Recently, we announced that hard work and mission-focused efforts by the RGS & AWS community are resulting in big wins for our forests and wildlife in the Great Lakes.
Consequently, we’ve divided the Great Lakes Forest Conservation Region into eastern and western divisions – and added a senior-level forest conservation director to continue to build out our growth in three states critical to grouse and woodcock.
Today we’re sharing an exciting update: We’re thrilled to welcome Zach Evans as our new forest conservation director for Michigan, Ohio and Indiana.
Originally from Grand Rapids, Michigan, Evans brings a strong background in forestry and wildlife management to RGS & AWS. He earned his bachelor’s degree in wildlife ecology and management and his master’s degree in forestry from Michigan Technological University. His experience includes utility forestry work in western Michigan and serving as a regional farm bill forester in northeast Minnesota, where he assisted private landowners in addressing resource concerns on their properties.
Evans’ hiring marks a strategic investment in regional forest management, made possible through leveraged grants and cooperative agreements that support habitat conservation efforts.
Welcome to the team, Zach!
Here’s what Zach had to say about his new role: “I’m excited to join RGS & AWS in its mission to improve wildlife habitat and forest health. This is a great opportunity to contribute to meaningful conservation work and support forests that provide diverse benefits for wildlife and people alike.”
RGS & AWS’s exponential growth in the Great Lakes region in 2024, including hundreds of additional acres of conservation grants and agreements in Michigan alone, drove our strategic decision. Evans adds senior-level direction to the team that has been anchored by Jon Steigerwaldt, RGS & AWS forest conservation director for the Western Great Lakes.
“We’re at an inflection point to plan conservation delivery in Michigan at a new wholesale level,” said Steigerwaldt, based in Wisconsin. “Quite simply, the growth of the work we’re doing in the region calls for new senior staff leadership.”
