As a part of the Rausser College of Natural Resources, The Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management at the University of California, Berkeley seeks an Assistant Cooperative Extension Specialist in Forest and Fuels Management. RCNR is home to the largest collection of Faculty and Specialists in Forestry within the UC system. This is a full-time career-track research and outreach position.
Fire trends show that fire probabilities in California’s forests have increased since the 1960s. The headwater forests that; protect our complex water systems, supply the wood we build our homes with, provide key wildlife habitats, and host millions of recreational visitors are at an ever-increasing risk, as are ecologically distinct coastal and inland forests. Simultaneously, residential communities near and within flammable landscapes continue to rise, the majority of whom are typically not aware of the associated risks. With California’s increasing population and changing climate, more people are living in harm’s way in terms of direct risk from fires including particulate pollution and water degradation.
A fundamental challenge has been how to learn from experimentation and innovation at scales that vary from smaller sites to large watersheds and apply these lessons across California to help us live with fire.
Examples of high priority issues for this position include;
Understanding the interactions between forest management and fire risk to individuals, communities, and societies;
Designing forest and fuel management and policy solutions that confer resilience to natural and/or human systems;
Understanding the tradeoffs associated with carbon sequestration, timber production, biodiversity, and forest and fuel management;
Understanding how specific treatments such as grazing, prescribed fire, traditional ecological knowledge, and timber management impact fire frequency and severity.
The Forest and Fuels Management Specialist provide statewide leadership in forest and fuels management in the fire prone areas of California including urban, wildland urban interface, and rural areas.
Primary components of the position involve;
Extension
Research
Network External to UCANR
Outreach
Extension
The Specialist’s objective will be to create a collaborative, multidisciplinary research and outreach program with UC Cooperative Extension Advisors and Specialists, community partners, government/institutional groups, family forest owners, professional resource managers both private and public, local planning and land use professionals, a variety of forest interest groups, regulators, and policy makers.
The Specialist’s involvement with these groups may include;
Development of workshops
Policy briefs
Symposia
Field days
Webinars
Preparation of technical documents
Online methods to extend information
Research
The Specialist will work to establish an active research program as well as submit original findings to be published in various journals, including (but not limited to); Forest Science, Forest Ecology and Management, Canadian Journal of Forest Research, Ecosphere, Global Environmental Change, Landscape Ecology, Ecological Applications, Environmental Research Letters, Land Use Policy, and Landscape and Urban Planning.
Other important outlets include proceedings of various conferences including those of regional land use professionals, professional or landowner publications such as ANR leaflets and manuals, and trade or organizational journals.
Network External to UCANR
The specialist will build on existing networks of scientists within the University of California, state and federal agencies, as well as land use and planning specialists at the local and state levels. The specialists will also work closely with the professional staff at local, state and federal levels who manage regulatory and cost-share programs. The Specialist will be expected to develop relationships with each of these external groups. Engagement with the broad variety of NGOs in this area is also encouraged.
Outreach
It is expected that the Specialist will diligently pursue sources of extramural funding grants from USDA (NIFA, Forest Service), EPA, NSF, and other federal sources such as the Joint Fire Sciences Program. Within California, it is anticipated that the Specialist will actively peruse and apply for forestry related grants funded by the state.
Location & Support
The position will be housed on the Berkeley Campus in the Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management. The Rausser College of Natural Resources at Berkeley is home to; the Berkeley Forests, the Center for Fire Research and Outreach, and is the only UC to offer a Forestry Degree program (a Society of American Foresters accredited program in professional forestry). The Specialist will have an office and laboratory space on the Berkeley Campus. It is also anticipated that there will be opportunities for a field office/laboratory at one of the Berkeley Forests research forests if desired. A startup package will be used to allow the purchase of field equipment, computers, lab equipment and travel.
