Kimpton Cooper has been named the new forest supervisor for the National Forests and Grasslands in Texas by the U.S. Forest Service. Cooper has a bachelor’s in Forest Management from ۿ۴ýUniversity and master’s in environmental management from Yale University.
Prior to be named Forest Supervisor, Cooper served as the district ranger on the Angelina and Sabine national forests, a position he has held since 2014. In his new role he will be responsible for the management of more than 675,000 acres of public land in Texas.
“We’re excited to have Kimpton as the Forest Supervisor,’’ said regional forester Ken Arney. ‘‘Kimpton has a wide range of leadership experiences within the Southern Region and the nation that will be a great asset for the National Forests and Grasslands in Texas. He also has a great deal of experience working with communities and partners, which is so important in managing forests and grasslands.”
Forest Service land in Texas is divided into four forests in East Texas — the Angelina National Forest, Davy Crockett National Forest, Sabine National Forest and Sam Houston National Forest; and the Caddo-Lyndon B. Johnson National Grasslands in northeast Texas.
“I am honored to have been selected and I’m excited about the opportunity to serve in this new capacity,” Cooper said. “This is a dynamic forest with great employees and strong partnerships. I look forward to engaging with our partners and communities as we build on past successes and explore new opportunities together.”
Previously, Cooper served in different roles in the Forest Service in the Pacific Northwest, including NEPA coordinator on the Walla Walla Ranger District in the Umatilla National Forest, located in southeastern Washington and northeast Oregon.
The National Forests and Grasslands in Texas are part of the Southern Region of the U.S. Forest Service. The region encompasses 13 states and Puerto Rico. Known as Region 8 within the Forest Service, the Southern Region consists of 14 national forest units and two special units.