State foresters congratulate Moore as he assumes helm of Forest Service; thank Christiansen for her support and service

The National Association of State Foresters congratulates Randy Moore on his appointment to serve as chief of the Forest Service and thanks Vicki Christiansen for her service as chief.

WASHINGTON—The nation’s 59 state and territorial foresters offer their hearty congratulations to the USDA Forest Service’s new chief, Randy Moore, and their highest thanks to outgoing chief, Vicki Christiansen, for her service.

“We are thrilled for Randy Moore and excited to work with him in his new role,” said Joe Fox, NASF president and Arkansas state forester. “Randy’s keen insight into wildfire management and vast experience in forestry, particularly in the West, will make him an awesome addition to the Forest Service’s Washington Office. We are confident he will inspire his agency to continue in our shared work, across all boundaries, to actively manage the nation’s trees and forests.”

Before being appointed to the position of chief last month, Moore served the Forest Service as a regional forester in California since 2007. Moore’s career with USDA began in 1978 with the Natural Resources Conservation Service. With the Forest Service, he has worked in Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, North Carolina, and Washington, D.C., where he served as acting associate deputy chief for the National Forest System and the national deputy soils program manager. He is the twentieth chief of the Forest Service and the first African American in the role. In his inaugural message, Chief Moore stated his intention to “make a difference” with “increase(d) on-the-ground efforts and focus.” He officially took over for retiring Chief Vicki Christiansen after a swearing-in ceremony held yesterday.

Christiansen spent her career in service to America’s forests. She has served as Forest Service chief and interim chief, as deputy and associate deputy chief of the agency’s State and Private Forestry programs, and deputy director of Fire and Aviation Management. Before her Washington Office tenure, Vicki devoted 30 years to forestry and wildfire management in Arizona and Washington, serving as state forester in both states.

“As chief, Vicki was a tremendous supporter of state and private forestry and perfectly fit what the Forest Service needed in a leader,” said Fox. “She catalyzed a massive cultural shift within the agency and invited non-traditional and long-time forestry stakeholders, including state forestry agencies, to share in decision-making and priority-setting for forest stewardship nationwide.”

During her service as state forester to Arizona and Washington, Christiansen was an active member of the NASF and chaired the association’s Wildland Fire Committee. The nation’s state foresters are proud to have worked with Chief Christiansen and wish her all the best in her well-earned retirement.

Media Contact: Whitney Forman-Cook at wforman-cook@stateforesters.org or 202-624-5417

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