The Elliott State Forest near Coos Bay, managed by the Oregon Department of State Lands, is the largest research forest in the U.S. (Oregon State University)
A lawyer, scientist and former manager at the Portland Bureau of Environmental Services will become the new director of the Department of State Lands.
Kaitlin Lovell of Colton, Oregon, begins her four-year term as the agency’s leader in early August. She’ll be in charge of managing more than 130 staff in Bend and Salem, a budget of more than $116 million, and roughly 680,000 acres of state-owned land. The Oregon State Land Board, which includes Gov. Tina Kotek, Secretary of State Tobias Read and State Treasurer Elizabeth Steiner, unanimously appointed Lovell on July 9.
“Kaitlin is a proven leader who understands how much healthy lands and waters contribute to a thriving Oregon,” Kotek said in a news release following the appointment. “Her long commitment to public service makes her well prepared to lead DSL at a time when stewardship and long-term sustainability must guide our work.”…