HONOLULU, Hawaii -- Long-time natural resources manager Mary Abrams has been named Supervisor for the Pacific Islands Fish and Wildlife Office in the Pacific Region of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Abrams succeeds Loyal Mehrhoff, who retired from federal service.
Abrams has a strong background in science, policy and international work. She is currently Director for the Oregon Department of State Lands, which plays a significant role in the state’s natural resources management. In addition to management decisions for about 750,000 acres of forest, range, agricultural and commercial trust lands, Abrams also oversees more than 1 million acres of navigable and tidally influenced waterways.
“Hawaii and the Pacific Islands are vital for the conservation of wildlife in the Pacific Region,” said Robyn Thorson, Pacific Region Director. “The Service, our partners and the public will benefit from Mary’s proven leadership skills and cooperative approach to conservation. Mary played a vital role in protecting habitat throughout Oregon, and I’m confident that experience will translate to working with public and private lands in the Pacific Islands.”
Abrams will assume her new duties on November 2, 2015. Based in Honolulu, this 90-person staff manages complex natural resource issues throughout the Pacific Islands, which includes Hawaii, America Samoa, Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. The Pacific Islands Fish and Wildlife Office’s core responsibilities include species conservation and recovery, private lands and conservation partnerships, listing and classification of endangered species, federal agency assistance and consultation, and the assessment of contaminants on natural resources.
“The opportunity to lead the Oregon Department of State Lands over the past three years has been richly rewarding. It has been an honor to serve the people of Oregon,” Abrams said. “The opportunity to contribute to the Service's important work in Hawaii and throughout the Pacific Islands will, without doubt, be equally rewarding and challenging. I look forward to developing a strong partnership with state and federal agencies, partners and the public to address the conservation challenges facing Hawaii and the Pacific Islands.”
Prior to her position as Director for Oregon Department of State Lands, Abrams worked internationally, serving as Country Director for U.S. Peace Corps in Niger, Rwanda and Zambia. She was also Division Administrator and Senior Water Quality Specialist for the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, as well as an Environmental Manager for the City of Portland. Abrams also served on the faculty of the Oregon Graduate Institute where her research topics included non-point source impacts on water quality and soil/plant interactions.
Abrams has Doctorate and Master’s degrees in soil science from the University of California, Davis. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Agronomy and Plant Genetics from the University of Arizona.
Abrams and her husband, Gary Cramer, currently live in Portland, Oregon, and enjoy traveling, hiking, gardening and spending time with family and friends.
