Mark Beighley: New Wildland Fire Coordination Director

Office of the Secretary FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 7, 2006	Contact: Joan Moody 202-208-6416
Mark Beighley: New Wildland Fire Coordination Director
The Department of the Interior today announced that Mark Beighley is its new Director for the Office of Wildland Fire Coordination. Beighley, who started his position on Sept. 5, comes to Interior from the U.S. Forest Service, where he was formerly the Fire and Aviation Management Assistant Director for Planning and Budget. "The Interior Department welcomes Mark Beighley and looks forward to benefiting from his 30 years of wildland fire and resource management experience acquired both in the field and inside the DC beltway," said Tom Weimer, Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Policy Management and Budget. Beighley's first assignment in the Forest Service Washington Office in 2000, as Strategic Fuels Planner, was in developing and publishing the cohesive wildland fire strategy. He was also responsible for developing the Forest Service/Bureau of Land Management Field Guide for implementing the 2003 Healthy Forests Restoration Act. Beighley also previously worked for Interior's Bureau of Land Management at the Boise Fire Center in Idaho. Beighley began his natural resource career in 1974 as a summer employee on a wilderness trail crew for the Shasta-Trinity National Forest. He then worked four seasons as a temporary firefighter on the Eldorado National Forest. In 1978 Beighley accepted an appointment in Fire Operations with the Bureau of Land Management at the Boise Interagency Fire Center. He has since worked on four national forests in California and Oregon and in the Oregon State Office/Pacific Northwest Regional Office performing numerous fire management jobs including Fire Engine Captain, Fuel Management Specialist, Fire Management Officer, and Wildland Fire Use Program Manager. During his career, he has been a member of several Type I National Incident Management Teams (IMTs) as Division/Group Supervisor, Fire Behavior Analyst, Safety Officer and Operations Section Chief while also serving as Incident Commander and Planning Section Chief on Type II IMTs. He has also been instrumental in international fire assistance programs. Beighley grew up in Placerville, Calif. and is a graduate of Eastern Oregon State University. He currently lives with his wife, Deb, on a farm in southern Maryland.

The Department of the Interior today announced that Mark Beighley is its new Director for the Office of Wildland Fire Coordination. Beighley, who started his position on Sept. 5, comes to Interior from the U.S. Forest Service, where he was formerly the Fire and Aviation Management Assistant Director for Planning and Budget.

"The Interior Department welcomes Mark Beighley and looks forward to benefiting from his 30 years of wildland fire and resource management experience acquired both in the field and inside the DC beltway," said Tom Weimer, Assistant Secretary of the Interior for Policy Management and Budget.

Beighley's first assignment in the Forest Service Washington Office in 2000, as Strategic Fuels Planner, was in developing and publishing the cohesive wildland fire strategy. He was also responsible for developing the Forest Service/Bureau of Land Management Field Guide for implementing the 2003 Healthy Forests Restoration Act. Beighley also previously worked for Interior's Bureau of Land Management at the Boise Fire Center in Idaho.

Beighley began his natural resource career in 1974 as a summer employee on a wilderness trail crew for the Shasta-Trinity National Forest. He then worked four seasons as a temporary firefighter on the Eldorado National Forest. In 1978 Beighley accepted an appointment in Fire Operations with the Bureau of Land Management at the Boise Interagency Fire Center. He has since worked on four national forests in California and Oregon and in the Oregon State Office/Pacific Northwest Regional Office performing numerous fire management jobs including Fire Engine Captain, Fuel Management Specialist, Fire Management Officer, and Wildland Fire Use Program Manager.

During his career, he has been a member of several Type I National Incident Management Teams (IMTs) as Division/Group Supervisor, Fire Behavior Analyst, Safety Officer and Operations Section Chief while also serving as Incident Commander and Planning Section Chief on Type II IMTs. He has also been instrumental in international fire assistance programs.

Beighley grew up in Placerville, Calif. and is a graduate of Eastern Oregon State University. He currently lives with his wife, Deb, on a farm in southern Maryland.