Santa Fe National Forest supervisor not coming back to N.M.
Sep. 22—The woman who headed the Santa Fe National Forest during the largest wildfire in New Mexico history and was given a temporary assignment in the aftermath of the devastating blaze will remain in Washington, D.C.
Former supervisor Debbie Cress, who headed the Santa Fe National Forest for about a year and a half, has taken a permanent position with the U.S. Forest Service office in Washington, D.C.
An "On the Move" news release issued by the agency earlier this month said Cress had accepted the job of deputy chief of staff.
Julie Anne Overton, spokeswoman for the Santa Fe National Forest, confirmed in an email this week Cress would not be coming back to Santa Fe.
Overton wrote Cress did not want to comment on the move and referred all other questions to the Forest Service.
In response to an email query about Cress' appointment, Forest Service spokesman E. Wade Muehlhof, wrote in an email Wednesday "we typically do not provide comments on any personal actions."
The 341,735-acre Hermits Peak/Calf Canyon Fire, which badly damaged land and watershed and burned hundreds of homes in Northern New Mexico, started in April after a pair of Forest Service prescribed burns escaped control.
A June Forest Service analysis of the fire said those involved in the prescribed burns failed to consider how a changing climate could make the landscape more flammable, didn't correctly estimate the risk of a controlled fire escaping and used incomplete weather information.
The 85-page report — which did not name individuals involved in the prescribed burns — said federal fire managers, under pressure to complete the prescribed burn while they had the available personnel, overlooked warning signs. Those included the potential for erratic winds and large, dry fuel loads that could feed a growing fire.
In early July, Cress accepted what was described as a temporary four-month detail to the staff of Forest Service Chief of Staff Tony Scardina. At that time, Cress wrote in an email the timing of the move left her with "a heavy heart."
"I carry with me the burdens and sadness of all affected by this tragic fire," she wrote. "I also carry a commitment to learning and better understanding our changing environment and the work ahead of us."
At the time Overton said the temporary assignment for Cress had been in the planning stages since January and "isn't connected" to the fire.
But some former Forest Service personnel suggested the move was made to protect Cress from direct scrutiny and criticism within New Mexico as local and regional outrage grew over the extent of the fire's devastating impact. It was finally declared fully contained last month, though large areas in San Miguel and Mora counties have struggled with flooding in burned areas in the intervening months.
Cress, who also worked as a ranger in Gila National Forest and as a seasonal employee in Cibola National Forest in New Mexico, comes from a family of farmers and ranchers in Southern New Mexico.
A New Mexico State University graduate with a degree in range science, Cress oversaw a 1.6-million-acre forest that attracts 1.3 million people a year. Santa Fe National Forest has an annual budget of about $18 million and employs about 190 people.
When she was appointed to the Santa Fe job in early 2021, she declared it a "dream" position. She said at that time her main concern was the potential for wildfires.
Her husband, Jason, who worked as a regional fuel specialist for the Forest Service, will be retiring from that position and will join his wife in Washington, Overton said.
Overton said James Duran, who was chosen to fill in as acting superintendent for the Santa Fe agency for Cress while she was on temporary assignment, will stay in that role for the time being.
Overton said she believes the Santa Fe Forest supervisor position will be advertised "hopefully sometime next month. The hiring process is not fast, but I'm hoping this would be a regional priority."
