It's not often that you will find an employee who spends their entire career working in their own hometown .
At the Forest Service, workers often move to and from various locations.
But that's not the case with the retired Superior Ranger on the Lolo National Forest.
Carole Johnson recently retired as District Ranger in the community she has lived her entire life.
“It’s home," said Carole. “We’re a close knit district. We’re a family.”
Carole was born and raised on a ranch outside Superior.
She continues to ranch and is well known for her Hereford cattle.
She has held the District Ranger post in Superior for seven years.
“I certainly couldn’t have done it without my employees giving everything they had," she said. "I'm proud of our accomplishments and proud of my employees."
She also credits their partners, stakeholders and all the people in the community she served.
Carole started out as a part time summer employee 50 years ago.
Growing up in the area she was already familiar with much of the forest.
"We certainly went hiking," she said, "and rode some of the trails and hunted."
"It's steep terrain," she said. "We've got some of the most beautiful alpine lakes in the backcountry that you would find anywhere."
As a ranch girl she was used to, and loved the natural environment.
"I wanted to work outside," she said. "I was hired in recreation to work in the campgrounds."
It was 1971.
Carole had just graduated from Superior High School and was on her way to Montana State University in Bozeman that fall.
She worked for the Forest Service every summer through college.
In the first three summers she worked surveying all the streams on the Superior District.
"It was a baseline study for fish habitat," she said. "That was a fun job, especially during the hot summer wading in the creek."
Carole earned her college degree in history.
She put that knowledge to work on the forest.
You might wonder what does history have to do with forestry?
“As an agency," said Carole, " we have a great legacy and we have a great history to tell.”
When the Great Burn of 1910 ravaged millions of acres of forest, Savanac Nursery in Haugan supplied seedlings to replace those burned trees.
Savanac has always been close to Carole's heart.
When the site fell into disrepair, she spearheaded efforts to upgrade the grounds and buildings.
Savanac, so much a part of Forest Service history, is now a major destination draw that draws tourists from all over the world.
"She developed recreation in this district into what it is today," said Mineral County Fire Warden Mary Jo Lommen. "There's not an area in this whole district that Carole hasn't had her hands on."
Mary Jo worked with Carole in the Forest Service.
But their friendship goes back long before that.
"Carole and I have known each other since we were little kids," said Mary Jo. "We graduated from high school together."
"I'm very proud of her," she said. "She's one of my truest friends."
NBC Montana met Mary Jo, Carole and their friend Denley Loge on a popular hiking trail.
It's one of the district's most accessible recreation sites.
“We’re on the Murphy Creek Trail," said Carole, " out here just about four-miles from Superior.”
Carole collaborated with Mineral County leaders to create the trail and its beautiful park-like landscape.
On this warm June day, sunlight strikes the towering trees,.
A light breeze ripples native grasses and everything is bright green.
It's a lovely place.
Here, crews thinned many bug killed or diseased trees to be used as timber.
"We needed to clean it up," said Carole. "But we wanted it to look nice and be a place that people could come and use."
“People can ride their bicycles out here," she said, "or take a short drive and hike."
“This is an example of how we can manage a forest," said Denley of Murphy Creek, "and get good economy out of the forest but still have a pleasant experience.”
Denley is a Republican State Representative from St. Regis.
As a logging and sawmill community, the area was hit hard with the decline in the wood products industry.
But the legislator credits Carole for helping ease that financial crisis.
“We still have timber sales going on," said Denley. " Active timber sales."
"We see logging trucks sitting in front of motels at night now that we didn’t see ten years ago," he said. " I think we have to look at Carole and thank her for a lot of that.”
Carole also worked with Idaho colleagues doing stability tests on snowpack to determine chances of avalanches.
That work may have saved lives.
“We tried to teach backcountry winter recreationists," said Carole, " to make sure that they’re checking the snowpack.”
But her friends say it wasn't just Carole's work in the Forest Service that earned her respect from her community.
She has dedicated her life to community service projects.
There's a particular location that spotlights those efforts.
"I've spent a lot of time here at the Mineral County Fairgrounds," said Carole, of the shaded, immaculate grounds.
She is a life- long 4-H and rodeo supporter.
Serving on the fair board, she helped organize efforts to improve the fairgrounds.
"Carole Johnson needs to be thanked for her involvement in 4-H , the fairgrounds and for her involvement in the forest," said Denley. "She has been a leader in everything that she has done."
NBC Montana asked Carole what her definition of a leader is.
In her role as District Ranger she said "you try to set a good example."
"You look after your employees," she said. "You look out for people in the communities that you serve."
We asked Mary Jo what her friend's legacy was.
“Carole Johnson’s legacy," she said. " I would say a pillar of our community in the Forest Service and the community itself.”
The Lolo National Forest has two-million acres as a whole.
On the Superior Ranger District, Carole was responsible for 500,000 of those acres in her service to the American people.