Inspire Session
Career Track
Public-Private Sector
Sarah Anderson
Ecologist - Forest Management, Range Management, and Vegetation Ecology
USDA Forest Service, United States
William Carromero
Talent Management
USDA Forest Service, United States
Deb Beighley
Talent Management Team Lead
USDA Forest Service, United States
Ecology, as a discipline, spans a broad array of organisms, geographies, and spatial-temporal scales. Appropriately, those trained in ecology end up in a diversity of roles including research, science delivery, teaching/training, natural resource management, policymaking, decision-making, consulting, and even human resources. In the US Forest Service, ecologists have found their way into all those roles and more. Not only is ESA for all ecologists so is the Forest Service.
The US Forest Service is part of the US Department of Agriculture, and with nearly 30,000 employees, the agency works every day to fulfill its motto of “Caring for the Land and Serving People”. The Forests Service’s Research and Development branch is a world premiere research organization that works to improve the health and use of the Nation’s forests and grasslands. Beyond researching today’s threats and challenges, R&D ecologists work on science delivery, technology transfer, and science communication to ensure the appropriate synthesis and application of the latest scientific findings.
Beyond research, the 193 million acres of public lands managed by the National Forest System (NFS, another branch of the Forest Service) provide ample opportunities for applied ecological work. From field surveys and monitoring to National Environmental Policy Act analyses, there are many roles that require training and background in ecology. Ecologists are rarely limited to the technical roles, and they often end up in an array of planning and decision-making roles, where understanding the ecology of the managed lands is helpful.
In addition to offices under the Chief of the Forest Service and branches supporting business operations and finances, the Forest Service also has State and Private Forestry, the branch that reaches across agency boundaries. This branch provides technical information and financial assistance to landowners and resource managers across the country in partnership with states, Tribes, and communities. They also lead the agency in managing wildfire and in wildland fire management, operations, and research where ecologists provide expertise, connect with communities, and conduct research.
Examining the different roles ecologists have throughout the Forest Service highlights the diversity of ecology in the federal government and demonstrates opportunities of which those outside of the government may not be aware.
Presenting Author: William Carromero – USDA Forest Service
Presenting Author: Matthew J. Reilly – USDA Forest Service
Presenting Author: Vita Wright – USDA Forest Service
Presenting Author: Audrey Maclennan – USDA Forest Service
Presenting Author: Upekala Wijayratne – USDA Forest Service
Presenting Author: Mary Moore – USDA Forest Service
Presenting Author: Deb Beighley – USDA Forest Service