Hazel “Gracie” Moore of the Rocky Mountain Region of the USDA Forest Service is the 2021 national recipient of the Forest Health Protection Aviation Safety Award for displaying excellence in forest health aviation activities.

“Gracie is known as a strong leader in the aviation and forest health communities because of her extensive knowledge, passion for safety, and tireless program support,” said Sylvia Bierman, regional director of state and private forestry and tribal relations. “Her influence and involvement are a force in facilitating continued improvements benefitting forest health assessments and restoration efforts.”

Moore’s award citation honors her for embodying the agency’s core values of service, conservation, interdependence, diversity, and safety by promoting a safety culture within the Rocky Mountain Region and providing her invaluable pilot’s perspective in regional and national activities. Further accolades cite Moore’s routine reinforcement of a safety culture with federal, state, and international partners including involvement in technology transfer and safety training in Mexico as well as hurricane response in Puerto Rico.

“Gracie’s contributions to our regional aviation program and the resources and public we serve are invaluable,” said Bryan Karchut, regional director of safety, fire and aviation management. “Her dedication to safety and aviation leadership has resulted in over 3,000 accident-free flight hours over ten years of flying.”

The USDA Forest Service holds safety as a core value, promotes a safety culture, and celebrates those who demonstrate safety. The annual award is given by the national office of the USDA Forest Service in remembrance of the lives and service of Rodney Whiteman, Dan Snider, and Patrick Jessup, an aerial survey crew, involved in a fatal forest health-related aviation accident in 2010.