Office of the Chief

Tom Tidwell Chief (Biography)

Welcome to the web site of the U.S. Forest Service Chief’s Office! In case you’re new to the Forest Service, our purpose is twofold: (1) to make sure that America’s forests and grasslands are in the healthiest condition they can be; and (2) to see to it that you have lots of opportunities to use, enjoy, and care for the lands and waters that sustain us all. Our focus at the Forest Service is on the ground—on the places where you live, work, and play. Above all, we’re dedicated to keeping everyone on the ground safe and secure. Our goal is to serve our communities, both rural and urban. One way is to work with partners for healthy, resilient forests and rangelands on federal, state, and private lands. Healthy lands support the outdoor activities of millions of Americans each year, a service we proudly provide on the National Forest System. A central concern for all Americans is sustainable land management. We owe it to ourselves and to future generations to protect our communities, properties, and wildland resources from catastrophic fire and other threats. You own your national forests and grasslands, and we are here to serve you. As you browse our website, please think of ways we can better serve you and let us know.

Hank Kashdan Associate Chief (Biography)

Chief's Office Staff

Chief's Biography

Tom Tidwell grew up in Boise, Idaho, and graduated from Washington State University. He has spent 32 years with the Forest Service in a variety of positions. He began his Forest Service career on the Boise National Forest in fire, and has since worked on eight different national forests, in three regions.

He has worked at all levels of the agency in a variety of positions, including District Ranger, Forest Supervisor, and Legislative Affairs Specialist in the Washington Office, where he worked on the planning rule, the 2001 roadless rule and the Secure Rural Schools County Payments Act.

Tom served as the Deputy Regional Forester for the Pacific Southwest Region  with primary responsibility for fire and aviation management, recreation, engineering, state and private forestry and tribal relations.  Under Tom’s leadership, there was a significant increase in the Region’s effectiveness to reduce hazardous fuels, and improved cooperation with CALFIRE on wildland fire suppression.

Prior to this assignment, Tidwell served as the Regional Forester for the Northern Region, with responsibility for the national forests and grasslands in northern Idaho, Montana, North Dakota and portions of South Dakota.   As the Regional Forester, Tom encouraged and supported community-based collaboration to find resolution on how and where to use active management to restore forest health and address wildfire threat to communities, and to provide protection for the values of unroaded landscapes.

Tom’s field experience includes working from the rural areas of Nevada and Idaho all the way to the urban Forests in California and the Wasatch-Cache National Forest in Utah, where he served as Forest Supervisor during the 2002 Winter Olympics.  Tom has extensive fire experience, beginning as a firefighter, and accumulating nineteen years as an agency administrator responsible for fire suppression decisions. 

Tom is married to Kim, and they have one daughter, MacKenzie.

Associate Chief's Biography

Hank Kashdan’s Forest Service career has covered 35 years of service throughout the breadth of duty stations in which the Forest Service operates.

• Graduated from Humboldt State University, Arcata, California, with a Bachelor’s Degree in 1973.
• Started as a GS-3 Survey Technician in 1973, doing land line and road surveys on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon for the Kaibab National Forest.
• Worked in duty stations throughout the country in Arizona, Northern Idaho, Montana, Washington State, California, and Oregon prior to coming to Washington D.C. in 1993.
• Worked in a variety of positions including survey technician, ranger district administrative assistant, timber sale contracting officer, forest administrative officer, assistant director in law enforcement, and director of the Budget Staff, and Deputy Chief for Business Operations.
• Was Administrative Officer on two national forests ranging from one of the smallest (Beaverhead National Forest) to the largest in the National Forest System (Willamette National Forest).
• Spent two years as a detailed staff to the United States Senate, Committee on Appropriations, Interior and Related Agencies Subcommittee.
• Was the Director of Program and Budget Analysis for the Forest Service from 2000 through 2005.
• Served as Deputy Chief for Business Operations for the past three years, and was just appointed to the position of Associate Chief.