Mark Ruggiero, Southeast Region’s emergency services coordinator, will soon be leaving the NPS for the US Forest Service in Southeast Arizona.

Effective August 13th, Mark will assume his new duties as the Sierra Vista District Ranger on the Coronado National Forest. The Sierra Vista District, which is located in Sierra Vista, Arizona, includes the Huachuca Mountains and is on the border and adjacent to Coronado National Monument. It is a complex area, with many things going on, such as border issues, recreation, wildlife and mining. It also has a large fire program.

The federal agencies in the area – BLM, FWS, NPS and the USFS – practice what is called “Service First," whereby agencies share personnel, resources and equipment to accomplish mission objectives. Located along the border, all agencies work closely with DHS and Customs Border Patrol on ongoing border issues and with the US Army at Fort Huachuca.

Mark was acting superintendent for the Southeast Arizona Group in this area last year. The group includes Chiricahua NM, Fort Bowie NHS, and Coronado NM.

Mark has been in the Southeast for 12 years, working for both the FWS and the NPS for the last seven years.

"I will miss all of the NPS family very much,” he says, “and all my friends and colleagues in  the Southeast that I have worked with over the years. It has been a fantastic experience. The good thing is I will still have very close ties and relationships with the NPS in the Intermountain Region and the Southeast Arizona parks in my new position"

Mark is still a Type One incident commander and an area commander trainee and will still be involved in fire and emergency operations.

Mark may be contacted there after August 13th by phone at 520-803-2805, by mail at 5990 S. Hwy 92, Hereford AZ, 85615, and by email at mark.ruggiero@fs.fed.us.