BS - Environmental & Sustainability, Western State Colorado University, 2016
Master of Environmental Management – Integrative and Public Land Management, Western State Colorado University, 2019

What has been your career track thus far?

After my 2015 season as a Wilderness Ranger Fellow with the SBFC, I went to work for the Forest Service a Wilderness Ranger in the Sawtooth National Recreation Area. I patrolled solo on and off trail in the remote backcountry for five days at a time in the Sawtooth Wilderness (217,088 acres) and newly designated Hemingway-Boulders Wilderness (67,998 acres) and White Clouds Wilderness (90,769 acres). During my two seasons in the Sawtooth NRA, I had the opportunity to provide input and recommendations for the Wilderness Management Plan, bring to fruition a non-profit volunteer group called Wilderness Stewards, and oversee early season projects and logistics as Assistant to the Wilderness Manager.

*Tyler Lee meeting with Congressman Mike Simpson*

This past January I was sponsored by the American Hiking Society as a Next Generation Trail Leader to travel to Washington D.C. to advocate in favor of legislation that supports trails and wilderness at Hike The Hill. Over the course of a week, I met with Congressmen, Senators, and high-ranking government officials such as the Chief of the Forest Service. One of the meetings that stood out was with Congressman Mike Simpson of Idaho, where I was able to share my experience as a fellow with the SBFC.

Currently, I am a Candidate in the Masters in Environmental Management Program at Western State Colorado University with a focus on studying Integrative and Public Land Management. My thesis project in Colorado is assisting the White River National Forest with implementing an overnight limited use permit system in the Maroon Bells Snowmass Wilderness. The primary focus of this project will be to employ and enforce the inaugural permit system at the heavily used Conundrum Hot Springs. In addition, I will be seasonally employed by the White River National Forest as the Lead Wilderness Ranger overseeing a crew of fourteen trails and wilderness personnel.

Why did you want to fellow with SBFC?

Before I was a Fellow with SBFC, I had worked as an Assistant Crew Leader and Crew Member on AmeriCorps Backcountry Trail Crews. Since I was young, I had wanted to be a Wilderness Ranger and work for the Forest Service. I saw the Wilderness Ranger Fellowship with the SBFC as an opportunity to leverage my trail skills into a Wilderness Ranger Position.

What was your “aha moment” as a fellow?

The most moving experience I had as a fellow was standing in the Middle Fork of the Salmon River deep within the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness after several days of logging out trails. The river embodied the eternal nature of Wilderness through time, but more importantly, showed that we do not need wild places for nature's sake, we need wilderness for humanity’s sake.

How did the SBFC fellowship play a role in landing your first job out of college?

If it were not for SBFC, I would not have had the connections I needed to land a Wilderness Ranger position in the Sawtooth National Recreation Area. Furthermore, Wilderness Character Monitoring is becoming a necessary skill in the wilderness and recreation management field. The SBFC fellowship was an excellent opportunity to learn about Wilderness Character Monitoring and research in designated Wilderness.

How did you use the information you learned while being a fellow to help you in your college work and/or your new career?

One of the critical skill sets that has directly translated towards working with the Forest Service is volunteer management. There is a significant shift in the Forest Service towards “shared stewardship”, which means Forest Managers need to have outstanding relationships with partners, such as the SBFC. Working for the SBFC, I was able to see how volunteer groups function and how to efficiently coordinate volunteers in the backcountry from a Forest and Partner point of view.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years.

In five years I would like to see myself in a Wilderness or recreation management position with the US Forest Service. While I do not currently see myself having an “end goal”, I would like to have a position where I can effectuate positive change on a large scale, whether it be through policy or stewardship.