Date: Thu, 10/11/2018 October 11, 2018 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Shauna Stephenson, Shauna.Stephenson@tu.org / (307) 757-7861Chris Wood, chris.wood@tu.org / (571) 274-0601 Trout Unlimited congratulates new Forest Service Chief, Vicki ChristiansenChristiansen sworn in today to head agency tasked with managing millions of acres of public lands (Oct. 11, 2018) WASHINGTON, D.C. – Trout Unlimited welcomed Vicki Christiansen as the nineteenth chief of the United States Forest Service. Christiansen took over the helm of the agency after serving as the interim chief since March. As head of the agency, she will oversee the management of 193 million acres of public lands in the form of 154 national forests and 20 national grasslands. National Forests are vitally important to America’s trout and salmon fisheries, supporting many of our last remaining populations of native trout and salmon and providing fishing opportunities for anglers across the country. “Trout Unlimited has a long history of working with the Forest Service to conserve, protect and restore our nation’s trout and salmon fisheries. This is our mission and the Forest Service is a key partner,” said Chris Wood, president and CEO of Trout Unlimited. “We congratulate Chief Christiansen and we are excited to continue our partnership under her leadership.” Joint projects between the Forest Service and Trout Unlimited have been nationally recognized for improving watershed health, earning several Forest Service "Rise to the Future" partnership awards. “Public lands represent the best idea that America ever had. All across the country, the Forest Service is becoming the best partner we work with to protect and restore native and wild trout," continued Wood. “Public lands face many challenges including climate change and balancing multiple uses. We look forward to tackling these and others with Chief Christensen. Working together we can sustain our our public lands and outdoor traditions long into the future.” # # # Trout Unlimited and its 300,000 members and supporters are dedicated to conserving, protecting and restoring North America’s trout and salmon and their watersheds. Follow TU on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and follow our blog for all the latest information on trout and salmon conservation.