Award Recipients Recognized for Outstanding Accomplishments at the Regional Forester’s Award Ceremony 

Release Date: 

Lakewood, Colorado, June 29, 2022 — The USDA Forest Service’s Rocky Mountain Region honored more than two-hundred employees, work units, and partnerships for Rising Up to the Challenge and Leading through Adversity at the recent Regional Forester’s Award ceremony. 

The event was postponed for the past few years due to the Covid-19 pandemic, so this year’s ceremony acknowledged those who demonstrated a commitment to restoring, sustaining, and/or enhancing forest and grasslands and natural resources throughout the unprecedented challenges of 2019, 2020, and 2021. 

The 2019 award recipients received a five-segment wooden tray symbolic of the five states within the Rocky Mountain Region. The 2020 and 2021 award recipients received an engraved pine plaque. District winners will also receive an Aldo Leopold-style bench constructed by Job Corps students and instructors. Below is a list of the seven award categories and the award recipients. Please join us in congratulating each of them for a job well done.

Sustaining Our Nation’s Forests and Grasslands – Award recipients were recognized for achievements in creating and maintaining resilient landscapes.

  • 2019 - Tennessee Creek Vegetation Management Project; Pike-San Isabel National Forests and Cimarron and Comanche National Grasslands
  • 2020 - Matterhorn Mill Non-Time-Critical Removal Action; Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests
  • 2021 - Dillon Ranger District and Summit County Forest Health and Fuels Cooperative Agreement; White River National Forest
  • 2021 - Post-Fire Collaborative Assessment and Recovery Team; Arapaho & Roosevelt National Forests Pawnee National Grassland

Delivering Benefits to the Public – Award recipients were recognized for strengthening communities and connecting people to the outdoors, and ensuring forests and grasslands deliver the values, uses, products, and services that the public wants and needs

  • 2019 - Recreational Sport Shooting Management Project; Arapaho & Roosevelt National Forests Pawnee National Grassland
  • 2019 - Molly Westby, Regional Heritage Program Lead, Recreation, Lands, Minerals & Volunteers
  • 2020 - U.S. Capitol Christmas Tree Project; Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests
  • 2021 - Defiende Nuestra Tierra Partnership; White River National Forest
  • 2021 Avalanche Education Partnership; Recreation, Lands, Minerals & Volunteers
  • 2021 Pike-San Isabel National Forests and Cimarron and Comanche National Grasslands Ranger Districts

Innovation and Applying Knowledge Globally – Award recipients were recognized for developing efficient and effective business practices to ensure financial accountability

  • 2019 - Hanging Lake Management Plan; White River National Forest
  • 2020 - Bearlodge and Northern Hills Ranger Districts Tornado Response Team; Black Hills National Forest
  • 2021 - Rocky Mountain Region Temporary Hiring Team; Regional Employees
  • 2021 - Innovative Planning Efforts; Medicine Bow-Routt National Forests and Thunder Basin National Grassland

Excel as a High-Performing Agency – Award recipients were recognized for demonstrating effective and measurable contributions toward making the Forest Service an employer of choice and creating a fair, diverse, inclusive, and effective workplace

  • 2019 - Bighorn Employee Engagement Team; Bighorn National Forest
  • 2020 - Maroon Bells Working Group; White River National Forest
  • 2021 - This Is Who We Are Ambassador Cadre; Rocky Mountain Region
  • 2021 - Rocky Mountain Restoration Initiative; San Juan National Forest

Emerging Leader – Award recipients were recognized for superior service to their unit and community, and displaying exceptional productivity, collaboration, and innovation in leadership

  • 2019 - Jason Brengle; Shoshone National Forest
  • 2019 - Katy Nelson; White River National Forest
  • 2019 - Jon Hare; Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests
  • 2020 - Ben Schumacher; Black Hills National Forest
  • 2020 - Caitlin Woods; Pike-San Isabel National Forests and Cimarron and Comanche National Grasslands
  • 2021 - Kevin McLaughlin; Arapaho & Roosevelt National Forests Pawnee National Grassland
  • 2021 - Kristen Schmidt; Rio Grande National Forest

Ranger District of the Year – For the district employees that demonstrate leadership, teamwork, community connection, responsiveness to challenges, innovation, creativity, workforce vitality and morale, and resource stewardship

  • 2019 - Canyon Lakes Ranger District; Arapaho & Roosevelt National Forests Pawnee National Grassland
  • 2020 - Wall Ranger District and Visitor Center; Nebraska National Forest
  • 2021 - Washakie Ranger District; Shoshone National Forest

Regional Forester’s Special Recognition Award – Award recipients were recognized for their leadership and innovations in performing the agency’s mission-critical work, while balancing the agency’s core values of service and safety during the pandemic

  • The COVID-19 Liaison and Support Team