Albuquerque, NM – July 9, 2024 – The Cibola National Forest and National Grasslands (NF & NGs) is excited to welcome Heidi McRoberts as Forest Supervisor. McRoberts replaces Steven Hattenbach who serves as Deputy Regional Forester for the Southwestern Region.

McRoberts comes to the Cibola from the position of Deputy Forest Supervisor on the Kootenai National Forest in northwest Montana and northeast Idaho. She provided leadership and was responsible for all aspects of managing the forest's vast resources of 2.2 million acres of National Forest System Lands. Her prior land management experiences were on the Umatilla National Forest in Pendleton, Oregon and the Nez-Perce Clearwater National Forests in Idaho. McRoberts spent 22 years

working for the Nez Perce Tribe, including 10 years as the Deputy Director for the Department of Fisheries Resource Management/Watershed Division. McRoberts holds a bachelor's degree in environmental science from the University of Dubuque in Iowa, a master's degree in Fisheries Resources and PhD in Natural Resources, both from the University of Idaho.

In her Forest Supervisor role, McRoberts will be responsible for the overall management of the Cibola National Forest and National Grasslands which encompasses 1.9 million acres of Forest System Lands. The 4 "sky island" ranger districts: Sandia, Mountainair, Magdalena, and Mt Taylor cover more than 1.6 million acres in New Mexico. The Cibola also has four wilderness areas: Sandia Mountain, Manzano Mountain, Withington and Apache Kid and administers four National Grasslands: Black Kettle, McClellan Creek, Kiowa and Rita Blanca covering 263,261 acres in northeastern New Mexico, western Oklahoma and northern Texas.

"This position provides the opportunity to work directly with legislative representatives, public, and partners. I look forward to continuing to strengthen these existing partnerships and building new relationships to help the Cibola NF & NGs better serve our public." - Heidi McRoberts

Born and raised on a farm in north central Idaho, McRoberts has personal connections to communities surrounded by forests. McRoberts and her family are outdoor enthusiast and look forward to traveling the Southwest and hiking on National Forest System Lands.

Prior to the selection of McRoberts as the permanent Forest Supervisor, the Cibola was led by dedicated acting Forest Supervisors. The staff wishes to extend their gratitude to Shasta Lake District Ranger Sara Acridge, Houston/Rolla/Cedar Creek District Ranger Kim Bittle and Cibola NF & NGs Deputy Forest Supervisor Yolynda Begay for their commitment and exemplary service in the role of acting Forest Supervisor of the Cibola National Forest & National Grasslands.