A deputy forest supervisor out of Colorado has been named the new supervisor of the Lolo National Forest, a position she'll begin at the end of March, the agency said on Friday.

Carolyn Upton, who currently serves as deputy supervisor on the Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest and the Thunder Basin National Grasslands in northwestern Colorado, has served with the agency for nearly 30 years.

“Carolyn has a wealth of experience and a strong passion for working collaboratively with community members, other agencies, tribes, and local and state government,” Leanne Marten, the regional forester, said in a statement. “Her outstanding resource conservation background will be a wonderful addition to the Lolo National Forest and Northern Region.”

Upton signed on with the agency 29 years ago and began her career as a cooperative education student while studying at Colorado State University. She has worked on several national forests and grasslands in the decades since.

Before landing in Colorado, she served as district ranger on the Walker Ranger District on the Chippewa National Forest in Minnesota. For the last 20 years, she spent much of her time serving as the ecosystem staff officer on the Idaho Panhandle National Forest.

“Local relationships are extremely important to me and building and fostering those relationships is a core principle of how I see successful work developed and implemented,” she said. “Local relationships provide the foundation and forum for effective partnerships, to share expectations and to support communities.”

More From Missoula Current