USDA Forest Service - Savannah River Welcomes New Forest Manager

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The Forest Service, an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, has appointed Nicholas Pardi to serve as the new forest manager for the Savannah River Site Forest.

Pardi brings more than two decades of experience in natural resources and leadership to the position. Most recently, he served for more than eight years as a director in the Forest Service’s Eastern Region, where he oversaw operations, partnerships, and communications across 17 national forests, while also spending some of this time as a deputy regional forester. 

“It’s an honor to serve as the forest manager, and I look forward to working collaboratively to steward this land,” said Pardi. “This forest plays an important role ecologically while supporting the critical mission of the Department of Energy’s Savannah River Site, which benefits both our local community and the nation.”  

Pardi earned degrees in environmental management from Duke University and public administration from the University of Oklahoma. He also served as an officer in the U.S. Coast Guard.

The Forest Service manages 170,000 acres of land on the Department of Energy’s Savannah River Site. The management of the forest directly supports critical national security objectives, while maintaining the ecological health and resilience of a diverse landscape of southern pines, bottomland hardwoods, and wetlands. The forest is home to a national laboratory and the nation’s first National Environmental Research Park. Forest Service employees on the Savannah River Site Forest work right at the intersection of conservation, science, and national security. 

Pardi follows a long line of forest managers on the Savannah River Site Forest dating back to 1952. The previous forest manager, DeVela Clark, retired in May 2025.