Robert Baird Named Regional Director of Fire
Release Date: Apr 10, 2017
SAN BERNARDINO, California, April 10, 2017, The U.S. Forest Service has named Robert Baird as the Regional Director of Fire and Aviation Management for the Pacific Southwest Region. Baird currently serves as forest supervisor on Los Padres National Forest where he oversees ecosystem management, land use and wildfire management for more than 1.9 million acres in central California. He has held that position for three fire seasons.
Baird’s prior experience includes a stint as Deputy National Fire Director in the Washington Office and in a detail as the acting Associate Deputy Director of CAL FIRE, where he fostered partnership and cooperation with the U.S. Forest Service in California. In his assignments, Baird demonstrated successful leadership by overseeing operations at the National Interagency Fire Center, leading in the transition to next-generation air tankers, and supervising Los Padres during the complex and challenging fire season of 2016.
“I'm very pleased to welcome Bob Baird as our Regional Director for Fire and Aviation Management,” said Pacific Southwest Regional Forester Randy Moore. “Bob has demonstrated expertise in managing large, complex organizations and he has developed innovative strategies to build partnerships and coalitions. Bob’s leadership background and experience are a perfect fit for this key position. We look forward to a challenging but successful fire season with Bob at the helm.”
“I couldn't be more proud of this opportunity,” Baird said. “I've had the great pleasure of serving both at the forest level and at the Washington office level, and this regional position will tie those experiences together. I think the opportunity to serve in both CAL FIRE and with the Forest Service has given me a broad perspective on fire in this region, and I look forward to taking on the challenges with the support of the best firefighters in the world.”
Baird is a Riverside, Calif., native and a military veteran with more than 24 years as a U.S. Marine, both as an enlisted member and then as an infantry officer, achieving the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. Baird was decorated multiple times, including the Bronze Star, and served two combat tours in Iraq and one in Afghanistan. Baird is expected to report to his new position May 15.
About the U.S. Forest Service:
The mission of the U.S. Forest Service, part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, is to sustain the health, diversity and productivity of the nation's forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations. The agency manages 193 million acres of public land, provides assistance to state and private landowners, and maintains the largest forestry research organization in the world. Public lands the Forest Service manages contribute more than $13 billion to the economy each year through visitor spending alone. Those same lands provide 20 percent of the nation's clean water supply, a value estimated at $7.2 billion per year. The agency has either a direct or indirect role in stewardship of about 80 percent of the 850 million forested acres within the U.S., of which 100 million acres are urban forests where most Americans live.
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