State
Forester Rick Oates is pleased to name Will Brantley as the new Assistant State
Forester of Alabama. For the last three years,
Brantley has been serving as Director of the
Forest Management Division with the Alabama
Forestry Commission. The agency’s Commissioners approved the appointment
at their meeting on September 10, 2020, and he officially assumed the role on
September 16 following approval by Governor Ivey. This position has been vacant
since Bruce Springer’s retirement in June.
With more than 25 years of experience in natural
resources management, Brantley possesses a strong understanding of the issues
and programs involving Alabama’s forests, lands, and waters. As Forest
Management Division Director, he oversaw the implementation of various program
areas including Forest Stewardship, Forest Legacy, Landowner Assistance, Urban
and Community Forestry, State Lands, Forest Inventory & Analysis and
Economic Development, Threatened & Endangered Species, and Best Management
Practices for Water Quality. He also coordinated the recent update of the
State’s Forest Action Plan, developed and received grant funding for a new
agency program to enhance coastal forested watersheds and protect water
quality, and pursued new agency revenue sources through multiple interagency
agreements that help fund agency operations.
Before
joining the AFC in November of 2017, Brantley
was employed with the State Lands Division of the Alabama Department of
Conservation & Natural Resources for 16 years where he served in several
capacities, including State Lands Assistant Director. His responsibilities with
the State Lands Division included managing forested trust lands and
implementing various statewide programs including the Land Sales & Leasing
Act, the Natural Resource Damage Assessment program, and the Coastal Impact
Assistance Program.
Previously,
Brantley was natural resource planner for the Baldwin County Commission where
he advised the County Commission on conservation and natural resource planning
programs for wetland identification, coastal restoration, and stormwater
management. Prior to that, he worked as a utility inventory arborist with Davey
Resource Group in northern California.
A native of Greenville, South Carolina, Brantley
earned his bachelor’s degree from Furman University and a Master of Science in
Forest Resources from Clemson University. Will and his wife, Eve, reside in Auburn
with their two children, Chloe and Hank.