Jason Kling is the New Acting Supervisor
for the Fishlake National Forest
Sevier County, Utah; January 20, 2023 — The Fishlake National Forest is proud to announce that the Richfield District Ranger, Jason Kling, has been temporarily promoted to the position of Acting Forest Supervisor for the next four months. The announcement was recently made by David Rosenkrance, the Intermountain Region Deputy Regional Forester. Current Forest Supervisor, Mike Elson has already begun his new temporary role as the Director of Natural Resources for the Intermountain Region in Ogden, Utah. Both interim assignments are expected to last four months.
“This is a well-deserved opportunity for Jason,” said Fishlake Forest Supervisor, Mike Elson. “I think his familiarity with the forest will be a real advantage during this busy time period.”
For the past twelve years, Kling has been part of several successful collaborations and has led multiple landscape scale vegetation improvement projects as the Richfield District Ranger. He is a proponent of prescribed fire and is actively engaged in fire management. As the new Acting Forest Supervisor, he will further be responsible for the supervision of a large staff (well over 100 persons) and providing leadership and direction for all Forest employees.
His new obligations will include being at the helm of all forest programs including Fire, Fuels, Range, Safety, Public Affairs, Recreation, Engineering, Natural Resources, and many more programs. Vegetation management, range management, recreation management, and effective community relations are all areas of particular focus on the Fishlake National Forest.
“The Fishlake is surrounded by great communities and has good rapport with many local agencies, permittees, elected officials, neighboring forests and stakeholders. I value these important partnerships and relationships,” said Kling. “I look forward to continuing the tremendous work that is already occurring and working closely with our local communities that are so passionate about management of our public lands.”
Prior to becoming the Richfield District Ranger in 2010, Jason spent several years on the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest as a Fish Biologist. In 2016, he spent time at the USDA Forest Service Washington Office working with the Forest Management and Strategic Planning, Budget, and Accountability Departments.
Kling graduated from Utah State University in 2003 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Fisheries and Wildlife Management. He and his wife Staci have five children ranging in ages from 13 to 21. His hobbies include spending time with family, attending high school sporting events, sports photography, camping, hiking, backpacking, fishing, and traveling.
