Washington State native Vicki Christiansen was named this week as the permanent head of the U.S. Forest Service. Congratulations, Vicki! She was named interim chief of the Forest Service in March and now takes over permanently.

Christiansen is not only from Washington and a graduate of University of Washington but she served for 26 years in the Washington Department of Natural Resources, including as Washington State Forester. From her bio, “She started as a wildland firefighter in 1980 while still in college and later held positions in operations, managing state trust lands, and regulating forest practices on state and private lands. Her first permanent position was in 1983 as a forester responsible for the reforestation of state trust lands in the (Mount St. Helens) volcanic blast zone.”

Congratulations have come in far and wide upon Vicki’s swearing-in this week.

The Society of American Foresters (whose annual meeting in Portland Vicki attended last week):

“Her accomplishments speak for themselves, and we believe she’s the strong leader that the agency needs. Looking forward to working together toward safe, respectful work environments for all.”

The National Association of State Foresters:

President Lisa Allen said Christiansen is “a tremendous supporter of state and private forestry and just what the Forest Service needs in a new leader.”

The Sustainable Forestry Initiative:

Washington’s Pacific Education Institute:

And the American Forest Foundation: