A new Forest Supervisor has started for national forest system lands in Wyoming and Colorado and will work from the office in Laramie.

Dennis Jaeger a veteran of both the U.S. Forest Service and U.S. Army, is the new Forest Supervisor for the Medicine Bow-Routt National Forests and Thunder Basin National Grassland (MBRTB). The Forest Supervisor's Office is in the same location as the Laramie Ranger District Office located at 2468 Jackson Street in Laramie.

Jaeger was selected for the post earlier this summer by Rocky Mountain Regional Forester Dan Jirón and his first day on the job was Monday, Aug. 11.

No stranger to the area or current issues affecting the Rocky Mountain Region, Jaeger comes to the MBRTB from the Black Hills National Forest where he served as Deputy Forest Supervisor for the past seven years.

He served seven years active duty in the U.S. Army and retired from the South Dakota Army National Guard in 2010 as a Lieutenant Colonel.

“Our public lands are an amazing gift that belong to the American people,” said Jaeger. “As employees of the U.S. Forest Service, we are the current stewards of those lands, which I consider an awesome responsibility and duty.”

Jaeger is the fourth MBRTB Forest Supervisor since the units were administratively combined in the mid-90s, and replaces Phil Cruz who retired in May of this year.

The Forest Service career of Jaeger began in 1990 when he became a civil engineer on the Rio Grande National Forest in Monte Vista, Colo. He then worked as the Douglas Ranger District Engineer on the MBRTB out of Douglas, Wyo.

Jaeger also worked as the Works Program Officer for the Angell Job Corps in Yachats, Ore., and the Center Director of the Boxelder Job Corps Center in Nemo, S.D.

A graduate of St. Mary’s High School in Bismarck, N.D., Jaeger earned a Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering from the U.S. Military Academy, West Point, N.Y., in 1982.

Jaeger and his wife Carole have three children. His hobbies include skiing, hiking, and mountain biking.

The MBRTB is comprised of nearly 2.9 million acres of National Forest System lands in Colorado and Wyoming, has six Ranger Districts, almost 200 permanent employees, and over 100 temporary employees.

Geographically, the Medicine Bow-Routt National Forests extend from north central Colorado to central Wyoming, and the Thunder Basin National Grassland is located in northeastern Wyoming in the Powder River Basin.

The MBRTB is managed for multiple uses and public enjoyment. Its’ units provide a diverse mix of wildlife habitat, timber, livestock forage, vast mineral resources, and a vital source of water for irrigation and domestic use. Additionally, they offer diverse, year-round outdoor recreation opportunities.

Additional information on the MBRTB may be found at http://fs.usda.gov/mbr.

 

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