News Release
NPS
News Release Date: May 1, 2020
Contact: Peter Christian
Eric Veach, Superintendent of Kenai Fjords National Park, has recently accepted a position with the U.S. Forest Service as the Forest Supervisor of the Gifford Pinchot National Forest in Washington state.
Eric has served as the Superintendent of Kenai Fjords National Park since 2016. Prior to this he held several leadership positions within the Alaska Region of the National Park Service, including 16 years at Wrangell-St. Elias National Park, where he was Chief of Natural and Cultural Resources.
His accomplishments include the complete renovation of the Seward Visitor Center, management of Federal Subsistence fisheries on the Copper River, and the management of the nation’s largest wilderness area.
Eric has worked diligently with landowners within parks to provide access to private lands and to authorize mining operations where such activities are allowed under the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act. Eric also worked internationally with the Yukon government and First Nation governments in Canada to develop an international management plan for the Chisana caribou herd and to manage wildland fire along the border between eastern Alaska and the Yukon Territory.
Earlier in his career, Eric worked as a fisheries biologist on the Payette, Siuslaw and Tongass National Forests. His new assignment with the Gifford Pinchot National Forest is located in southwest Washington, and encompasses 1,368,300 acres of forests, mountains, river valleys, waterfalls, wildernesses, and volcanoes. The forest is divided into the Cowlitz Valley Ranger District, the Mount Adams Ranger District, and the Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument.
“I look forward to returning to the U. S. Forest Service and taking on new challenges in the state of Washington, but I will miss working in Alaska and with all of the communities that live in and near our vast national park lands,” Veach said.
“Eric’s leadership skills and deep experience with Alaska issues will be missed, and we wish him well in his new position with the Forest Service,” said Don Striker, acting Regional Director for the National Park Service in Alaska.
Eric will continue to serve as the Superintendent of Kenai Fjords National Park until May 22, 2020. After a selection is made to fill the position an announcement will be made.
Last updated: May 1, 2020