On September 1, Tony Tooke, was sworn in as the 18^th chief of the U.S. Forest Service, the agency in which he has served for 37 years. Tooke takes over the position held by Tom Tidwell who retired from the agency in mid-August. A native of Alabama, Tooke began working for the Forest Service when he was 18 years old and has served in a number of positions at various levels of the agency, most recently as the Regional Forester for the Southern Region. Previously, Tooke served as the Associate Deputy Chief for the National Forest System. His varied experiences give him a deep understanding of the agency and land management planning on the national forests.

“I am deeply humbled to have been asked to serve as Chief of the U.S. Forest Service,” said Chief Tooke. “I have tremendous respect for our history and those who have served before me – their leadership has inspired my own. I admire our on-the-ground work and our dedicated workforce, at every level of the agency, that make it possible. Together with our many partners, volunteers, and local and state leaders, we have much to accomplish to fulfill our continuing conservation mission and serve people and communities everywhere.”