Inyo National Forest Welcomes Interagency Fire Management Officer

The Inyo National Forest welcomes Larry Pingel as the Interagency Fire Management Officer. Larry
was selected to replace Taro Pusina, who retired this summer.
“I am honored and thrilled to have been selected for this position. I look forward to joining the Inyo
National Forest and the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Bishop Field Office Fire Management
Team,” Larry said.
Larry started with fire management in 1987 with the Oregon Department of Forestry. He worked with
BLM in Southern Oregon in timber management, which also supporting fire, fuels, and aviation
management. This experience helped Larry realize his passion for fuels management. “I came to
realize that fire and fuels management was where I was supposed to be,” Larry said.
He worked as a fuels lead for the Grants Pass Resource Area with BLM in Medford Oregon, as a
Battalion Chief on the Kaibab National Forest, the Division Chief on the Modoc National Forest and at
the Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest. Larry has also worked temporary assignments as the Deputy
Fire and Fuels Management Officer for Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest, and as the Forest Fire
Management Officer on the Lassen National Forest and the Tongass National Forest.
Larry enjoys OHVing, hiking, golfing, camping, fishing, gardening and being outdoors.
I am excited to have Larry join our team,” said Lesley Yen, Forest Supervisor. “His experience in
proactive fuels and fire management is needed as we face our wildfire issues here in the Eastern Sierra
and in the State of California.”