Gail Kimbell
Encyclopedia
Abigail R. Kimbell was the 16th and first female Chief of the U.S. Forest Service.
. She received a bachelor's degree in forest management from the University of Vermont
in 1974 and later a master's degree in forest engineering from Oregon State University
.
She worked as a seasonal employee before beginning her federal forestry career in 1974 with the Bureau of Land Management
in Medford, Oregon
. She then joined the Forest Service as a pre-sale forester in Kodiak
, Alaska
in 1977. She next worked in Oregon as a logging
engineer and then a district planner. She served as a district ranger in Kettle Falls, Washington
for the Colville National Forest
from 1985 to 1988, and for the Wallowa–Whitman National Forest in La Grande, Oregon
, from 1988 to 1991. She also served as forest supervisor of the Tongass National Forest
in Alaska from 1992 to 1997 and the Bighorn National Forest
in Wyoming
from 1997 to 1999.
From 1999 to 2002, Kimbell was the forest supervisor for the Pike
and San Isabel
National Forests and the Comanche National Grassland
in Colorado
, as well as the Cimarron National Grassland
in Kansas
. In May 2002, Kimbell became the Associate Deputy Chief for the National Forest System lands in the Forest Service's main office in Washington, D.C. During her tenure as Associate Deputy Chief, Kimbell's leadership was instrumental in carrying out the Healthy Forests Initiative
and in the drafting of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003.
In December 2003, Kimbell was named as the Regional Forester for the Northern Region located in Missoula, Montana
. She served as Chief of the United States Forest Service
on February 5, 2007 until July 2, 2009.
Kimbell is a member of the Society of American Foresters
.
Kimbell is currently on the board of directors of Kids4Trees and is its senior advisor .
Biography
Kimbell was raised New England, where she spent her formative years hiking, fishing, and camping in the White Mountain National ForestWhite Mountain National Forest
The White Mountain National Forest is a federally-managed forest contained within the White Mountains in the northeastern United States. It was established in 1918 as a result of the Weeks Act of 1911; federal acquisition of land had already begun in 1914. It has a total area of...
. She received a bachelor's degree in forest management from the University of Vermont
University of Vermont
The University of Vermont comprises seven undergraduate schools, an honors college, a graduate college, and a college of medicine. The Honors College does not offer its own degrees; students in the Honors College concurrently enroll in one of the university's seven undergraduate colleges or...
in 1974 and later a master's degree in forest engineering from Oregon State University
Oregon State University
Oregon State University is a coeducational, public research university located in Corvallis, Oregon, United States. The university offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees and a multitude of research opportunities. There are more than 200 academic degree programs offered through the...
.
She worked as a seasonal employee before beginning her federal forestry career in 1974 with the Bureau of Land Management
Bureau of Land Management
The Bureau of Land Management is an agency within the United States Department of the Interior which administers America's public lands, totaling approximately , or one-eighth of the landmass of the country. The BLM also manages of subsurface mineral estate underlying federal, state and private...
in Medford, Oregon
Medford, Oregon
Medford is a city in Jackson County, Oregon, United States. As of the 2010 US Census, the city had a total population of 74,907 and a metropolitan area population of 207,010, making the Medford MSA the 4th largest metro area in Oregon...
. She then joined the Forest Service as a pre-sale forester in Kodiak
Kodiak, Alaska
Kodiak is one of 7 communities and the main city on Kodiak Island, Kodiak Island Borough, in the U.S. state of Alaska. All commercial transportation between the entire island and the outside world goes through this city either via ferryboat or airline...
