There’s a new district forester in Central Oregon for the Oregon Department of Forestry.

Mike Shaw earlier this month replaced George Ponte, who retired after more than seven years as district forester in Prineville and 26 years working for the agency, according to the Department of Forestry. Shaw has 16 years of experience with the department.

An Oregon State University graduate with a degree in forest management, Shaw had been the Eastern Oregon assistant area director in Prineville for the Department of Forestry since 2014. Before that, he was in northeast Oregon.

Shaw took the forester post on Dec. 1, said Tracy Wrolson, assistant district forester. Along with Prineville, the district has offices in Sisters, The Dalles, John Day and Fossil. Shaw manages 35 permanent workers and 90 seasonal firefighters.