Sara Mayben announced as acting Helena- Lewis and Clark National Forest supervisor

GREAT FALLS -Sara Mayben will serve as acting forest supervisor for the Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest while Bill Avey, the current forest supervisor, temporarily serves as the national fire and aviation director of the USDA Forest Service. The transition took place June 1.

"There are inherent dynamic tensions in how we manage the Forest for visitors, resources, and fires and I am confident in Sara's ability to find balance," said Forest Supervisor Bill Avey. "Sara is already a strong leader on the Forest and has the rapport with employees and partners to continue caring for the land and people here. Jeff Shinn will serve as acting deputy Forest Supervisor during this time and brings with him strong leadership and fire leadership qualifications."

Mayben has served as the deputy forest supervisor for the Forest since January 2017. Prior to that she led as a district ranger in Fairplay, Colorado and a renewable resource staff officer in Pueblo, Colorado for the Pike San Isabel National Forest.

Shinn, currently district ranger on the Salmon River Ranger District of the Nez Perce – Clearwater National Forest, will fill in behind Mayben as the acting deputy forest supervisor. Shinn has served as the ranger since 2013, prior to that he served on the Payette, Beaverhead-Deerlodge and Malheur National Forests.

The Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest stretches over 2.8-million acres through central and north-central Montana. The Forest is comprised of island mountain ranges bisected by the Continental Divide and Missouri River and includes 6 ranger districts: Lincoln, Helena, Townsend, Judith - Musselshell, Rocky Mountain, and Belt Creek - White Sulphur Springs and 2 Forest Supervisor's offices located in Helena and Great Falls to oversee forest management across 17 counties.

Visit: https://www.fs.usda.gov/hlcnf/ to learn more about the Forest and follow us on Facebook @HLCNF and Twitter @LewisandClarkNF.