Leadership

Chad Stewart to temporarily oversee the Medicine Bow-Routt National Forests and Thunder Basin National Grassland

Stewart is also Forest Supervisor on the Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison (GMUG) National Forests.

(LARAMIE, Wyo.)  March 3, 2025 – For the foreseeable future, Chad Stewart, an experienced USDA Forest Service leader in the Rocky Mountain Region, will serve as Forest Supervisor for the Medicine Bow-Routt National Forests and Thunder Basin National Grassland (MBRTB).

Stewart will remain in his current position as Forest Supervisor on the Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison (GMUG) National Forests in western Colorado, but was asked to temporarily fill the MBRTB leadership role by Rocky Mountain Regional Forester Troy Heithecker. 

Stewart replaces Russ Bacon who recently announced his retirement from the Forest Service. Bacon had been MBRTB Forest Supervisor since November 2017. 

Familiar with current issues affecting the Rocky Mountain Region, Stewart has been Forest Supervisor on the GMUG since September 2019. He has prior knowledge of the MBRTB after a multi-year stint as District Ranger on the Hahns Peak/Bears Ears District in Steamboat Springs, Colo., and a brief detail assignment as District Ranger on the Douglas District in Douglas, Wyo.

The MBRTB is comprised of nearly 2.9 million acres of National Forest System lands in Colorado and Wyoming, with six Ranger Districts. Geographically, the Medicine Bow-Routt National Forests extend from north central Colorado to central Wyoming, and the Thunder Basin National Grassland is located in northeastern Wyoming’s Powder River Basin.

The Forests and Grassland are managed for multiple uses and public enjoyment. Its’ units provide a diverse mix of wildlife habitat, timber, livestock forage, vast mineral resources, and a vital source of water for irrigation and domestic use. Additionally, they offer diverse, year-round outdoor recreation opportunities.