Press Statement on the Appointments of Kristin Sleeper and Tom Schultz to the USDA Natural Resources & Environment Staff: January 24, 2025:
Earlier today, President Donald Trump announced the appointments of Kristin Sleeper to be Deputy Under Secretary of Agriculture for Natural Resources and Tom Schultz to be Chief of Staff in the USDA Natural Resources and Environment Office. FFRC Executive Director Bill Imbergamo issued the following statement:
“The Administration has knocked it out of the park with these selections. Kristin has a wealth of experience at both the state and Federal level. Her experience on the Senate Energy & Natural Resources Committee gives her a valuable perspective on the need for reform at the Forest Service. She’s helped manage State and Federal lands and has a firm grasp of the forest policy landscape. She will be a valuable and effective advocate for forest management reforms.
Tom has an impeccable resume that includes senior management positions in both state natural resources agencies and in the private sector. He also served as FFRC President from 2022 to 2023. He is currently Vice President of Resources at Idaho Forest Group, a lumber manufacturer with operations in Idaho and Mississippi. A former officer in the Air Force, Tom served as the director of the Idaho Department of Lands and secretary to the State Board of Land Commissioners, where he oversaw the management of over 2.4 million acres of State trust lands. He spent fourteen years with the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC) where he served as the administrator of the DNRC Trust Lands Division and Water Resources Division.
“Tom’s management expertise in both the public and private sector is unmatched. Tom is always thinking strategically about current challenges and those over the horizon. We look forward to working with the NRE team to reform and restructure the Forest Service.”
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For more information, contact Bill Imbergamo, Executive Director, at 703-629-6877 or bill@fedforest.org
About the FFRC: FFRC is a national coalition of wood products companies, local governments, conservation groups united by concern for the National Forests. FFRC supports improving the management of the federal lands to support healthy forests and vibrant rural communities.
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