David E. Schmid, who has served as acting regional forester for the Alaska region since this past spring, has been named permanently to that U.S. Forest Service post in Juneau.
Schmid, a 30-year veteran of the federal agency, filled the vacancy left by the retirement of Beth Pendleton in April.
Schmid will continue to oversee management of more than 22 million acres of National Forest System lands in Southcentral and Southeast Alaska.
His role is to maintain strong relationships with the Alaska Region’s diverse stakeholders and communities of interest, especially on issues related to forest management and strengthening rural community health. He is also charged with ensuring that the Tongass and Chugach national forests remain healthy and productive, to sustain natural resources while supporting local economies and uses.
Schmid, who is originally from Wisconsin, has spent more than 23 years working in natural resources management on both the Chugach and Tongass National Forests.
He joined the Forest Service first as a volunteer in Minnesota. After graduating from the University of Wisconsin, he worked as a fisheries arid watershed program leader in the Chugach National Forest.
He also served as a district ranger on the Tongass National Forest, and in other posts in Washington D.C., Atlanta, and Missoula, MT.
