Vail Resorts announced Tuesday the appointment of Rick Cables to vice president of natural resources and conservation of the company.

For the last two years, Cables served as the first director of Colorado Parks and Wildlife, guiding the July 2011 merger of Colorado State Parks and the Colorado Division of Wildlife. Today, Parks and Wildlife employs more than 900 people and manages nearly $4 billion in economic activity each year.

In this new role, Cables will manage natural resource issues for Vail Resorts, including land use, water and wildlife, and will work with the appropriate regulatory and government entities in this arena, according to a Vail Resorts news release. Cables also will oversee Vail Resorts’ natural resource conservation efforts and provide leadership for the company’s environmental efforts.

“We are thrilled to have someone with Rick’s vast experience and outstanding track record join the Vail Resorts team,” said Rob Katz, chairman and CEO of Vail Resorts, in a news release. “Rick has spent his entire career working to manage and restore healthy forests, watersheds and wildlife habitat and he is intimately knowledgeable about the iconic landscapes that serve as the foundation for all of our resorts.”

Before joining Parks and Wildlife in 2011, Cables spent 35 years with the U.S. Forest Service, most recently serving for 10 years as regional forester for the Rocky Mountain region.

During his tenure with the Forest Service Cables earned a reputation as a champion of national forests for both their natural resource and recreational values, the release stated. He also developed key public/private partnerships, such as the “Forests to Faucets” program with Denver Water.

“I am excited to begin a new chapter in my career,” Cables said in the release. “I have always been incredibly impressed with how Vail Resorts looks to balance their growth objectives with a commitment to environmental stewardship and sustainability.

“Their approach is perfectly aligned with my own vision for how we can create a more sustainable future for our forests by bringing together all of the important stakeholders and developing innovative approaches to protecting our natural resources.”

A native of Pueblo, Cables holds a bachelor’s degree from Northern Arizona University Forestry School and served several assignments within the USFS, including in the Washington D.C. office before being selected to attend the prestigious U.S. Army War College in Carlisle, Penn., where he graduated in 1990.

Cables enjoys skiing, hiking and elk hunting. He and his wife, Cindy, have three children and live in Boulder.