On October 11, Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue swore in Vicki Christiansen as the 19^th Chief of the U.S. Forest Service. Christiansen had been serving as the interim chief since early March and has extensive experience in wildland fire management, having previously served as the Deputy Chief for State and Private Forestry. Prior to joining the U.S. Forest Service in 2010 as the Deputy Director of Fire and Aviation Management, Christiansen had a long career as a State Forester for both Arizona and Washington state.

“As a former wildland firefighter and fire manager, Chief Christiansen knows what’s needed to restore our forests and put them back to work for the taxpayers,” Perdue said in a statement when announcing his selection. “With seven years at the Forest Service and 30 years with the states of Arizona and Washington, Vicki’s professional experience makes me confident that she will thrive in this role and hit the ground running.”