Stanislaus National Forest

News Release

USDA Forest Service
Stanislaus National Forest

Maggie Dowd Named Groveland District Ranger

Sonora, CA (November 19, 2007)... Maggie Dowd, currently the Deputy Monument Manager at Mt. St. Helens National Volcanic Area on the Gifford Pinchot National Forest in Washington State will be the Groveland District Ranger on the Stanislaus National Forest (NF). She will be arriving for duty on January 6, 2008 at the Groveland Ranger District office located in Buck Meadows, approximately seven miles east of the community of Groveland.

“Maggie is well-known for her great successes in partnership development and collaboration with other agencies, local governments, and organizations. I anticipate she will be a wonderful asset in developing the partnerships we need to best achieve national goals and manage the challenging recreation and natural resource issues that are very important to our local communities,” said Tom Quinn, Stanislaus NF Supervisor.

Maggie has been working at her former position on the Gifford Pinchot National Forest since September of 2004. Over her career, Maggie has enjoyed working on eight National Forests in five Forest Service Regions, including acting District Ranger. Maggie has also worked with the Bureau of Land Management and the Soil Conservation Service.

"I am excited about working with the employees of the Groveland Ranger District and continuing former District Ranger John Swanson’s accomplishments in partnership with the local communities. I have a great desire to reacquaint myself to a landscape where I enjoyed visiting and recreating 10 years ago while working on the Humboldt- Toiyabe National Forest.”

Maggie was born and raised in New York City. Upon graduation from college she moved out west and served two years as a VISTA Volunteer (Volunteers in Service to America) in Oregon and Alaska working with underserved communities on social and economic programs. She was so challenged by those opportunities that she went on to become a Peace Corp Volunteer in Ecuador working on health issues.

It was after her return to the United States that she joined the USDA Forest Service as a seasonal employee while finishing a Master Degree in Public Health. Her seasonal experience working in timber, fire, recreation and wildlife, her love of the outdoors, interest in working with land management agency, led her to a permanent position with the Forest Service. Maggie has worked for the FS for over 20 years in a variety of positions.