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About the Area
Where is the Intermountain Region?
The Intermountain Region of the Forest Service encompasses nearly 34-million acres of National Forest System land. The Intermountain Regional Office in Ogden, Utah provides administrative oversight and support to 12 National Forests which are located in Utah, Nevada, western Wyoming, southern and central Idaho, as well as one National Grassland in Idaho and the Rocky Mountain Research Station in Colorado. The National Forest Supervisor's Offices are the headquarters for forest activities and provide oversight and support to the Ranger District offices within the forest boundaries. Ranger Districts are the units that directly manage the national forests and grasslands. Types of management that occur on each district vary significantly. Some districts manage ski areas, wilderness areas, wild and scenic rivers, and resource management programs and extensive recreational uses.
Four major geographic provinces come together to form the Intermountain West. They include the Great Basin, Colorado Plateau, Middle Rocky Mountains and the Northern Rocky Mountains. These provinces are the reason for the tremendous diversity of landscapes and ecosystems within the Intermountain Region.
Want to know more about the Intermountain Region?
Meet the Leadership Team of the Intermountain Region
Regional Forester
Mary Farnsworth serves as the Intermountain Regional Forester. Mary joined the Intermountain Region after serving as the Forest Supervisor of the Idaho Panhandle National Forests for six years. She grew up in San Diego CA, and received a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Forest Management from Humboldt State University.
Mary’s career began on the Umatilla National Forest working in timber planning, silviculture, and wildlife before she headed to the Tahoe National Forest working in fire management. She then transferred to the Eldorado National Forest as a District Fire Management Officer before heading to the National Headquarters in Washington DC, where she worked as staff for the National Fire Plan Coordinator. After more than 2 ½ years, Farnsworth became a District Ranger on the Payette National Forest in western Idaho in 2003. She was promoted to the role of Deputy Forest Supervisor on the Deschutes National Forest in Bend OR in 2008, where she served for three years prior to being selected as the Forest Supervisor for the Idaho Panhandle National Forests.
When time allows, Mary likes to mountain bike, and travel to rock hounding sites collecting material for lapidary work to make small jewelry pieces.
Deputy Regional Forester
Christopher Campbell serves as a Deputy Regional Forester for the Intermountain Region. Chris began his career with the Forest Service in 2012 at the National Forest System in Washington, D.C. Chris has been serving as the Director of Engineering in the Intermountain Region office.
Campbell was previously a Legislative Affairs Specialist and the State, Private and Tribal Forestry Chief of Staff. Prior to his time in the Forest Service, Campbell served in the U.S. Air Force as an Engineering Officer and Director of Operations at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland.
Originally from Washington, Campbell graduated from the University of Portland with a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical engineering. He enjoys spending time outdoors with his family and friends.
Deputy Regional Forester
Kelly Orr began her career with the Bureau of Land Management in 2010 as a program manager at the Southern Nevada District Office in Las Vegas, Nevada. She has recently served as Branch Chief for Outdoor and Heritage Resources at the BLM Utah State Office in Salt Lake City where she oversaw BLM Utah's recreation, wilderness, cultural, and paleontological resource programs.
Prior to her time in Utah, Orr served as a policy advisor in the BLM Director's Office in Washington, D.C. She grew up in Boulder, Colorado, and attended Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana, where she completed an undergraduate degree in Environmental Biology, Psychology, and Anthropology. Orr also holds a Master of Science degree in Environmental Biology.
Between work and raising three young daughters, Orr also loves to hike, learn new things, and is always looking for the next best book to read.
Deputy Regional Forester
Christopher Carlton serves as a Deputy Regional Forester for the Intermountain Region. A native of Maine, Carlton spent time in the U.S. Air Force prior to joining the Bureau of Land Management in Wyoming and Washington where he gained experience in natural resources and land use planning.
Carlton most recently served as the Plumas National Forest Supervisor in northern California for five years. Prior to that, he served as Field Manager for the Bureau of Land Management’s Caliente Field Office in Nevada, a position he held for over four years.
Chris and his partner Rachel enjoy hiking, mountain biking, and exploring the back roads across the West with their two dogs.
Want to know about past Regional Foresters in the Intermountain Region?
Since 1907, there has been a variety of previous Regional Foresters in this region with the first woman, Nora Rasure, that started in 2013 until 2020.