The Ruffed Grouse Society & American Woodcock Society (RGS & AWS) is pleased to welcome Zach Evans as its new forest conservation director for Michigan, Ohio and Indiana. Evans’ hiring marks a strategic investment in regional forest management, made possible through leveraged grants and cooperative agreements that support habitat conservation efforts.
Evans, originally from Grand Rapids, Michigan, brings a strong background in forestry and wildlife management to the role. He earned his bachelor’s degree in wildlife ecology and management and his master’s degree in forestry from Michigan Technological University. His professional 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.
“I’m excited to join RGS & AWS in its mission to improve wildlife habitat and forest health,” Evans said. “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 the decision to divide the organization’s Great Lakes Forest Conservation Region into eastern and western divisions. 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 are at an inflection point to plan conservation delivery in Michigan at a new wholesale level,” said Steigerwaldt, who is based in Wisconsin. “Quite simply, the growth of the work we are doing in the region calls for new senior staff leadership.”
In his new role, Evans will focus on advancing initiatives that benefit wildlife species dependent on young forest ecosystems in a key area for ruffed grouse and American woodcock. By collaborating with private landowners, government agencies and conservation partners, Evans will help implement science-based forestry practices that support sustainable habitat management.
“Thanks to an expanded grants portfolio and new conservation agreements, RGS & AWS continues to increase its impact across the Great Lakes region,” said Ben Jones, RGS & AWS president and CEO. “Zach Evans’ leadership will further these efforts, ensuring that forest stewardship remains a priority for the future of our upland bird habitat.”
