Washington DC, June 17, 2009: The National Association of State Foresters (NASF) praised the appointment of Tom Tidwell as Chief of the U.S. Forest Service, announced today by U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. Tidwell was selected to replace Gail Kimbell, who has served as chief of the agency since January 2007.

"State Foresters look forward to working with Chief Tidwell on the pressing challenges facing all the nation's forests," said NASF President and Kentucky State Forester Leah W. MacSwords. "We are enthusiastic about new leadership in the Forest Service to further our joint efforts in tackling issues such as renewable biomass, insect and disease outbreaks, and the impacts of climate change."

State Foresters have a long history of working cooperatively with the Forest Service and have the primary authority to manage and protect more than 400 million acres of state and private forests across the country.

The National Association of State Foresters is comprised of the directors of forestry agencies from the fifty states, eight U.S. territories and associated states, and the District of Columbia. Through public-private partnership, NASF seeks to advance sustainable forestry, conservation, and protection of forest lands and their associated resources. For more information, visit www.stateforesters.org.

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