Biography

Ray began his Forestry Career in Mt. Shasta in 1976 with the US Forest Service as a Student. He graduated from Cal Poly San Louis Obispo in Forestry in 1978. He and his wife Pat transferred to Mt. Saint Helens in 1979 and returned to Mt. Shasta shortly after the volcanic Eruption of 1980. A few years there and a return to school at Humboldt State University studying Logging Engineering found new challenges on the Plumas National Forest in Quincy. After 7 years there, it was on to Florida for 5 years managing forests for pulp and small saw timber and then back to the Klamath National Forest in 1998 as a District Ranger. Ray retired from 33 years of federal service in 2010 after 12 years on the Klamath NF.

Ray was the recipient of many awards for exemplary service as an innovative Leader during his career and is well known for solving difficult complex Natural Resource issues some of those recognitions included;

• Awarded Women in Timber’s Program Excellence leader in Economic Recovery, Quincy CA 1992 during development of the Herger/Feinstein QLG Fire/Forestry legislation.

• USFS Chief’s Award for recovery of ESA species using Forestry tools and fire applications, National Forests in Florida, Region 8 award for same. In 2025 this work was again recognized as the justification for ESA delisting of Red Cockaded Woodpecker’s.

• Two CA Region 5 Award’s for vegetive modifications to Landscape Fire Behavior using innovative forestry and advanced fire science applications within the Northwest Forest Plan NSO LSR’s on the Klamath NF.

• He was recognized three times by the US Congress for Forestry Leadership and Service to rural communities.

• Agency Leadership recognition for 7 years of service on USFS Region 5 Fire Line Officer Team, Instructor at National Wildfire Training Center Sacramento, Trainer and Certifier for Fire response at the highest Type 1 complexity, personal Prescribed Fire Certification at the agencies highest complexity, designated Regional Foresters Fire Policy development leader and Fire Accident/IMT Team Function RF Team Lead serving three RF’s.

• Ray is the 2025 American Forest Resource Counsel’s Tillicum Award recipient for leadership excellence supporting Forestry and Rural Economies.

The first 4 years in retirement, Ray taught Forest Ecology, Dendrology, Hydrology and Forest Mensuration at College of the Siskiyous, Weed in partnership with Humboldt State University.

Prior to running for elected office in Siskiyou County in 2014, Ray participated on numerous work groups authoring and coauthoring 4 pieces of forest legislation for the Natural Resource Committee in the US House of Representatives. He worked for over a decade with Congressman Doug LaMalfa on numerous congressional efforts to improve rural community economies and in Catastrophic Wildfire response and abatement.

Ray owns a consulting business as a CA RPF #2938 and serves as the Siskiyou County Supervisor representing western Siskiyou County’s District 5, he is the Sugar Creek Water Yield Research Director, Serves as Science Chair of the National Wildfire Institute as a founding member, is the County designated member for SFAC, is the County and Yreka CAL Fire delegate serving on the CA Governor’s Forest Health Task Force, is the county designate for negotiations/coordination with state and federal agencies affecting natural resources, is the county lead for Wildfire Response with CAL OES and serves on many advisory boards representing Agriculture, Water and Forestry related interests for the County.

Ray and his wife Pat of 49 years raised three successful children; two are Foresters and one a Nurse Practitioner in Dermatology. Their home is in Scott Valley CA.