Meeting with the USFS Forest Service Chief: Perspectives on Partnership
from the Fall/Winter 2025 issue of Ground Truth
Diablo Trust representatives met with the USFS and other core partners stewarding the wild and working lands of Northern Arizona.
This fall, as U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Schultz was in town for the 2025 Public Lands Council Annual Meeting in Flagstaff, we were honored to be invited to host a meeting with him to discuss partnerships in range in northern Arizona. In addition to Chief Schultz, the conversation included Regional Forester Michiko Martin and her staff, Coconino and Kaibab National Forest Supervisors Aaron Mayville and Nicole Branton, and their range managers, Amber Dorsch and Iric Burden. We also invited many of our local core partners in range to join the Forest Service, including Babbitt Ranches, the University of Arizona Cooperative Extension, and the Arizona Association of Conservation Districts.
For decades our work has been grounded in partnership - rolling up our sleeves with the Forest Service and others to care for shared landscapes. Over the years, that’s looked like coordinated research and monitoring through our Ranchland Lab, collaborative grazing and restoration planning, projects on the land for wildlife habitat improvement, and building trusted relationships that enable long-term stewardship.
Chief Schultz recognized the value of collaboration based on his experience with similar collaboratives in Idaho. He spoke about how groups like Diablo Trust and our partners in the room are essential to land management in the West for problem-solving complex land management challenges and catalyzing new efforts. He made it clear that he sees and values partnership as central to the Forest Service’s work moving forward.
Our conversation also looked ahead. We discussed ways to strengthen our partnerships, including expanding cross-boundary coordination, increasing targeted grazing to meet fuels and forest health objectives, and advancing grassland restoration that supports both ecological and economic resilience. We also talked about the importance of investing in the next generation of land stewards, ensuring they have opportunities to carry this work forward. Seeking creative funding solutions is critical to carrying out this work and managing for a “land of many values”.
There was also time for honest discussion about how we can continue improving how we partner: how to improve processes, leverage shared capacity, and support the staff who make collaborative stewardship a reality. We talked about finding more efficient ways to work together, empowering partners with the right expertise and resources, and viewing grazing as an important management tool. We also highlighted the need for continuity of staff presence and investing in early-career staff to sustain strong, lasting partnerships. Given the uncertain conditions ahead, we emphasized the importance of innovative, flexible, and adaptive approaches to management.
We are grateful to Chief Schultz, Forest Service leadership and staff, and our partners who joined us for this meaningful conversation. This meeting felt like a gathering of people who care deeply about the same places. That shared sense of purpose is at the heart of Diablo Trust’s work, and it’s what has made these partnerships strong for decades. We look forward to continuing this legacy of collaboration and shared stewardship with the Forest Service and our partners in coming years.
by Jessica Archibald
