The U.S. Forest Service has selected Johanna Kovarik as its new forest supervisor for the Gifford Pinchot National Forest, which stretches over 1.32-million acres in Southwest Washington.
“Johanna has a diverse array of experiences working in positions at every level of the organization,” said Pacific Northwest Regional Forester Glenn Casamassa in a news release. “She has been exemplary in her role as the deputy forest supervisor of the Gifford Pinchot National Forest. The leadership she has brought, and will continue to bring, to this forest is crucial to continuing a high level of service to the community, and to the stewardship of our public lands.”
Kovarik will begin in the role as forest supervisor on Feb. 21, relieving Interim Forest Supervisor Donna Mickley.
Kovarik’s federal career began as an interpretive guide with the Student Conservation Association in the National Park Service, the release stated. Her first permanent Forest Service job was on the Tongass National Forest, where she reportedly worked as a hydrology technician and then as an assistant geologist.
She has served as a program lead for the Forest Service’s “Minerals and Geology Management” program based in the Rocky Mountain Region; an interim National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) planner on the Nez Perce Clearwater National Forest; the Forest Service’s interim national groundwater team lead in watershed, fish, wildlife, air, rare plants in Washington, D.C.; and as a district ranger in the Ochoco National Forest’s Paulina Ranger District. She joined the Gifford Pinchot National Forest’s leadership team as the interim deputy forest supervisor in the fall of 2022.
Throughout Kovarik’s time in district and forest leadership positions, she has focused on the interdependent relationships between national forests and neighboring communities, the release said. It also stated she’s “developed and maintained working relationships with key elected officials and community stakeholders,” which the release said helped her to garner public support for complex projects while serving as a change manager for teams on the forest.
“During her tenure on the Ochoco National Forest, Kovarik tackled controversial road projects, wild horse management, and the forest’s response to COVID-19. Additionally, she led and supported efforts on high-profile fuels reduction and restoration work,” the release said.
While on the Gifford Pinchot National Forest, Kovarik has provided stability, managing through several key leadership vacancies during a time of significant transition, according to the Forest Service. She also looked after personnel and public safety by stepping in as agency administrator during several late-season fires.
“As I step into this position, I want to continue to build upon the trust, relationships and community that binds the Gifford Pinchot National Forest. From pandemics to fires, our team has thrived in the face of adversity and I could not be more excited to be staying on with them,” Kovarik said in the release.
The Gifford Pinchot National Forest, located in southwestern Washington, stretches from the western slopes of the Cascades south of Seattle to the Columbia River along the Washington-Oregon border. The forest includes the Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument, Mount Adams, a vast array of recreation facilities, several important watersheds, critical wildlife habitat and forest resources such as timber, berries, mushrooms and firewood.
