Matthew Reischman

Chief Reischman has over 25 years of diverse environmental regulation and resource management experience. He began his career in 1994 working as a Wildlife Biologist for the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. In 1996, he accepted a Wildlife Biologist position with a private timber company on the North Coast of California. He started his state service in 2000 as an Environmental Scientist with the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board, where his work involved surface and ground water regulation.

Chief Reischman began his CAL FIRE career in 2004, as a Forest Practice Inspector in the Amador-El Dorado Unit. In 2005, he transferred to the Nevada-Yuba-Placer Unit (NEU) as the Vegetation Management Coordinator, later promoting to the NEU Unit Forester, with supervisory responsibilities for Resource Management, Pre-Fire, Vegetation Management and the Fire Prevention Bureau. In July 2014, he promoted to the Forest Practice Staff Chief position at Sacramento Headquarters responsible for the Timber Harvest Administration, Forest Practice Enforcement and Forest Practice Watershed Protection Programs.

In 2016, Chief Reischman promoted to the CAL FIRE Assistant Deputy Director of Resource Protection and Improvement where his program responsibilities included: Urban Forestry, Vegetation Management/Prescribed Fire, Pest Management, Environmental Protection, Archeology, State Nurseries, Landowner Assistance, the California Forester Improvement Program, Forest Legacy and the Demonstration State Forest Programs. Chief Reischman has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Wildlife Management from Humboldt State University. He is a Registered Professional Forester, Wildlife Biologist and a P.O.S.T certified peace officer.