Performing Department
Wildland Resources
Non Technical Summary
Forest resource managers have recently been tasked with increasing the pace and scale ofmanagement activities as directed by the Forest Service Chief's Wildfire Crisis Strategy. Givendirectives to adapt to climate change, manage wildfire risk, and increase the acreage ofmanagement activities, graduates entering the land management workforce need training ininterdisciplinary and team-based approaches to managing our changing forests. We propose torecruit a cohort of forestry graduate students to engage in research that addresses the TargetedExpertise Shortage Area, Forest Resources (USDA discipline code C). We will address two awardcategories: Master's-level, and Doctoral-level training in Forest Resources (two students, each).Our program will require student participation in: 1) activities that promote working effectively inteams; 2) collective involvement in extension and seminar-type activities focused on buildingleadership skills; 3) the development of mentoring skills, and; 4) training in state-of-the-arttools/skills. NNF students will navigate a set of structured activities designed to improve theirunderstanding of the scientific rationale underpinning forest resources management. Activities willbe delivered through mentoring, and overseen by an Advisory Group that will also help quantifyoutcomes associated with the NNF projects. Projects will specifically addresses USDA StrategicPlan Goals 1.1: Use Climate-Smart Management and Sound Science to Enhance the Health andProductivity of Agricultural Lands, and 1.2: Lead Efforts to Adapt to the Consequences of ClimateChange in Forestry. Our program will instill leadership, team-building skills, and core knowledgeabout science-based decision-making to ensure improved management in the face of change.
Animal Health Component
40%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
40%
Applied
40%
Developmental
20%
Goals / Objectives
Broadly, the goals are to train 4 graduate students in subjects related to 'Managing USDA wildfire crisis strategy landscapes in the Intermountain West.' Our objectives are to select non-traditional students, train them for MS (2) or PhD (2) degrees, and see through to graduation these students and their associated theses/dissertations. In support ofNational Needs Targeted Expertise Shortage Area ofForest Resources.Specific objectives: 1) student selection; 2) recruitment; 3) training and project development; 4) mentoringthrough to graduation.?
Project Methods
Select, recruit, train, mentor, and see through to completion four graduate students at Utah State University. Each student will have a different graduate research project associated with the Wildfire Crises Landscape area, TBD.