, Alaska
Alaska
Alaska is the largest state in the United States by area. It is situated in the northwest extremity of the North American continent, with Canada to the east, the Arctic Ocean to the north, and the Pacific Ocean to the west and south, with Russia further west across the Bering Strait...
in 1977. She next worked in Oregon as a logging
Logging
Logging is the cutting, skidding, on-site processing, and loading of trees or logs onto trucks.In forestry, the term logging is sometimes used in a narrow sense concerning the logistics of moving wood from the stump to somewhere outside the forest, usually a sawmill or a lumber yard...
engineer and then a district planner. She served as a district ranger in Kettle Falls, Washington
Kettle Falls, Washington
Kettle Falls is a city in Stevens County, Washington, United States, named for the nearby Kettle Falls on the Columbia River, an ancient and important fishing site for Native Americans...
for the Colville National Forest
Colville National Forest
The Colville National Forest is a U.S. National Forest located in northeastern Washington state. It is bordered on the west by the Okanogan National Forest and the Kaniksu National Forest to the east...
from 1985 to 1988, and for the Wallowa–Whitman National Forest in La Grande, Oregon
La Grande, Oregon
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 12,327 people, 5,124 households, and 2,982 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,833.5 people per square mile . There were 5,483 housing units at an average density of 1,260.3 per square mile...
, from 1988 to 1991. She also served as forest supervisor of the Tongass National Forest
Tongass National Forest
The Tongass National Forest in southeastern Alaska is the largest national forest in the United States at 17 million acres . Most of its area is part of the temperate rain forest WWF ecoregion, itself part of the larger Pacific temperate rain forest WWF ecoregion, and is remote enough to be home...
in Alaska from 1992 to 1997 and the Bighorn National Forest
Bighorn National Forest
Bighorn National Forest is located in northern Wyoming, United States and consists of over 1.1 million acres . Created as a US Forest Reserve in 1897, it is one of the oldest government-protected forest lands in the U.S...
in Wyoming
Wyoming
Wyoming is a state in the mountain region of the Western United States. The western two thirds of the state is covered mostly with the mountain ranges and rangelands in the foothills of the Eastern Rocky Mountains, while the eastern third of the state is high elevation prairie known as the High...
from 1997 to 1999.
From 1999 to 2002, Kimbell was the forest supervisor for the Pike
Pike National Forest
The Pike National Forest is located in the Front Range of Colorado, USA, west of Colorado Springs and including Pikes Peak. The forest encompasses 1,106,604 acres within Clear Creek, Teller, Park, Jefferson, Douglas and El Paso counties. The major rivers draining the forest are the South Platte...
and San Isabel
San Isabel National Forest
San Isabel National Forest is located in central Colorado. The forest contains 19 of the state's 54 fourteeners, peaks over high, including Mount Elbert, the highest point in Colorado....
National Forests and the Comanche National Grassland
Comanche National Grassland
Comanche National Grassland is a National Grassland located in southeastern Colorado, United States. It is the sister grassland of Cimarron National Grassland and contains both prairie grasslands and canyons. It is separated into two sections, each operated by a local ranger district, one of which...
in Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
, as well as the Cimarron National Grassland
Cimarron National Grassland
Cimarron National Grassland is a National Grassland located in Morton County, Kansas, United States, with a very small part extending eastward into Stevens County. Cimarron National Grassland is located near Comanche National Grassland which is across the border in Colorado...
in Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
. In May 2002, Kimbell became the Associate Deputy Chief for the National Forest System lands in the Forest Service's main office in Washington, D.C. During her tenure as Associate Deputy Chief, Kimbell's leadership was instrumental in carrying out the Healthy Forests Initiative
Healthy Forests Initiative
The Healthy Forests Initiative , officially the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003 , is a law originally proposed by President George W. Bush in response to the widespread forest fires during the summer of 2002...
and in the drafting of the Healthy Forests Restoration Act of 2003.
In December 2003, Kimbell was named as the Regional Forester for the Northern Region located in Missoula, Montana
Missoula, Montana
Missoula is a city located in western Montana and is the county seat of Missoula County. The 2010 Census put the population of Missoula at 66,788 and the population of Missoula County at 109,299. Missoula is the principal city of the Missoula Metropolitan Area...
. She served as Chief of the United States Forest Service
United States Forest Service
The United States Forest Service is an agency of the United States Department of Agriculture that administers the nation's 155 national forests and 20 national grasslands, which encompass...
on February 5, 2007 until July 2, 2009.
Kimbell is a member of the Society of American Foresters
Society of American Foresters
The Society of American Foresters is a scientific and educational 501 non-profit organization, representing the forestry profession in the United States of America...
.
Kimbell is currently on the board of directors of Kids4Trees and is its senior advisor .