NOVEMBER 30, 2018 AT 4:15 PM EST - Contact: (202) 205-1005 Twitter: @forestservice

 

WASHINGTON, Nov. 30, 2018 —  USDA Forest Service Chief Vicki Christiansen announced today the appointment of David Schmid as regional forester for the Forest Service’s Alaska Region. As regional forester, Schmid will oversee management of more than 22 million acres of National Forest System lands in Southcentral and Southeast Alaska. 

Schmid has been acting regional forester in Alaska for the last eight months filling in behind Beth Pendleton who retired in April.

“David’s more than 30 years of experience and his commitment to maintaining strong relationships with people, stakeholders and communities make him exceptionally well qualified for this job,” Christiansen said. “I’m also pleased that he’s bringing both his leadership skills and 23 years of experience on the Chugach and Tongass National Forests to this role.” 

David joined the Forest Service first as a volunteer in Minnesota. After graduating college, he worked as a fisheries and watershed program leader on the Chugach National Forest and as a district ranger on the Tongass National Forest. Following his time in Alaska, he served as the national fish program leader in Washington DC, and as the director of biological and physical resources in the Southern Region.  For the last four years he has served as the Deputy Regional Forester in the Northern Region based in Missoula, Montana.

The mission of the USDA Forest Service is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the nation’s forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations. The agency manages the 193 million acres of National Forest System land, provides stewardship assistance to non-federal forest landowners, and maintains the largest forestry research organization in the world.

For more information about the U.S. Forest Service visit http://www.fs.fed.us/.