James E. Brown

Jim Brown is a consultant (Jim Brown Consulting, LLC, Salem, OR) specializing in forest policy and organizational management. Jim served as Governor Kulongoski’s Natural Resource Policy Director from January 2003 to September 2004. In this role, Jim supervised a small staff that advised the Governor on natural resource issues that affected the state’s environmental, social, and economic well-being. He also provided leadership to 14 natural resource agencies by chairing the Governor’s Natural Resources Cabinet. Prior to this appointment, he served as Oregon State Forester for over 16 years. In this position he represented the Board of Forestry in carrying out its policies affecting private, state, and federal forests in the state, and served as administrator for the Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF).

Jim held a number of positions during his 36-year career with ODF, including reforestation forester (Coos Bay & Astoria), timber management forester (Veneta), resource analyst (Salem), and Service Forestry Program Director (Salem). In 1980, Jim was appointed Forest Practices Program Director (Salem), and later transferred to Forest Grove to become Northwest Oregon Area Director, followed by appointment as Assistant State Forester in charge of the Forest Management Division (Salem). In 1985, Jim was named Associate State Forester, a position he held until his appointment as State Forester.

Jim served as secretary to the Board of Forestry, is a fellow in the Society of American Foresters and was active in the National Association of State Foresters (NASF), having served as western representative, treasurer, vice president and president. He has served on many other boards and commissions, and is currently a member of the National Commission on Science for Sustainable Forestry and serves on the World Forestry Center Board. He remains active in Oregon’s natural resources issues, serving as a member of the Oregon Parks and Recreation Commission and as Vice-chair of the Tillamook Forest Trust. The latter group oversees the “James E. Brown Forest Education Grant” program, which helps teachers, interpreters, community groups or others involved in education projects and activities relating to the Tillamook State Forest.

Jim graduated from the University of Washington in 1962 with a Bachelor of Science in forest management. He received a Master’s degree in forestry from Yale University in 1963.

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