Ogden, Utah, January 27, 2021 – USDA Forest Service Chief Vicki Christiansen has announced Mary Farnsworth as Acting Regional Forester for the Forest Service Intermountain Region located in Ogden, Utah. As Acting Regional Forester, Farnsworth will oversee management of more than 32 million acres of national forest and grasslands, in six states with over 2,500 employees. In her new role as Acting Regional Forester, Farnsworth will play an essential role in carrying out agency and regional goals including enhancing shared stewardship opportunities; emphasizing, strengthening and strategically planning future program delivery of recreation and range programs; and increasing the Region’s ability to treat priority landscapes to reduce the risk of wildfire.
Farnsworth is currently serving as the Deputy Regional Forester for the Intermountain Region. Previously, she was the Forest Supervisor on the Idaho Panhandle National Forest. Beginning her career on the Umatilla National Forest in 1987, Farnsworth has dedicated more than 30 years to the agency. She has held a variety of leadership and staff positions across the agency including in the agency national headquarters in Washington, D.C., California, Oregon, Idaho and Utah. Farnsworth has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Forest Management from Humboldt State University in northern California.
“I look forward to building upon the amazing work this region has accomplished in the past few years.” said Farnsworth. “My focus will be building upon the principles of shared stewardship by maintaining and enhancing partnerships with state, tribal and local partners to ensure we maintain healthy, productive and sustainable forest lands on behalf of the American people.”
Farnsworth is taking over the position left vacant in April 2020, when Nora Rasure retired after serving 6 years as the Regional Forester for the Intermountain Region. In the interim, Frank Beum has been assigned as the Acting Regional Forester and will return to his role as the Deputy Regional Forester for the Forest Service Southern Region in Atlanta, Georgia.