SILVER CITY, N.M.; April 13, 2015 - Dave Warnack is the Acting Forest Supervisor on the Gila National Forest until the permanent position is filled. His regular job is District Ranger on the Smokey Bear Ranger District, Lincoln National Forest, stationed in Ruidoso, NM. Prior to this position, Warnack worked on the Gila National Forest in Recreation and Wilderness programs and the Collaborative Forest Restoration Program. Warnack says, "I'm happy and honored to once again work in this great corner of New Mexico."

He started his career in 1993 at the Beaverhead Work Center, a remote work center in the Black Range Mountains of the Gila National Forest. Between 1993 and 2004, he did primarily field-based work including firefighting and construction on the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail.

Warnack graduated from the University of New Mexico, with a B.A. in English and a minor in Psychology. He states, "This degree may seem at odds with the role of a District Ranger, but the ability to clearly communicate, and to understand and relate to people, has proven invaluable to successful team building and mission accomplishment." Of all the things associated with the management of public lands, Warnack is most interested in the ways in which people experience, utilize, and interact with natural resources.

Warnack is a native of southern New Mexico, growing up in Silver City. He enjoys competitive marksmanship and cooking. He is married to Irene Cullen and together they have three young children Joe, Owen and Imogen. Please join the Gila in welcoming Dave Warnack back to the Forest!