FORT COLLINS – Monte Williams has been selected as the new Forest Supervisor for the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests and Pawnee National Grassland headquartered in Fort Collins, Colo.  Williams will begin his new position on Oct. 5, 2015. He replaces Glenn Casamassa who is now an Associate Deputy Chief in U.S. Forest Service National Headquarters in Washington D.C.

Williams most recently served as a Legislative Affairs Specialist in Washington, D.C., where he worked with Congress on issues critical to the Forest Service mission. While in Washington D.C., Williams detailed as the Chief of Staff for Arthur ‘Butch’ Blazer, USDA Deputy Under Secretary Natural Resources and Environment and as Forest Supervisor of the Sawtooth National Forest in Idaho.

Prior to his time in Washington, Williams was the District Ranger of the Ocoee Ranger District on the Cherokee National Forest in Tennessee. The district was the site of the 1996 Olympic Kayak Competition and is home to one of the busiest whitewater rivers in the nation.

William’s career started on the Ashley National Forest in Utah working seasonally in recreation. He later worked on the Boise National Forest in Idaho in timber management and silviculture and was later employed full-time as the district hydrologist of the Idaho City Ranger District. Williams also worked as zone hydrologist on the Idaho Panhandle National Forest and later as the forest hydrologist on the Black Hills National Forest in South Dakota.

“Monte brings a breadth of experience to this position. His diverse career and passion for multi-use land management makes him a great fit to work collaboratively with local communities ,“ said Rocky Mountain Regional Forester Dan Jirón.

Williams spent the early part of his life in southern Colorado and Wyoming and earned a degree in Watershed Management from Utah State University.

His favorite pastimes include woodworking, hiking and camping. Williams and his wife Carol Beth can usually be found hiking their favorite trails on the weekends.