STORY AND PHOTO BY KAREN BOSSICK

Kirk Flannigan, the area ranger for the Sawtooth National Recreation Area, is moving to a new post—that of the new Blaine County administrator.

Flannigan replaces Mandy Pomeroy who resigned a few months ago. He will assume his new post on June 30.

“We are pleased to welcome Kirk Flannigan to Blaine County,” said Angenie McCleary, Chair of the Board of County Commissioners. “After a thorough search process, the Board is confident that he will bring strong leadership, transparency, and dedication to county government. His experience in managing public resources and fostering community partnerships will be a true asset to our residents.”

Flannigan has more than 12 years of leadership experience in the public sector. In his role as SNRA area ranger, he worked with the Blaine County Recreation district to mitigate flooding damage along the Harriman Trail. He established camping sites along Prairie Creek Road and across the highway from Prairie Creek to address damage to the ecosystem from campers parking every which way.

And he was involved in tackling a number of large wildland fires in the Stanley area, including last summer’s Bench Lake Fire and the Wapiti Fire, as well as the earlier Ross Fork Fire, which burned a couple homes in Smiley Creek, and the Halstead Fire.

But this year is poised to be a trying one, with SNRA headquarters and the Stanley Ranger station losing about 60 percent of their staff following the layoffs of 3,400 U.S. Forest Service staff through sweeping DOGE cuts in the Trump Administration.

The U.S. Forest Service will look different in the years to come, Flannigan predicted.

As the County Administrator, Flannigan will oversee the operations of county departments under the Board’s authority, responsible for ensuring effective coordination and implementing Board-directed policies.

“Blaine County government has a great team that is focused on delivering effective and efficient services to the public, and Kirk will be an excellent addition,” said Lindsay Mollineaux, vice chair of the Commissioners. “I look forward to seeing how Kirk’s fresh perspective will help us continue to improve and innovate across all of our departments and offices.”

Flannigan has a Master of Science in Natural Resource Recreation Management and Planning from the University of Utah. He has a reputation for navigating complex environmental and community challenges with collaboration, strategic thinking and professionalism, according to the commissioners

“We were thrilled to have a large and highly qualified pool of applicants for this important role,” said Commissioner Muffy Davis. “(Kirk) brings outstanding leadership, public service, and management experience, along with expertise in wildfire response, stakeholder collaboration and transparent governance, making him exceptionally well-suited for this position.”