The Washington State Society of American Foresters is one of 30 societies forming the Society of American Foresters (SAF). Our society is comprised of professional foresters and forestry students throughout the state of Washington.

Our members play a major role in managing Washington’s 22 million acres of forest land. These forests provide a variety of benefits for Washingtonians and the nation in the form of wildlife, water, recreation, and timber and other forest products.

There are 10 chapters and student chapters that comprise WSSAF: Admiralty Inlet, Central Washington, Grays Harbor College Student Chapter, Green River College Student Chapter, Longview, Mid-Columbia, North Olympic, North Puget Sound, South Puget Sound, Southwest Washington, University of Washington Student Chapter.

We govern in accordance to our society’s bylaws and are a registered 501(c)3. The executive committee meets monthly to discuss state society business.

Meet the Leadership

Brady is the 2025 WSSAF Chair and is a State Lands Forester and Wildland Firefighter for the Department of Natural Resources in the Pacific Cascade Region. He holds a BAS in Forest Resource Management from Green River College, an MS in Natural Resources from Grays Harbor College, and a BA in Philosophy from Washington State University. He is also a certified Tree Farm Inspector and volunteers with Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Southwest Washington.

SAMANTHA CHANG
WSSAF Past Chair

Samantha is the WSSAF Past Chair. She is a graduate of Humboldt State University with a BS in Forestry, and retired USFS Silviculturist. She was the 2017 Washington State Forester of the Year and a 2021 SAF Presidential Field Forester, and currently serves on the Board of Directors of Glacier Peak Institute. She previously served as the North Puget Sound Chapter Chair. She has been a member of SAF since 2000.

LUKE SEMLER
North Puget Sound Chapter Chair

HARRY BELL
North Olympic Chapter Chair

Harry has been involved in Olympic forestry work since 1979 first with ITT Rayonier 1979-1992 and later with Green Crow 1992-2015. Harry operates Bell Forestry serving as a Forest Research Consultant for WFFA involving Adaptive Management. Harry holds a MS in Applied Forest Genetics from University of Washington, BS in Forest Management from West Virginia University and AS in Applied Science in Forestry from Paul Smith’s College. Harry has been an SAF member since 1969, is an SAF Fellow and Golden Member.

KARL PETERSON
Southwest WA Chapter Chair

Karl is the SW Washington Chapter Chair and WSSAF CFE Contact

ANDREW PERLEBERG
Mid-Columbia Chapter Chair

Andy is a Professor, Regional Extension Specialist and Forestry Team Leader for Washington State University Extension Forestry. Andy serves Counties in Central and Eastern WA working out of the WSU Chelan County Extension Office located in Wenatchee.


KEVIN DEGRAW, Chair
Grays Harbor College Student Chapter

STEPHEN RICKETTS
Admiralty Inlet Chapter Chair

Steve is a retired USDA Forest Service – Olympic National Forest. Steve is a SAF Fellow and Golden Member and lives in Port Hadlock, WA. Steve serves as WSSAF Historian and volunteers at Fort Nisqually Living History Museum and other local historical museums.

KIRK OWENS
Longview Chapter Chair

Kirk is currently a Forester for Weyerhaeuser Company’s Western Timberlands in Northwest Oregon. He holds a B.S. in Forest Ecology & Management from the University of Utah and has been a member of the Society of American Foresters (SAF) since 2021. Kirk started his professional career in the Forest Service and later transitioned to the private sector. He lives in the Kalama area. In her leisure time, you may find Kirk hiking trails or taking his truck off-road

TBA
South Puget Sound Chapter Chair

TBA

MITCHELL KNOWLTON

Chair
University of Washington Student Chapter

Alaska
Oregon
Washington

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