Chris Bruno, formerly an assistant superintendent with The Trustees of Reservations, took the helm as superintendent of the Manuel F. Correllus State Forest last month.
The superintendent of the Manuel Correllus State Forest will leave this week after two years on the job. Virginia Dautreuil steps down Sept. 2.
Virginia Dautreuil, 35, started training Wednesday morning for her new role as superintendent of the Manuel F. Correllus State Forest. A Connecticut native, Ms. Dautreuil is the third person and first woman to hold the post.
The state conservation and recreation department is accepting applications for a superintendent following the sudden death of John J. Varkonda in late December. Mr. Varkonda was 55 and had been steward of the state forest for 26 years.
From a failed heath hen reservation to a red pine plantation gone wrong, the Manuel F. Correllus State Forest has weathered its share of management experiments.
In 2012, the forest’s plants and trees can breathe easy, as the forest recently has been designated as a state reserve by the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR).
David Foster, Harvard University forest director and historian for the Correllus state forest, said the designation has guaranteed a better future of the forest.
State foresters and Nature Conservancy fire ecology experts will draft a fire management plan for Manuel Correllus State Forest on Martha’s Vineyard, to guide ongoing fire work, thanks to recent funding from the U.S. Forest Service.
The $374,000 also will cover the partnership to restore 925 acres in Massachusetts with prescribed fire over the next year, to manage ecosystems and improve public safety.