By Amy Mayer
Agri-Pulse
The U.S. Department of Agriculture has appointed Randy Moore, a regional forester in California, as the new chief of the U.S. Forest Service.
Moore, who has served in that capacity for the Pacific Southwest in California since 2007, will become the 20th agency head and the first African American in the role, when he takes over from retiring chief Vicki Christiansen.
“Randy Moore has been a catalyst for change and creativity in carrying out the Forest Service’s mission to sustain the health, diversity and productivity of the nation's forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations,” Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack said in a statement.