Location: On-site - Quincy, CA
Job Type: Full-time
Closing Date: 8/15/2024
The University of California, Agriculture and Natural Resources (UC ANR) offers a unique recruitment opportunity for a UC Cooperative Extension (UCCE) Forestry and Natural Resources Area Advisor.
We are looking for new member of our team with experience working with regional and Tribal communities to promote forest health and fire resilience. The ideal candidate will have a demonstrated commitment to building partnerships and uphold a commitment to meaningful engagement and advancing efforts that reflect the needs and priorities of our community partners. UC ANR operates a statewide network of researchers and educators dedicated to the development and application of knowledge to address local agricultural, environmental and health issues. Over 150 UC ANR UCCE advisors conduct research, outreach and education from locally based CE offices serving all 58 counties from 70+ locations throughout the state. Our mission is to bring the power of the University of California directly to Californians through research, extension and education programs that support:
Sustainable, safe, and nutritious food production and delivery
Economic success in a global economy
A sustainable, healthy, and productive environment
Science literacy and youth development
By working and living among those we serve, UC ANR expands the University of California’s reach to engage all people and communities in California, ensuring equal access to the UC system.
Location Headquarters: Quincy UCCE Office, Plumas County, CA.
Purpose: The Forestry & Natural Resources Advisor will implement an extension education and applied problem-solving research program in sustainable forest management on both private and public lands for Plumas, Sierra and Lassen Counties.
The Advisor will provide expertise and leadership in forest sustainability and resilience which are at considerable risk from wildfire, climate variability, and insect infestations. The work will address barriers to active forest management and topics such as range-wide forest fuel accumulation that has caused a growing high-priority issue of high-severity wildfire. These issues threaten forests, habitat, watershed stability, water quality and quantity, as well as community wildfire resilience. Continued drought and apparent rapid climate change will lead to greater insect and disease issues with the potential for widespread tree mortality.
The Advisor will provide leadership, information transfer, and technical help to address increasing needs for economically effective reforestation strategies throughout the service area. The advisor will operate as part of a team of Forestry and Natural Resource Advisors located throughout the state.( e.g., Redding, Quincy, Eureka, Ukiah and South Lake Tahoe, serving Shasta, Siskiyou, Trinity; Plumas, Sierra; Humboldt, Del Norte, Mendocino, Lake; and El Dorado, Amador, Calaveras and Tuolumne Counties).
Research, Extension and Education: The CE area advisor for forestry and natural resources will conduct a locally-based research, extension and education program to address high priority issues with focus on forest resource management and the sustainable use of forest resources in the three counties. Important issues to be addressed include sustainable forest stewardship, forest fuels management, fire resilience, postfire reforestation, water quality, fire-wise communities’ education, carbon sequestration, invasive species, pest management, air quality and public education. The CE area advisor will work with landowners, government and non-government agencies to reduce risks of wildfire and manage post-wildfire revegetation; focus on making healthier communities by providing access to the research and education of the University to support the sustainability of the natural environments; and, work to improve the Californian’s understanding of forest ecology and management to foster sustainable productive use of forests.
The area advisor will provide essential leadership to address critical issues facing forestry and other associated natural resources in Plumas, Sierra and Lassen Counties. The focus of the applied research program will be based on a needs assessment and may include partnerships with a variety of campus and county-based colleagues. The CE advisor will develop and conduct applied research and demonstration projects that address issues such as: 1)How do the current regulatory climate and economic constraints affect forest landowner's ability to sustainably manage lands to provide goods and services? 2) How can woody biomass be removed and contribute to a viable economic enterprise? A key role would be examining the potential uses of biomass and looking at methods of biomass harvesting, to develop economically and environmentally sustainable industries based upon woody biomass from the forest. 3)What is the role of fire, and how can prescribed fire be used in managing understory vegetation? This is an opportunity for UC academics to collaborate with and provide training to Fire Safe Councils and Volunteer Fire Departments and 4) How can water quality and quantity be improved through sustainable forest management?
Close affiliation with UC Baker Forest in Meadow Valley provides a unique opportunity for the advisor to partner with faculty and specialists, the private timber industry, the US Forest Service and regional NGO’s in conducting applied research projects. Research will be synthesized and popularized in ANR publications, trade and professional publications, conference proceedings, workgroups, newsletters and other outlets. Publication outlets may include forestry journals and natural resource journals (such as California Agriculture, the Journal of Forestry, and the Journal of Forest Ecology and Management).
County and community partners rely on UC ANR CE advisors as a critical resource for providing research-based information across a variety of disciplines. CE advisors disseminate appropriate, science-based information to inform clientele, using extension methods that are responsive to clientele needs and appropriate for the audience and situation. Science-based research results and other educational information will be disseminated using a variety of methods including individual consultations, presentations at landowner and industry meetings, workshops, short courses, field demonstrations, UC ANR publications, newsletters, technical reports to commodity boards/funding agencies, peer-reviewed journal articles, and an appropriate mix of contemporary and emerging electronic tools (such as online learning, web content systems and repositories, social media, impact and evaluation tools), along with specialized and public media outlets.
This is an exciting opportunity to have meaningful impacts in the communities in the target counties and throughout California. The opportunities for collaborative partnerships that link consumers and resource professionals with relevant science-based information and promote effective problem solving within and external to UC are extensive. You will also join a team of highly motivated UCCE colleagues who are passionate about their work and are dedicated to making a difference within the communities and working landscapes of California.
Counties of Responsibility. This position focusses on the counties of Plumas, Sierra and Lassen. There is opportunity and expectation to work collaboratively across counties.
Reporting Relationship: The CE advisor serves under the administrative guidance of the University of California Cooperative Extension Plumas, Sierra, Lassen County Director.
