Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, March 15, 1995 TAG: 9503150050
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C1 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: CATHRYN McCUE STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
William Damon, deputy forest supervisor for the Idaho Panhandle National Forest since 1991, will oversee the almost 2 million acres of Appalachian forests, mostly in Western Virginia.
``It's a wonderful opportunity, and it's something we're really surprised at,'' Damon said in a phone interview. The job offer came Monday from Forest Service headquarters in Washington, D.C., Damon said.
``I think it was close to about a second'' that it took him to decide, he said. ``It's a terrific, terrific place. Of course, I'm biased, because I grew up down there.''
He will begin officially May 14.
The merger of the Jefferson and George Washington forests created the need for a new supervisor. Joy Berg, who has been head of the Jefferson since 1989, announced last week that she is leaving to take a job in the D.C. office on the agency's ``ecosystem management'' team. Wayne Kelly, former head of the George Washington, now works in the Southern Region office in Atlanta.
As the new supervisor, Damon likely will be involved, one way or another, in the decision on whether Appalachian Power Co. can build a controversial power line across federal lands.
This was news to him.
``No, they didn't tell me about the power line,'' he said. ``But almost every national forest has its version of the power line. No forest is free from its challenges.''
Damon said he had spoken with Berg on Tuesday and discussed the 765,000-volt line, which would cross about 12 miles of forest on its way from West Virginia to Cloverdale.
``I've got a lot to learn,'' Damon said, adding that he intends to rely on many sources to fill him in on the project, including Jim Loesel. ``Joy mentioned I might be getting a call from him.''
Loesel, a Roanoke County resident, is well-known among Forest Service staff members for his dogged scrutiny of their activities and policies. Indeed, Loesel knew of Damon's appointment before the news release went out.
``I've talked with people who've worked with him,'' Loesel reported. ``Favorably impressed.''
Damon is from Big Stone Gap, graduated from Powell Valley High School and attended West Point. After five years in the Army, he took forestry courses at Virginia Tech. He later graduated with a master's degree from the University of Idaho.
He started his Forest Service career in 1977 in Alaska and has held numerous management positions since then in Missouri and Idaho. He also worked on a North Carolina forest, and he lived in Northern Virginia from 1985 to 1990 while he worked in the Washington headquarters.
The Panhandle forest covers 2.5 million acres and has 430 employees. The George Washington and Jefferson covers 1.8 million acres and employees 80 people in the Roanoke headquarters and 169 in the 12 ranger districts.
Damon is married and has three school-age children.
Memo: shorter version ran in the Metro edition.