February 16, 2023 11:00 a.m.
Communities for Healthy Forests has announced that Melissa Cribbins is the organization’s new executive director.
A CHF release said Cribbins is a practicing attorney and a former three-term Coos County commissioner. She also sits on the Elliott State Forest Advisory Committee.
In her new role, Cribbins will continue her work advocating for the health of forests in Oregon and in the western United States.
Cribbins said, “As a Coos County commissioner, I have been involved in working toward solutions to forest management in Oregon for over 10 years”. Cribbins said, “as executive director for CHF, I can continue that important work while also extending the impact of CHF”.
The release said Communities for Healthy Forests, A Roseburg based nonprofit, started in 2003 when a group of citizens realized that the inability of the federal government to restore the landscape was challenged by policies, delays, lawsuits and lack of funding. They viewed the health of these federal forests as critical to the health and vitality of communities and that of future generations, and wanted to ensure that federal forestlands would be restored and protected from future catastrophic wildfires.
Cribbins said. “CHF’s goals match many of my personal goals on the subject of forest health, which makes this a great opportunity”.
Cribbins follows Doug Robertson as executive director. Robertson recently accepted the position of executive director of the Association of O&C Counties, after serving as the lead voice for CHF since 2019.
CHF President Dale Pospisil said, “This is a critical moment for our organization. More people are paying attention to the root causes of wildfire in the West, and asking important questions. Melissa understands the issues and has the credibility to provide great answers. We are excited about having Melisa take the lead”.
Cribbons has served on the Land Conservation and Development Commission, is past president of the Association of Oregon Counties, Energy Trust of Oregon, and Rural Development Initiatives, and is a previous member of the EPA Local Government Advisory Committee. She as also served with many other local, regional and national organizations.
For more information about Communities for Healthy Forests, go to: www.communitiesforhealthyforests.com.