Faces John E. Dorka John E. Dorka was appointed chief of the ODNR Division of Forestry in April 2002. As the state's chief forester, Dorka is responsible for managing Ohio's 20 state forests totaling more than 184,000 acres. The Division of Forestry also provides forest management assistance to private woodland owners in Ohio, assists local communities through urban forestry programs and works to prevent the destruction of forestlands by fires, insects and disease. Joining ODNR in 1974, Dorka was a state forest ranger and district forester in Muskingum and Athens counties before becoming assistant chief of the forestry division in 1988. Dorka holds a degree in forest management from the University of Michigan. He resides in Worthington and has two children. | |