Casey McQuiston

Casey McQuiston was on the road, working the North Complex fire in California, when he got a call from Shoshone National Forest Supervisor Lisa Timchak. She was making it official, offering McQuiston the job as the forest’s new North Zone district ranger.

McQuiston replaces Sue Eickhoff (a.k.a. Ranger Sue), who moved to Vernal, Utah, to become the new forest supervisor for the Ashley National Forest.

For McQuiston, the position is a dream come true after two decades in the U.S. Forest Service.

“It’s a phenomenal job and a great opportunity,” he said last week.

The move, which became official on Sunday, won’t be a dramatic change. McQuiston has been in the office for five years as the resources staff officer — managing budgets and overall programs like wildlife, timber, range, hydrology, fisheries, ecology and the non-native invasive program.

One of the biggest challenges ahead for McQuiston may be budget concerns. The forest went without several temporary positions this past season and was forced to pull back on projects and amenities, such as keeping some trailhead bathroom facilities closed.

“The budget can be a challenge. But it’s also a matter of getting a little creative with the resources you have and shuffling where you can to fill some of the gaps,” he said. “I firmly believe headaches come with any job. But they don’t compare the benefits of this phenomenal job and a great opportunity.”

Thet ranger has oversight for programs in the North Zone, which includes the the Clarks Fork, Wapiti and Greybull districts of the Shoshone. The position is the most visible for the general public.

McQuiston will guide more than a million of the 2.5 million-acre forest that runs from areas south of Dubois to the Montana border.

“We are extremely pleased that Casey [McQuiston] successfully competed for this position,” Forest Supervisor Lisa Timchak said in a Tuesday statement. “He has been a strong leader on the Shoshone National Forest for the past five years and will undoubtedly excel as District Ranger.”

McQuiston was born and raised in north central Minnesota. After graduating with a degree in biology, he began working for the service in June 2001 on the Superior National Forest in northeast Minnesota before coming to Cody in 2015. He loves northwest Wyoming, especially getting to a warmer geographic location. It was common to see minus 50 degrees F in Minnesota, he said, calling the move a huge improvement. He and his wife, Kelly, have three daughters.

McQuiston is an avid outdoor enthusiast who enjoys hunting, fishing, and hiking, especially with his family.

He called his recent work at the North Complex fire in California “behind the scenes.” He worked in the planning section of the incident management team, keeping fire statistics and planning for the operational period as the wildfire engulfed more than 280,000 acres. McQuiston said the experience gained at the huge fire will help him during fire seasons in the Shoshone.

“This year, the whole western seaboard from Canada to Mexico seemed to be affected. So there’s been a huge need for people to support the wildlands fire suppression,” he said.

Several other Shoshone National Forest employees were temporarily reassigned to assist in fire suppression efforts across the west, according to spokesperson Kristie Salzmann. She herself was assigned to fires in Colorado through the summer months.

McQuiston is happy to be back in Cody with his family and the new challenge.

“I look forward to the opportunity to work with our communities, all of our partners, and the district staff to manage the land for multiple use in such a phenomenal area and surrounded by strong communities,” he said.