(Washington, D.C., August 21, 2017) –
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue
today announced Tony Tooke will serve as the new Chief of the U.S.
Forest Service. Tooke has worked for the Forest Service since age 18 and
currently is the Regional Forester for the Southern
Region. Following the announcement, Secretary Perdue issued this
statement:
“The Forest Service will
be in good hands with the U.S. Forest Service’s own Tony Tooke whose
knowledge of forestry is unmatched. Tony will oversee efforts
to get our forests working again, to make them more productive, and to
create more jobs. His focus will be on ensuring we are good neighbors
and are managing our forests effectively, efficiently, and responsibly,
as well as working with states and local governments
to ensure the utmost collaboration. No doubt, the stewardship of our
forests is an awesome and sacred responsibility, and no one knows that
better than Tony who has dedicated his career to this noble cause,” said
Secretary Perdue.
Tony Tooke Biography:
Tony Tooke is the
Regional Forester for the Southern Region of the USDA Forest Service.
Tooke has worked for the Forest Service since age 18, including
many assignments in Region 8 and the Washington Office (WO).
He is responsible for
3,100 employees, an annual budget exceeding $400 million, 14 national
forests, and two managed areas, which encompass more than 13.3
million acres in 13 states and Puerto Rico.
His previous position in
Washington, DC was Associate Deputy Chief for the National Forest
System; with oversight of Lands and Realty, Minerals and Geology,
Ecosystem Management Coordination, Wilderness and Wild and Scenic
Rivers, the National Partnership Office, and Business Administration and
Support Services.
As Associate Deputy
Chief, Tooke was the Forest Service Executive Lead for Environmental
Justice; Farm Bill implementation; and implementation of the Inventory,
Monitoring, and Assessment Improvement Strategy. Another priority
included implementation of a new planning rule for the National Forest
System.
Also in the WO, Tooke
served as Director for Ecosystem Management Coordination, Deputy
Director for Economic Recovery, and Assistant Director for Forest
Management.
Prior to 2006, Tooke
served as Deputy Forest Supervisor for the National Forests in Florida
as well as District Ranger assignments at the Talladega NF
in Alabama, the Oconee NF in Georgia, and the DeSoto NF in Mississippi.
His other field assignments were Timber Management Assistant, Other
Resource Assistant, Silviculturist, and Forester on six Ranger Districts
in Mississippi and Kentucky.
Tooke grew up on a small
200-acre farm in Detroit, AL. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Forestry
from Mississippi State University. He was in the Forest
Service’s inaugural class of the Senior Leadership Program, and he has
completed the Senior Executive Service Candidate Development Program.
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