AnnaMarie Santana is the most recent San Jacinto district ranger in the San Bernardino National Forest (SBNF). She was appointed in September and assumed her new assignment last month. She is staying, not simply visiting, as has actually been the case for more than a year.

Julie Hall was district ranger from February 2019 until March 2022. Another permanent district ranger between Hall’s departure and Santana’s arrival was Marc Stammer who only stayed a few months. Otherwise, about five people have overseen the San Jacinto Ranger District in the past 18 months.

Santana sounds like her tenure will be longer. “I’m coming home to the mountains. I’m grateful and happy to be working with the forest service,” she said, especially since she grew up in Southern California and spent many vacations in the local national forests. She still has family in Banning.

And her opinion of Idyllwild bodes well for her involvement with the community. “Idyllwild is unique. It’s a quaint, beautiful and charming town. It’s quite friendly and as quintessentially beautiful as any area from here to Lake Tahoe.”

Not only is Santana a Southern Californian and an Azusa High School graduate, but she is a veteran forest service employee.

Having grown up near the San Gabriel Mountains, she began her U.S. Forest Service career as a volunteer, but was encouraged to apply for a full-time position. And by the mid-1980s, she was on the fire lines. After time on several engines, she served on a heli-tack crew and Hot Shots.

But as she said, fire was not her only forest service assignment. “I’m a Jane of all trades and a master of none.” She has worked in recreation and interpretation. She has been a botanist and purchasing agent while serving in business management and other varied assignments. Early in her career, she worked on the Mountain Top Ranger District on the SBNF. She has even spent time on the George Washington and Jefferson national forests in Virginia. Her last stop before San Jacinto was as a special uses officer on the Angeles National Forest.

Despite this vast forest service experience, Santana is an impressive multitasker. She was married, had and raised two children, a boy and girl and earned two degrees: biology from California State San Bernardino and a masters in educational administration.

The latter seems unusual for a forest service employee, but Santana has a more varied background. She is a former high school biology, chemistry and life science teacher, and then principal. These adventures were in Southern Oregon.

“Even in high school, I was always thinking that I would be a teacher,” she said with a smile. “I wanted to do something meaningful. I’m proud of that and gratified.”

After a while, the attraction to land management returned and strengthened. Eventually, she accepted a position with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in Medford, Oregon, where she served as an assistant district manager.

“The forest service and BLM are sister agencies — both land management,” she said, describing her brief time with BLM. “It was a great opportunity.” And it was an introduction to a management position.

By 2019, she was back with the forest service at the Angeles National Forest in Southern California. There she served as a special uses officer and managed several projects.

As a Southern California native, Santana is aware of and knows about the various natural disasters — wildfires, floods and earthquakes — that can occur here.

“I grew up here and have felt earthquakes,” she stressed, and she is already studying the wildfire plans and preparation with her district fire officer.

And as she begins to know her staff, she was already noting how great they are and how fortunate she is to have such talent and competence.

Recognizing the many district rangers since Laurie Rosenthal left in 2013 after serving 11 years as district ranger, Santana stressed, “I plan to be here a long time. Stability is important for the district.”

“I’m proud to work for an agency that cares for its staff and serving the public. I’ll do my best and I am passionate about the job and mission,” she said and then offered a quote from John Muir: “The mountains are calling and I must go and I will work on while I can, studying incessantly.”