The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
Armentrout heads to Oregon
The Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison (GMUG) National Forests’ forest supervisor Scott Armentrout has accepted a position with the Department of Energy in Portland, Oregon, and his last day of work was October 22.
Armentrout assumed duties as the GMUG forest supervisor in the fall of 2012 and was with the Forest Service for 31 years. He spent extensive time in leadership positions including time as a district ranger for the Medicine Bow–Routt National Forest and Thunder Basin National Grassland, the assistant National Wildlife Program manager for the Forest Service in Washington D.C., and the forest supervisor for the Sierra National Forest.
“I will really miss working here and am grateful to all of communities for working together to solve some significant challenges,” said Armentrout. “People here work together to find mutually agreeable solutions and that’s what made my work gratifying. I feel privileged to have worked for the residents of the Western Slope and I know the spirit of working together will help to solve any future challenges.”
During the process of finding a replacement for Armentrout’s position, deputy forest supervisor Chad Stewart will be the acting forest supervisor for the GMUG for 120 days. He joined the GMUG in June 2018 and is thoroughly familiar with the issues and management of the forest.
In a press release, Kimberlee Phillips, public affairs officer for the GMUG, wrote, “His knowledge and experience will provide the forest, its partners and surrounding communities with continuity of management, providing for a smooth transition.”
Prior to the GMUG, Stewart worked on the Medicine Bow–Routt National Forest and Thunder Basin National Grassland where he served as the Hahns Peak/Bears Ears District ranger in Steamboat Springs since 2013. He has over 20 years of experience in public land management. He holds a bachelor of science in biology from the University of Oregon, a master of science degree in forest ecology from the University of Minnesota, and an MBA from Touro University.
