Payson Roundup

Forest Supervisor Earl Stewart

Flagstaff — A new forest supervisor for the Coconino National Forest

arrived last week, replacing Nora Rasure, who left the Coconino in July to

become the deputy director of recreation, heritage, and volunteer resources

in Washington D.C.

Forest Supervisor Earl Stewart, previously the deputy forest

supervisor of Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest in Montana, arrived

March 1 and has been with the Forest Service for 19 years.

“I’m very excited to be here and look forward to working with

everyone on the Coconino and the stakeholders who partner with us,” said

Stewart. “I’ve heard great things about Arizona, the Coconino National

Forest and this region.”

Stewart graduated from Oklahoma State University in 1985 with a

Bachelor of Science degree in Wildlife Ecology and went on to work with

Oklahoma’s Department of Wildlife Conservation as a biologist.

He joined the Forest Service in 1991 and has had the opportunity to

serve in a variety of positions on five national forests in three different

regions before coming to the Coconino.

His early assignments and titles include:

- Ouachita National Forest; wildlife biologist; 1991-1994

- Kasatchie National Forest; wildlife biologist, zone fire

management officer, military liaison, fish biologist; 1994-1998

- National Forests in Alabama; threatened, endangered and

sensitive species program manager, range program manager, forest wildlife

biologist; 1998-1999

- Talladega National Forest; deputy district ranger, district

ranger; 1999-2005

- House of Representatives and Washington Office; legislative

fellow for Interior Appropriations; 2005-2007

- Nez Perce National Forest; deputy forest supervisor; 2007

Stewart recently completed his two-year assignment in Montana and is

now stationed in Flagstaff. He has three sons who live out of state.