Cole Mayn returned to his home state of Montana in April 2006 as the forest soil scientist and watershed program manager on the Bitterroot National Forest. In 2010, he became a resource staff officer, providing staff support to the fisheries, heritage, and watershed programs in addition to his soil scientist duties.

Mayn began his permanent Forest Service career during 2002 on the Tongass National Forest, serving as the soil scientist for the Craig and Thorne Bay Ranger Districts on Prince of Wales Island in Alaska. He worked in private industry before his Federal service, completing mine reclamation and underground storage tank and groundwater remediation projects.

In 1998, Mayn received a bachelor’s degree in environmental engineering from Montana Tech of the University of Montana in Butte, MT. In 2001, he completed his master’s degree in land rehabilitation, with a minor in soil science, from Montana State University in Bozeman, MT.

Mayn currently provides soils guidance for project planning and implementation for many of the Bitterroot National Forest’s fuel reduction, timber, grazing, and watershed restoration projects. He oversees an active road decommissioning and watershed restoration program and works with outside partners to help secure funds to decommission roads, improve watersheds, and stretch the limited funding on the forest to successfully complete a large portion of work required on the ground.

Mayn developed a force account restoration crew that has completed more than 100 miles of road decommissioning and more than 50 miles of road best management practices over the last 8 years. In addition, the force account program has completed more than 250 acres of soil restoration by using the latest excavator-mounted subsoiler technology to decompact historic skid trails in timber units. His crew has also completed campground improvements and trail reconstruction projects to provide safer facilities and enhanced recreation opportunities for the public.

Growing up as a native Montana ranch kid, Mayn now appreciates working his own small farm and ranch with his family. He and his wife, Karin, enjoy keeping up with their active sons, Bryce and Aydan, through their various school and sports activities. He has enjoyed coaching his boys’ football teams over the years and is looking forward to a potential championship run this year!