WASHINGTON—The nation’s 59 state and territorial foresters look forward to continuing their important work in support of America’s forests with Jaelith Hall-Rivera, the newly named associate deputy chief of the USDA Forest Service’s State and Private Forestry programs.
“State and Private Forestry programs help to implement state Forest Action Plans, bolster wildfire protection and forest pest management efforts, and support state-provided technical assistance to communities and private landowners — the essential activities that protect and promote the health and productivity of all America’s trees and forests, regardless of ownership,” said George Geissler, NASF president and Washington state forester. “State foresters were glad to hear Jaelith, with all her expertise and experience in wildfire and forestry programming, will continue serving this critically important mission area.”
Hall-Rivera most recently served as State and Private Forestry’s budget coordinator. During her eight-year tenure, she oversaw the expenditure of over $1 billion in new Forest Service funding that helped create over 20,000 jobs and contributed to significant improvements in the wildland fire system, including increased oversight, accountability, and reform of its aviation program. Prior to her work at the Forest Service, she held analyst positions with the Government Accountability Office and The Wilderness Society and earned bachelor’s degrees in forestry and political science, as well as master’s degrees in public administration and environmental science.
Media Contact: Whitney Forman-Cook at wforman-cook@stateforesters.org or 202-624-5417