SFNF Welcomes Acting Forest Supervisor

By SFNF

The Santa Fe National Forest (SFNF) welcomes Erin Swiader as Acting Forest Supervisor behind former Forest Supervisor James Melonas, who left the SFNF in November to become Forest Supervisor for the National Forests of North Carolina.

Swiader comes to the SFNF from the Northern Region where she is Chief of Staff. Headquartered in Missoula, MT, the Northern Region manages nine national forests and the Dakota Prairie Grasslands across five states.

As Acting Forest Supervisor, Swiader will oversee the management, protection and productivity of the 1.6 million acres of the SFNF. “I look forward to working with our staff as well as our many partners and communities to continue the shared stewardship strategy that has made the Santa Fe National Forest so critically important to the economic, social and cultural wellbeing of Northern New Mexico,” Swiader said. “While we are here, my family and I are looking forward to experiencing all the wonderful things that New Mexico and the Santa Fe National Forest have to offer.”

Prior to becoming Chief of Staff, Swiader served as Deputy Director of Renewable Resources Management for the Northern Region and led the Forest Plan Revision Team on the Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest. Before she joined the Forest Service, Swiader managed natural, marine and cultural resources programs as a civilian employee at the U.S. Navy’s Naval Facilities Engineering Command Atlantic in Norfolk, VA.

She also served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Cameroon, Central Africa, where she taught secondary school. Swiader holds a Bachelor of Science in wildlife science from Virginia Tech and a Master of Public Administration from Old Dominion University.

The SFNF will have an Acting Forest Supervisor until a permanent Forest Supervisor is selected.

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