Capitol Hill veteran Kristin Sleeper and former Idaho Department of Lands Director Tom Schultz will hold positions at USDA focused on forest management, wildfire prevention and natural resource conservation, according to an agency release.
Kristin Sleeper will serve as deputy under secretary for Natural Resources and Environment. She previously held positions on the Senate Energy and Natural Resources and House Agriculture Committees focused on natural resource and environmental policy initiatives. She recently joined the staff of newly-elected Montana Sen. Tim Sheehy as a senior adviser.
Tom Schultz was appointed chief of staff for Natural Resources and Environment. He most recently worked as vice president of resources and government affairs at the Idaho Forest Group for seven years, overseeing timber procurement operations and managing the organization's relationships with government officials.
Previously, Schultz served as director of the Idaho Department of Lands where he oversaw the management of 2.4 million surface acres of endowment lands and 3.3 million acres of endowment minerals. A former United States Air Force officer, he also held leadership roles in Montana’s Department of Natural Resources and Conservation.
“Ahead of the President's visit to California to assess wildfire damage, these appointments highlight a renewed dedication to protecting communities, enhancing forest health and ensuring responsible stewardship of natural resources,” the release said.
Trump will arrive in Los Angeles today to survey California wildfire damages and assess the Federal Emergency Management Agency's response. In his first presidential visit outside the Beltway since taking office, he visited North Carolina this morning to assess damages from Hurricane Helene that ravaged the area and the region's agriculture industry in October.
Both Sleeper and Schultz will oversee the U.S. Forest Service and the Natural Resources Conservation Service focusing on the sustainable management of the nation’s forests, grasslands and watersheds.
President Trump nominated Idaho businessman Michael Boren to be undersecretary for Natural Resources and Environment last week. If confirmed, both Sleeper and Schultz would report to Boren.
