Sonora, CA…LaPlante and Forest Supervisor Jason Kuiken will discuss Mi-Wok and Summit ranger district operations May 15, beginning at 5 p.m. at the Mi-Wok Ranger District office conference room. Residents are invited to meet LaPlante, who recently became the ranger for both 108 corridor districts, to discuss issues impacting their communities. The Mi-Wok Ranger District Office is located at 24695 Highway 108, Mi-Wuk Village, CA.

“We decided to have one ranger supervising both districts on Highway 108 and residents may have some questions about how services will be managed,” Kuiken said. “This is a chance to come ask questions of me, as well as of the districts’ ranger and her staff.”

LaPlante has worked for the U.S. Forest Service for more than 10 years, most recently as deputy district ranger for the High Sierra Ranger District on the Sierra National Forest. She worked with the National Roundtables for Sustainable Forests in Washington D.C., and spent five years managing recreation, wilderness, and special uses in her home state of New Hampshire. Since 2014 she worked on the Sierra National Forest, where in addition to providing district leadership, she was the primary Forest Service representative with the Dinkey Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Project. The group consists of stakeholders representing diverse public, private, local and state government, and tribal interests, and has had great success finding common ground to plan forest restoration projects.

“Collaborative groups like Dinkey are vital to our forest’s success,” Kuiken said. “Her experience in groups like this will help us plan and complete restoration work together with our partners.” LaPlante also brings multiple years of experience working in a forest heavily impacted by tree mortality. “We’re excited that she arrived ready to hit the ground running.”

###

USDA is an equal opportunity provider, employer and lender.