USDA announces new Regional Forester for Intermountain Region

OGDEN, Utah (KIFI) - USDA Forest Service Chief Vicki Christiansen announced Thursday the appointment of Mary Farnsworth as Regional Forester for the agency’s Intermountain Region, located in Ogden, Utah.

Farnsworth will oversee management of more than 32 million acres of national forests and grasslands, across six states with over 3,500 permanent and seasonal employees.

“Mary’s ability to build effective and enduring partnerships will ensure the continued delivery of healthy, working forests for the Intermountain Region,” Chief Christiansen said. “The strong relationships she has formed while working with our state and local partners and diverse stakeholders make her a great choice to lead the Region.”

Farnsworth is taking over the position left vacant in April 2020, when Nora Rasure retired after serving six years as the regional forester for the Intermountain Region. In the interim, Frank Beum acted as the acting regional forester and recently returned to his role as the deputy regional forester for the Forest Service’s Southern Region in Atlanta, Georgia. 

Farnsworth previously held the position of deputy regional forester for the Region. She has dedicated more than 30 years to the agency, beginning her career on the Umatilla National Forest in 1987. She has held a variety of leadership positions across the agency including in the agency national headquarters in Washington, D.C., California, Oregon, Idaho and Utah.