Gabe (left) Steve (right) returning from the last hitch as SBFC fellows in the summer of 2017.
Master of Forestry, Michigan Tech, November 2017
B.A. Economics, Rutgers University, August 2009
Why did you want to fellow with SBFC?
Over the previous 4-5 years prior to fellowing with SBFC I had been going through a career change from the finance world to the natural resources world. Partway through that experience I decided forestry was the way to go for me, however I still hadn’t had the opportunity to deeply explore what life as a Wilderness Ranger would be like, and for a long time I assumed it could be the most enjoyable work in all of the natural resources fields. This fellowship gave me the opportunity to live the life of a Wilderness Ranger for a summer and see if that was the career path I wanted to pursue after graduation or if I wanted to stick to a more traditional forestry route.
What was the most poignant experience you had as a fellow?
The juxtaposition of brutally demanding physical work and the absolute splendor of relaxing in the wilderness with little distractions provides a good representation of my experience as a fellow. An example from one particular day, we spent it digging out and rebuilding a small section of trail that had been completely covered in rock debris from upslope erosion. Imagine a combination of moving large heavy boulders and shoveling scree over and over again for hours. Every time you dig, more scree fills in from upslope so that it doesn’t even look like you are accomplishing anything. However, after several hours we started to hit more solid earth and constructed a crib wall to mitigate further erosion. It is the most physical work I have ever done. In heavy contrast to that, during our lunch break we sat in the shade, dipped our feet into Big Creek and listened to it rage past us as we had absolutely nothing to do but enjoy our lunch and relax. No phone calls, no emails, no noise, just us and the splendor of the Frank Church. This same experience was repeated many times throughout the summer and I think it not only reflects work as a wilderness ranger but also the wilderness experience in more general terms, challenging yet peaceful at the same time.
What has been your career path post college graduation?
After completing my master’s degree I was hired by the US Forest Service on the Eastern Region Timber Strike Team. As a member of the strike team I worked on national forests from Minnesota to West Virginia and Maine to Missouri. Most of the time I marked and cruised timber, but I also did some forest inventory measurements. Marking and cruising timber is in its essence utilizing a guide to choose which trees will be harvested and which trees will be left, mark them appropriately with paint, and measure a sample of them in order to estimate the total volume/value being removed. I moved up quickly on the strike team as there is a lot of turnover with all the travel physical work required. After detailing as a team leader for a few months I accepted an offer to be a Silvicultural Forester on the Coronado National Forest in Tucson, AZ. As a Silvicultural Forester I primarily plan and implement forest restoration projects. These projects are usually targeted at restoring vegetation conditions closer to pre-settlement conditions in which fire impacts were not as detrimental and/or improving wildlife habitat (we have over 30 federally listed endangered species on the Coronado).
How did the SBFC fellowship play a role in landing your first job out of college?
While most of the skills I learned as a fellow for SBFC are not directly related to my current position, I think showing potential employers that you have the mental and physical fortitude to spend long periods of time in the wilderness doing challenging work speaks a lot about character and ability to work in a team. I also have to work with interdisciplinary teams often, which include our recreation staff, so having an understanding of their work is very helpful when working on different types of projects together. I believe our leaders in the US Forest Service value staff members with diverse backgrounds that can understand a variety of disciplines within natural resource management. It also never hurts to have your Wilderness First Responder certification when you’ll be working in the woods.
How did you use the information you learned while being a fellow help you in your college work and/or your new career?
The fellowship really helped give me perspective on the history of federally designated wilderness and hammer home some of the important dates and laws I had previously learned. This understanding certainly helps me to be a more well-rounded and knowledgeable natural resources professional, especially for USFS. Additionally, prior to this fellowship all of my seasonal positions in natural resource management didn’t come with many challenges. As such, I wore rose colored glasses when considering careers throughout natural resources. This fellowship taught me not only about where I wanted to go in my career, but also where I didn’t want to go, and that might be even more important when starting down a new career path.
Where do you see yourself in 5 years.
I love my current position with the US Forest Service and am really enjoying living in the Sonoran Desert. I expect to have this position for the next 2-4 years and then have the opportunity to apply for a promotion to be the Forest Silviculturist. That has been my dream job since starting on my journey as a Forester and I am really excited that I may have the opportunity to snag it in a place I am falling in love with. Although, I do miss Western Montana and Central Idaho!
If you have any other thoughts or observations you’d like to share with our readers – please do.
I just want to give a big thanks to all the folks who make SBFC a great organization including the employees, board members, donors, volunteers, other fellows, and partners. It was a great summer and an excellent learning experience that I wouldn’t have had without you. The work you are doing is critically important to preserving our public lands! Keep on getting after it! If you have any questions for me or plan to visit Tucson, feel free to get in touch, steven.mantani@usda.gov.