Experience

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  US Forest Service

  • International Ecosystems Consulting

    • 2006 - 2013

    I provided local and strategic guidance for landscape planning emphasizing sustainable natural resource use and protection to several countries in Africa. I worked with NGO's, USAID, and host country professionals. Countries I consulted includes Angola, Madagascar, Republic of Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Niger.• In Angola, I was a member of a three person team to develop and present a workshop to a group of Angolans teaching global climate change impacts to southern Angola (Kalahari desert ecosystem) and land use planning concepts allowing the Angolans to work with their local communities to develop tools to improve their livelihood through land use changes addressing climate change.• In Madagascar, I worked with natural resource professionals developing a prototype forest management plan designed to implement land management by private operators. The land use management plan was designed to be expanded to other tropical forested regions of the country.• In the Republic of Congo and Democratic Republic of Congo, I assisted with the development of sustainable strategic landscape recommendations addressing prescribed fire management in the Savannah ecosystems and restoration of tropical rain forest on landscapes on ten’s of million hectares. The Savannah and tropical gallery forest are being degraded and deforested from human caused wild fires, fuel wood demand, and bush meat hunting severely impacting the biological diversity of large areas of the Congo basin. • I prepared a biological diversity and tropical forest assessment for Republic of Niger for USAID identifying the significant biological diversity elements for protection and enhancement from future aid programs. The assessment identified at the national level biological diversity and natural resource assets, provided an overview of impacts from USAID activities to these assets, and identifies actions within current and future programs where USAID could promote conservation.

  • Ecosystems Team Leader/Landscape Planner

    • 1999 - 2013

    I wwas the Ecosystems team leader in the temperate forest ecosystems of the Great Lakes area of North America emphasizing sustainable natural resource use and protection. • I lead Hiawatha National Forest Natural Resources team (8 years) responsible for resource management for fire suppression, fuels, wildlife, botany, fisheries, water, soils, ecosystems, vegetation (silviculture), timber (sale planning, preparation & administration), and forest landscape planning with budget responsibilities ranging from 10 to 15 million dollars annually. I was a member of the Forest’s leadership team integrating the natural resource programs with the other programs on the forest in addition to assisting with the overall management of the forest including resolving forest issues with staffing, work priorities, budgets, awards, office space, workforce organization, technology recommendations, forest policies, facilitating meetings, and acting as Forest Supervisor during their absences.• I lead the Hiawatha National Forest (~1,000,000 acres) through updating the forest plan, a document that guides Forest management for 15 to 20 years (6 years). This involved developing a strategy, identifying tasks, managing budgets, timelines, staffing, developing ecosystem models, leading analysis and documentation, supervising the interdisciplinary team, resolving conflicts, and leading collaboration with stakeholders. The Forest Plan planning process was completed in two and a half years following applicable laws and regulations, the quickest and least cost Forest Plan update ever accomplished in Forest Service history. I also was a member of the Hiawatha’s Forest Management Team involved with the overall management of the forest.

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  US Forest Service (Klamath, Willamette, & Ochoco NF

  • West Coast, USA (OR & CA)

  • Forester

    • 1979 - 1999
    • West Coast, USA (OR & CA)

    I was a Forester on three National Forest (Ochoco, Willamette, and Klamath) working in nearly every aspect of National Forest land management. o I was a Forest Planner and Forest Silvicuturist (Ochoco National Forest, 5 years) with primary responsibility to lead the preparation for updating the forest plan. This involved identifying and developing landscape level models of the ecological processes including vegetation succession and disturbance regimes, developing growth and yield tables, and information needs assessment following current and developing policies and regulations. o I lead a Ranger District (Ochoco National Forest, 3 years) supervising the Districts' timber sales planning program with a staff of nine full time employees setting work priorities and timelines, providing direction, solved resource and personnel issues, managed budgets, conducted risk assessments, and directed environmental assessments meeting laws, policy, and regulations. o I planned and implemented an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for a major wildfire recovery and restoration (Willamette National Forest, 2 years). This involved coordinating and organizing 32 resource specialist in the planning effort developing solutions to existing and potential problems, developing alternatives, analyzing effects, and meeting environmental laws and policies. o I was team/project leader for numerous Ranger District programs (Klamath & Willamatte National Forests, 10 years) including reforestation, timber stand improvement, forest inventories, preparing timber harvest prescriptions, planning and administering timber sales, plan and participate in prescribed fire for fuels treatment, wild fire suppression, and numerous recreation programs. This required identifying tasks, setting priorities, developing timelines, documenting processes and decisions, managing budgets, and supervising permanent and temporary employees.

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  US Peace Corps

  • Republic du Niger

  • Volunteer

    • Jun 1975 - Sep 1978
    • Republic du Niger

    I was a Peace Corps volunteer for over three years (1975 – 1978) working with Niger's Forest Service. For two years I was a Forest Technical Advisor working on various afforestation projects and one year as a Forest Biologist in Niger's portion of Park W. I supervised the implementation of various afforestation projects including sand dune stabilization, windbreaks, firewood plantations, gum Arabic plantations, live fencing, and shade trees for villages and markets. Each project required raising planting stock in nurseries, site preparation and planting; and protection and maintenance of reforested areas. I supervised daily five to eight workers during the nursery, site preparation, and plantation maintenance activities and up to 60 workers during planting. I worked as a Forest Biologist with duties to develop an existing and potential vegetative map for Niger's Park "W". I also worked with the Park Director and game guards assisting with park protection, plant and animal surveys, and tourism planning and administration.