held at Champoeg State Park in St. Paul, Oregon, on August 9. If you wish to attend, you should RSVP with his family members by July 6, 2026.  Contact us at: [email protected] for their contact info.