Top regional Forest Service official to retire
The U.S. Forest Service's top official in the Pacific Northwest announced her retirement on Tuesday, effective at the end of March.
Linda Goodman, the Forest Service's regional forester and a native of Yakima, Wash., began her career as a front desk assistant in Washington's Olympic National Forest and worked her way up through positions at the Mount Hood, Siuslaw and Deschutes national forests in Oregon. She also served as director of the National Field Office of the Job Corps, overseeing 18 Job Corps centers around the country.
Goodman took over as regional forester in January 2003. She has overseen national forests in the region as they endured severe wildfires, and as they carried out a push by the Bush administration to boost Northwest logging in line with the goals of the 1994 Northwest Forest Plan.
"I feel good about where our region is and where we are heading," she said in a letter to the region's 3,600 employees Tuesday. "Together we have made the region a good investment and we remain focused on the land."
Goodman and her husband, Mark Engdall, plan to spend more time on their sailboat after her retirement. Deputy regional foresters Liz Agpaoa and Cal Joyner will fill in behind Goodman until a new regional forester is named this spring.
Goodman took over as regional forester in January 2003. She has overseen national forests in the region as they endured severe wildfires, and as they carried out a push by the Bush administration to boost Northwest logging in line with the goals of the 1994 Northwest Forest Plan.
"I feel good about where our region is and where we are heading," she said in a letter to the region's 3,600 employees Tuesday. "Together we have made the region a good investment and we remain focused on the land."
Goodman and her husband, Mark Engdall, plan to spend more time on their sailboat after her retirement. Deputy regional foresters Liz Agpaoa and Cal Joyner will fill in behind Goodman until a new regional forester is named this spring.