Elizabeth Norton retired in January 2008 after a 31 year career with the Forest Service. During her federal career she worked on the Superior National Forest in Minnesota, the Ottawa National Forest in Michigan, the Plumas and Lassen National Forests in California, the Green Mountain National Forest in Vermont, and in the Washington Office.  She served as the Public Services Officer for the Lassen National Forest in Susanville for 15 years (1993-2008).   In this position, she provided program leadership for recreation, wilderness, trails, interpretation, special uses, heritage resources, land management planning (including route designation), geographic information systems, NEPA, lands, minerals, partnerships, grants, and agreements. Elizabeth and the forest recreation team secured millions of dollars in grant funds to support the Lassen’s recreation and trails programs to enhance visitor services.  Significant recreation and trail facility improvements were completed during her tenure.

During her Forest Service career, Elizabeth served on the regional NEPA/Forest Plan Implementation training cadre for several years, the national task force for developing the agency’s Recreation Agenda, the national taskforce for appeals and litigation, and the regional taskforce for developing and implementing the recreation strategy for California national forests.  She has received numerous national, regional and Forest Supervisor performance awards in recognition of her leadership in grants, agreements, community partnerships, NEPA, forest planning, and recreation management.

Elizabeth holds a bachelor’s degree in Spanish and a master’s degree in Forest Management from Syracuse University in New York.  She resides in Susanville where she and her husband manage a ranch.  They enjoy wilderness hiking, camping, canoeing, skiing, and four-wheeling.  She is a board member with the Lassen Park Foundation, a non-profit that raises funds to implement projects on the Lassen National Forest and Lassen Volcanic National Park; the Lassen Land and Trails Trust, a non-profit that promotes recreation and trail development, the acquisition of conservation easements in Lassen County, and visitor services for the Bizz Johnson National Recreation Trail; as well as the Recreation Outdoors Coalition, which promotes outdoor recreation in the North State.

liz.norton@roc4u.org