Gary Ziehe (1960-2022) passed away on Friday, March 4. Gary served as the regional range program manager in the Southwestern Regional Office, Wildlife, Fish, Rare Plants & Rangeland Management staff since 2014. Gary leaves behind his wife, Anne Kathryn, and two boys, Wyatt and Warren. Gary had many dear friends in the agency and his friendship to us all and his contributions to our mission will be greatly missed.  

Gary was a devoted alumnus of Texas A&M University and a proud member of The Corps of Cadets. He received his B.S. degree in 1982 and M.S. degree in 1989 from Texas A&M University. He continued his education at Oklahoma State University where he earned a Ph.D. in 1993 in the field of Animal Genetics.

Gary began as a Congressional Science Fellow, served in the office of Senator Pete Domenici in Washington, DC, as a Legislative Assistant, and later as Senior Analyst for Agriculture and Energy on the U.S. Senate Budget Committee. Working together with his future wife, he developed the legislation creating the Valles Caldera National Preserve, and he became its first Executive Director in 2001. Gary began employment with the Forest Service in 2004 and served in various positions, including on the Santa Fe and Lincoln national forests, before returning to Albuquerque and the Southwestern Regional Office in 2014.

As a lifelong public servant, Gary approached his work with the utmost professionalism. He was transparent and always willing to sit and talk with employees and permittees. Gary approached his work seriously, but didn’t take himself seriously, and he possessed a keen sense of humor.  No matter how difficult the issue, Gary was always a calming influence. He served as a mentor for many range professionals across the agency. In his leisure time, Gary enjoyed playing golf with his sons, was enthusiastically involved with their baseball, swimming and Boy Scout activities, and enjoyed watching Texas Aggie football.  

Thank you, Gary, for all your support, hard work, and especially your friendship. Rest in comfort and peace. You can honor Gary by planting a tree somewhere special in his memory.