{{Short description|American soil scientist and forester}} {{Use mdy dates|date=February 2025}} {{Infobox officeholder | name = Randy Moore | image = Randy Moore, Forest Service Chief.jpg | caption = | office = 20th [[Chief of the United States Forest Service]] | president = [[Joe Biden]]<br>[[Donald Trump]] | term_start = 26 July 2021 | term_end = 3 March 2025 | predecessor = [[Vicki Christiansen]] | successor = [[Tom Schultz (official)|Tom Schultz]] | birth_date = | birth_place = | death_date = | death_place = | education = [[Southern University]] ([[Bachelor of Science|BS]]) | party = }}
'''Randy Moore''' is an American [[Soil science|soil scientist]] and [[forester]] who had served as the 20th [[chief of the United States Forest Service]]. He was appointed by Secretary [[Tom Vilsack]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Testimony of Randy Moore, Chief, U.S. Forest Service, before the House Committee on Agriculture |url=https://www.congress.gov/118/meeting/house/115942/witnesses/HHRG-118-AG15-Bio-MooreR-20230516.pdf |publisher=U.S. House of Representatives |date=May 16, 2023 |access-date=April 28, 2025}}</ref>
== Education == Moore earned a Bachelor of Science degree in plant and [[soil science]] from [[Southern University]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Randy Moore |url=https://foresthistory.org/research-explore/us-forest-service-history/people/chiefs/randy-moore/ |access-date=2023-01-29 |website=Forest History Society |language=en-US}}</ref>
== Career == Moore began his career 1978 with the [[Natural Resources Conservation Service]] in [[North Dakota]].<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Harlan |first=Will |date=2021-07-30 |title=The First Black U.S. Forest Service Chief |url=https://www.blueridgeoutdoors.com/magazine/august-2021/the-first-black-u-s-forest-service-chief/ |access-date=2023-01-29 |magazine=Blue Ridge Outdoors Magazine |language=en-US}}</ref> He eventually joined the [[United States Forest Service]] in 1981. He has held various positions in the agency, including regional forester for the Eastern Region in [[Wisconsin]] and forest supervisor for [[Mark Twain National Forest]] in [[Missouri]]. Moore served as the Pacific Southwestern regional forester, managing 18 national forests in [[California]] spanning 20 million acres, as well as state and private forestry programs in [[Hawaii]] and the Pacific Islands.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2016-02-01 |title=Leadership Biographies |url=https://www.fs.usda.gov/about-agency/newsroom/leadership-biographies |access-date=2023-01-29 |publisher=US Forest Service |language=en}}</ref>
Moore has been an advocate for utilizing vegetation treatment methods to reduce the risk of [[wildfire]], rather than relying solely on [[logging]]. He believes that this approach can effectively decrease wildfire risk while preserving the natural beauty and ecological integrity of the forest. In addition to his advocacy of vegetation treatment, Moore has also focused on improving the pay and working conditions for firefighters, as well as increasing capacity and resources through partnerships with other agencies and organizations.<ref>{{cite web |title=Forest Service Chief Randy Moore Says Increased Payments for Firefighters Has Been Achieved |url=https://mybighornbasin.com/forest-service-chief-randy-moore-says-increased-payments-for-firefighters-has-been-achieved/ |publisher=Big Horn Basin Media |date=June 22, 2022 |access-date=April 28, 2025}}</ref> He announced his retirement in February 2025, effective March 3.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Mellen |first=Ruby |date=February 26, 2025 |title='You are not alone': U.S. Forest Service chief's blunt goodbye message to workers |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2025/02/26/forest-service-firings-doge/ |newspaper=Washington Post}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title=Forest Service chief to retire amid restructuring |url=https://www.politico.com/news/2025/02/26/forest-service-chief-retire-00206204 |publisher=Politico |date=February 26, 2025 |access-date=April 28, 2025}}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Kreps |first=Daniel |date=February 26, 2025 |title=U.S. Forest Service Chief Retires Amid Layoffs, Tells Workers: 'You Are Not Alone' |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/us-forest-service-chief-retires-doge-layoffs-letter-1235281480/ |magazine=Rolling Stone}}</ref>
In March 2024, Moore published a public message reflecting on his service and leadership challenges during his tenure as Chief of the U.S. Forest Service.{{Cite web |title=A Note of Reflection from Chief Randy Moore |url=https://www.fs.usda.gov/inside-fs/leadership/note-reflection |publisher=U.S. Forest Service |date=March 1, 2024 |access-date=April 28, 2025}}
== See also == * [[History of the United States Forest Service#List of Forest Service chiefs|List of United States Forest Service Chiefs]]
== References == {{reflist}}
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{{s-start}} {{s-off|us }} {{Succession box | title = Chief of the [[United States Forest Service]] | before = [[Vicki Christiansen]] | years = 2021–2025 | after = [[Tom Schultz (forester)|Tom Schultz]] }} {{s-end}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Moore, Randy}} [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:United States Forest Service officials]] [[Category:United States Department of Agriculture officials]] [[Category:Southern University alumni]] [[Category:Southern University at New Orleans alumni]] [[Category:American soil scientists]] [[Category:Year of birth missing (living people)]]