WASHINGTON, D.C. — The National Wildlife Federation applauded the decision by Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack to name Randy Moore as the next chief of the U.S. Forest Service. Moore, who currently serves as the Regional Forester for the Pacific Southwest, will be the first African American to hold the top post at the Forest Service. 

“Randy Moore has demonstrated strong leadership in stewarding our nation’s forests and grasslands at time when they are under threat from climate change, megafires, invasive species, and drought,” said Mustafa Santiago Ali, vice president of environmental justice, climate, and community revitalization at the National Wildlife Federation. “Our forests are essential to the health and well-being of our nation. They help to filter clean water, absorb carbon to fight climate change, and provide critical wildlife habitat. Moore will incorporate the voices and ideas of those who have historically been unheard and unseen in the decision-making process, while making sure that our forests are conserved and restored for the benefit of wildlife and humans alike for generations to come.”