Superior National Forest head to retire

Jim Sanders, who guided the Superior National Forest through 15 sometimes tumultuous years, has announced he will retire at the end of December.

Sanders, 58, is the longest-serving supervisor in the 102-year history of the more than 2 million acre forest that covers much of Minnesota’s Arrowhead region.

“It’s been a great run. But it’s time to step aside and let someone else take the lead,” Sanders told the Duluth News Tribune on Wednesday.
Sanders and his wife, plan to stay in Duluth after he leaves the post.

Sanders has worked for the U.S. Forest Service for 36 years, and his final stint was marked by the ongoing debate between preservation and development of the forest.