FORT COLLINS, Colo. – Carolina Manriquez, lead forester in the Colorado State Forest Service Steamboat Springs Field Office, has been recognized for her excellence in forestry knowledge with the Presidential Field Forester Award from the Society of American Foresters. The SAF announced this year’s award winners at its annual meeting in Sacramento, Calif., on Oct. 27, 2023.
Each year, the SAF recognizes a forester in each of 11 regions who has brought incredible skill, knowledge and innovation to forestry. These Presidential Field Forester awardees have spent their careers improving forest conditions with best-in-class scientific understanding and adaptive management. Manriquez received the award for SAF District 4, which covers the Rocky Mountains and includes 11 western states.
“It is an honor to be recognized by SAF together with other outstanding professionals who have dedicated their careers to the science-based application of forestry,” Manriquez said. “I look forward to sharing in the celebration of the Presidential Field Forester Award, in these times when climate change and increased wildfire risk make the management of our forest resources more critical than ever.”
A certified forester and arborist, Manriquez has also earned graduate degrees in Silviculture and Restoration Ecology as well as Integrated Resource Management; she excels at applying her experience and education to forest management challenges. Her work has made measurable, long-lasting improvements in forest and watershed health in Colorado.
“With creativity and passion, Carolina has catalyzed a movement towards building resilient upland and riparian forests in northwest Colorado. The next generation of Coloradans has the chance to inherit healthier watersheds and natural stream corridors thanks to her efforts in restoring these landscapes.”
John Twitchell, supervisory forester in the Steamboat Springs Field Office, nominated Manriquez for the award. She has been a forester in Steamboat Springs since 2010, and she has international experience as well, working in Costa Rica, Panama and Zambia.
“Carolina has developed her skills and knowledge over the years, and she has used that knowledge and the relationships she has established in her work to become a very effective and accomplished field forester,” Twitchell said.
Excellent collaborator
Through the Good Neighbor Authority, Manriquez works on cross-boundary projects with multiple landowners and local, state and federal partners. Her excellent collaboration and technical skills have resulted in improved forest health conditions on more than 2,000 acres since 2018 in this program.
After working with Manriquez on some of these projects, Routt National Forest’s South Zone Fire Management Officer Kevin Thompson commented on her leadership abilities and effectiveness.
“Working with Carolina is a pleasure and an honor! Carolina brings a wealth of knowledge, energy and focus that is unmatched and is a major reason why the Good Neighbor Authority program and the partnerships between the Medicine Bow-Routt National Forest and the Colorado State Forest Serve have been, and will continue to be, effective and long lasting,” Thompson said.
Dedicated to the community
Manriquez has spent countless days strengthening wildfire mitigation awareness and activities in northwestern Colorado. Her experience as a carded wildland firefighter as well as her fluency in French and Spanish make her an excellent ambassador for diverse parts of the community.
The list of Manriquez’s accomplishments is long and varied, from leading wildfire mitigation efforts to researching silviculture for climate change. Her vast scientific knowledge and her dedication to forestry make her deserving of the Presidential Field Forester award. But it’s her passion for the work that truly inspires change.
“Her contagious enthusiasm for forestry, combined with her undeniable gift for networking, makes Carolina a true leader in her field,” said Trent Jones, president, Mountain Pine Manufacturing, Inc.