Although my career has taken me to wonderful locations across the country, my heart belongs to the Southwest.
“Heather’s experience and skills in natural resource management, as well as her commitment to relationships and collaboration, make her the perfect fit for this position. She will be leading strategic initiatives for the Southwestern Region such as the Infrastructure Bill planning and implementation, workforce assessment needs and regional strategic planning,” says Southwestern Region Acting Regional Forester Kerwin Dewberry.
Provencio joined the Kaibab in October 2015. She has since worked to improve forest health and restore fire-adapted ecosystems through efforts such as the Bill Williams Mountain Project, Four Forest Restoration Initiative (4FRI), and reintroducing fire on a landscape scale.
Her first job with the Forest Service was in 1985 as a firefighter on the Chevelon Ranger District of the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forests, and she has since served in many leadership roles throughout the agency, including as ranger on the Red Rock Ranger District of the Coconino National Forest from 2006 to 2013. She then served as the Deputy Forest Supervisor on the White River National Forest in Colorado until 2015.
“Although my career has taken me to wonderful locations across the country, my heart belongs to the Southwest. I am thrilled that my next adventure allows me to continue serving the communities of Region 3,” said Provencio. “At the same time, it is with a heavy heart that I move on from the Kaibab. It has been my pleasure and honor to work with so many forest staff and partners who share my passion for public lands and managing this special landscape. Although I will miss the forest, I feel comforted knowing I’m leaving it in good hands.”
“We are very happy for Heather,” said Kaibab National Forest Public Affairs Officer and spokesperson for Provencio’s former employees, Brienne Pettit. “She deserves this wonderful opportunity.”
A permanent forest supervisor is expected to join the Kaibab in early 2022. In the interim, Diane Taliaferro will serve as acting forest supervisor. Taliaferro comes to Northern Arizona from the White Mountain National Forest in New Hampshire, where she is the deputy forest supervisor. Taliaferro is no stranger to the Southwestern Region and Kaibab National Forest. She spent 10 years in the region, working on the Santa Fe and Gila National Forests as well as at the Southwestern Regional Office, during which time she frequented Northern Arizona for both work and pleasure. QCBN
By QCBN Staff