Mimbres, NM, October 1, 2018—For Immediate Release.  The Gila National Forest, Wilderness Ranger District will be welcoming a new law enforcement officer on October 29, 2018. The Wilderness Ranger District is located in the heart of the Gila National Forest and covers an area of 686,171 acres and the majority of the district is designated as wilderness.

The new Law Enforcement Officer (LEO) is DeWayne Ross. LEO Ross currently serves on the Umatilla National Forest in northeastern Oregon. He has been with the Forest Service LEI since 2005, and has a vast amount of experience in FS law enforcement. He started with the USFS in 1995 on the Lincoln National Forest in fire and recreation. He currently serves as a field training officer, firearms instructor, non-lethal training ammunition instructor, and firearms armorer. He spent one enlistment in the U.S. Army and served in Desert Shield/Desert Storm with the 101st Airborne Air Assault Division. 1/187th Infantry. DeWayne is a native of southern New Mexico and is excited to be coming home.

For information on the Gila National Forest, check out our website here.