Stanislaus National Forest: Cherry Lake - Credit: USDA
July 9, 2022 - SONORA, Calif. — With Forest Supervisor Jason Kuiken taking a temporary assignment with the Wildfire Risk Reduction Infrastructure Team (WRRIT), Deputy Forest Supervisor Beth Martinez has assumed the mantle of Stanislaus National Forest, Acting Forest Supervisor. In addition, Jeremiah Zamora has joined the Stanislaus National Forest Leadership team as Acting Deputy Forest Supervisor.
Martinez has more than 30 years’ experience with the U.S. Forest Service, two-thirds of which has been with the Stanislaus. In addition, she has served on the Gallatin NF in Montana, Wasatch-Cache NF in Utah and Gila NF in New Mexico, as well as a detail as the Region 5 deputy director for Public Services.
“I am honored to continue working for our National Forests in this new role and take personally my obligations to our forest and grass lands, my community and the amazing employees that come to work each day with a palpable commitment to public service,” Martinez said.
Jeremiah Zamora is the District Ranger for the Francis Marion Ranger District of the Francis Marion and Sumter National Forest and began his Forest Service career in journey in 2008 as a Forestry intern on the Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest and Thunder Basin National Grassland. Accepting the Deputy Forest Supervisor brought him to an entirely new region within the Forest Service.
"Coming from a different region, I can bring a new perspective and different practices to help address some of the challenges facing our Forest today. I can also bring the lessons I learn here back with me to South Carolina."
Kuiken, Forest Supervisor since 2014 has taken a temporary position with the Forest Service’s Wildfire Risk Reduction Infrastructure Team. Tasked by the Chief of the Forest Service, the WRRIT team leverages subject matter experts in wildfire to facilitate and develop a strategic implementation plan for the agency’s 10-year wildfire framework. Additionally, the affinity group has been tasked to work with all deputy areas and alongside partners and tribes to develop their plan.
The Forest Service manages 18 National Forests in the Pacific Southwest Region, which encompasses over 20 million acres across California, and assists State and Private forest landowners in California, Hawaii and the U.S. Affiliated Pacific Islands. National forests supply 50 percent of the water in California and form the watershed of most major aqueducts and more than 2,400 reservoirs throughout the state. For more information, visit www.fs.usda.gov/R5.
Source: USFS
