Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell has appointed a successor to Harv Forsgren, the regional forester who ordered the Bridger-Teton and Caribou-Targhee national forests to study merging. 

Nora Rasure officially begins her duties as head of the Forest Service’s Inter-mountain Region on Feb. 19, said Erin O’Connor, a spokeswoman for the regional office.

The Forest Service made the announcement Friday, the same day Forsgren’s retirement became official.

Although Rasure will oversee 13 national forests and one national grassland in five states, one of her first duties will be to review a study that assesses four options for consolidating the two forests nearest to Jackson.

The decision to proceed with any of the four options will ultimately fall to Rasure.

O’Connor declined an interview request with the new forester, but did say that “nothing has changed” and that “no decision is imminent” in regard to the merger study.

“I think Nora will make an outstanding regional forester for the Intermountain Region,” the spokeswoman said.

Rasure began her career as a Youth Conservation Corps crew leader on the Toiyabe National Forest. She subsequently worked in several positions in fire, lands and recreation on the Toiyabe be-fore moving on to work in forests in Montana, Arizona, Washington and Colorado. Her last post was acting regional forester for the Forest Service’s Eastern Region.

An eight-person Bridger-Teton and Caribou-Targhee focus group is on pace to have the merger study complete by the end of the month, Bridger-Teton Deputy Supervisor Jose Castro said Friday. The focus group’s presentation to regional officials in Ogden, Utah, is not yet scheduled and may be postponed until after Rasure assumes her new post, he said.

“We’ll sail when we’re ready,” Castro said.