Meet a Forester, Glenn Casamassa

This month, we are pleased to feature Glenn Casamassa, Regional Forester for the USDA Forest Service Pacific Northwest Region. We invite you to meet Glenn!

What was your first position in the field of forestry?  
Before I became a Forester, I worked as a horticulturist at a shade tree nursery, cultivating ornamentals to be used as street trees. My first experience in the field of forestry was as a forestry technician for the Bureau of Land Management in Roseburg, Oregon laying out and marking commercial thinnings in Douglas County.  

How long have you been in your role?  
I’ve had the opportunity to be in the US Forest Service for over thirty years and have held my position as Regional Forester for almost four years.

What do you enjoy most about being a Western Forestry Leadership Coalition (WFLC) member?  
The diversity of thinking, the willingness to work cross-boundary and the aligned purpose of sustaining forested landscapes.     

What do you see to be the emerging issues in your region?  
Establishment of market(s) to utilize non-commercial wood and wood fiber at the scale needed to significantly reduce risk and restore landscapes. 

What is your favorite hobby? 
Spending as much time as I possibly can with the grandkids. 

What is your favorite tree?  
Larix Occidentalis and Populus Fremontii

What is your favorite outdoor activity?  
Running on a beach.

What would you do (for a career) if you weren’t doing this? 
Being the program director for a community radio station.