ODNR Chief of Forestry Announced as Deputy Director

COLUMBUS, OH – Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) Director James Zehringer announces that ODNR Division of Forestry Chief Robert Boyles will serve as deputy director over the divisions of Forestry, Mineral Resources Management and Wildlife. Boyles will also continue to serve as the chief of the ODNR Division of Forestry and state forester.

“I value Bob’s experience, his effectiveness as an administrator and his willingness to work proactively with the private sector and throughout the department,” said Zehringer. “The knowledge and experience he brings to this position will make him successful in his new role.”

Boyles has served as chief of the division and state forester since 2011. He started in the ODNR Division of Forestry in 1989 as a staff forester at Shawnee State Forest until he became assistant direct forester for the Athens and Chillicothe districts in 1992. Starting in 2002, he was named district forest manager for the southern district where he was responsible for the supervision and administration of all state forest programs at 13 state forests.

Boyles worked as a reclamation specialist for a mine reclamation services company before joining the department as a natural resources coordinator within the ODNR Division of Mineral Resources Management from 1983-1989. In this position, he supervised environmental scientists and worked on policy and procedure development.

He is a member of the Society of American Foresters, Ohio Forestry Association and the Ohio Forestry Association Logging Standards Council. Boyles has received the Society of American Foresters Outstanding Foresters award, the Ohio Forestry Association Outstanding Forester award the Ohio Forestry Association’s Director’s Award.

An avid hunter and fisherman, Boyles is also a member of the National Wild Turkey Federation, Ruffled Grouse Society and a life member of the National Rifle Association.

Boyles earned his Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees, both in forest resource management, from West Virginia University.