Traci Zimmerlee Joins the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest as Deputy Forest Supervisor
By Garrett Christensen on Monday, October 14th, 2024 in More Top Stories Northeastern Oregon News
BAKER CITY – (Release from the U.S. Forest Service) The Wallowa-Whitman National Forest is excited to welcome Traci Zimmerlee as the new Deputy Forest Supervisor.
Zimmerlee brings a wealth of experience and passion for the outdoors. She is eager to work alongside Forest Supervisor, Shaun McKinney, to manage the forest’s diverse programs and engage with local communities, partners, and stakeholders.
Zimmerlee, who enjoys hiking, fly-fishing, and big-game hunting with her husband and two dogs, is committed to serving the natural resources around her. “Being able to have even the smallest positive impacts on the ecosystem and the habitat for wildlife is huge to me. That’s why I do what I do,” she said.
Born in rural eastern Wyoming, she spent her childhood on a family ranch, where she developed a love for the outdoors. In college, Zimmerlee explored various academic paths, including voice, education, and communications. She had a personal experience with wildfire when she was forced to evacuation from the guest ranch where she worked in Jackson, Wyo. This pivotal moment would go on to redirect her career aspirations to one in fire management and public communication.
Zimmerlee recalls, “I was unsatisfied with my major, so I took an aptitude test and scored off the chart to be a forest ranger,” though it took years for her to pursue that path. She began her public information career as a writer and went on to work for Texas A&M Forest Service, where she worked as the lead PIO on the Lonestar State Incident Management team on all-hazard incidents such as wildfire, hurricanes, Shuttle recovery and ice storms.
Her career has since included roles as a regional fire communication and education specialist for the National Park Service at Grand Teton National Park, and as public affairs officer at Yellowstone National Park. She served as a PIO for both type 1 incident management and area command teams, as well as on the NPS Honor Guard. Zimmerlee’s journey also took her to Portland to the Forest Service Regional Office, where she faced the challenges of serving as the wildfire public affairs officer for the Forest Service Region 6 and Bureau of Land Management Oregon/Washington State Office.
She returned to Wyoming as a District Ranger on the Bighorn National Forest and then serving as the Lowman District Ranger on the Boise National Forest and chair of the Region 4 Ranger Council. During her time as a ranger, Traci focused not only on leading her team, but also fostering relationships with partners and the community, as well as tackling challenging projects. Traci comes to the Wallowa-Whitman with passion for her work, to serve the American people, and steward public lands for current and future generations.
The Wallowa-Whitman National Forest is thrilled to have Traci Zimmerlee on board and looks forward to her contributions in preserving and enhancing our cherished natural resources.
