Following a successful national search, Matthew McCombs will take leadership of the Colorado State Forest Service and become Colorado’s new state forester on Jan. 3, 2022.

“The people of Colorado and the millions of Americans who depend on Colorado’s forests deserve leadership and action equivalent to both the splendor of our natural heritage but also as importantly the historic challenges facing our forests,” said McCombs. “I am deeply humbled and honored to carry forward the proud legacy of the Colorado State Forest Service as Colorado’s next state forester.”

McCombs takes the lead of the agency following his time as the U.S. Forest Service district ranger for the 1.3-million-acre Gunnison Ranger District, part of the Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests. Prior to that role, McCombs served as the district ranger for the Appalachian Ranger District — home to Mount Mitchell, which is the tallest peak in the East, located in the Pisgah National Forest near Asheville, North Carolina.

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