Lassen National Forest has announced that Dave Hays will be the permanent replacement for former Forest Supervisor Jerry Bird, who retired around the first of the year.
Hays comes to the district from the Klamath National Forest, where he previously served as District Ranger on the Salmon-Scott River District in Fort Jones, California.
“I’m thrilled to be here on the Lassen,” said Hays. “I’m looking forward to working with all who care about the management of their National Forests.”
Hays grew up in Sacramento, where little league, the Boy Scouts, and high school distance running were all a big part of his life. After high school, he went on to California State University, Sacramento, where he continued to put in a lot of miles as an athlete in both cross country and track and field. While at Sac State, he earned a B.A. and an M.A. in English, and a teaching credential, and completed a minor in math.
Hays taught junior high school for a brief time before making a career change to natural resources. As part of this transition, he returned to college at the University of Montana, earning a bachelor’s degree in resource conservation.
His first federal job was as a park ranger with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Washington State. He spent about 12 years there, as both a ranger and park manager.
Next, Hays spent about six years with the Bureau of Land Management in Nevada, where he ended up as a field manager for the Black Rock Field Office in the northwest corner of the state.
Hays came to the Forest Service in 2010, when he accepted the District Ranger position on the Klamath National Forest. Along the way, he earned a master’s degree in rangeland ecosystem science from Colorado State University.
“A love of the outdoors and public lands is what brought me to a natural resources career and the U.S Forest Service,” said Hays. “My ideal vacation is active and outside. Any combination of fishing, hunting, cycling, hiking, or camping usually keeps me pretty happy.”
Not long after Hays could first walk, he started heading afield with his father on fishing and hunting outings. Today, he still enjoys both of those activities, along with a healthy mix of hiking, backpacking, and spending time on his mountain and road bikes.
Outside of work, Hays has been an active part of the communities where he’s lived, and since 1994 he’s been involved in fire suppression and emergency medical services. Prior to coming to the Lassen, he worked as a firefighter and advanced emergency medical technician in the small town of Etna, California.
