2011 Chair: Ken Nolte
Letter from the Chair - Feb. 2011

Introductions & Visions

To start off my year as NorCal SAF Chair, I want to remind you who I am and touch on my thoughts and goals for 2011.

My background is different from most other chairs. The majority of my education is in wildlife management. However, I completed a minor in biology and an emphasis in forestry during my undergraduate studies and a statistics minor to accompany my graduate degree.

I have always believed my education was balanced and based on science. As a student, I was involved with the Wildlife Society. As a graduate student, I presented my research at a National Wildlife Society meeting and had more than 10 publications in refereed journals and proceedings. My goal was to pursue a job at a university, where I would split time between students and research.

Then, when I was team-teaching a course in Wildlife Habitat Management at Texas A&M University, something changed. About halfway through the semester, we realized that the students in this senior-level course did not have a good foundation in wildlife. For the remainder of the semester, we “filled in the blanks” as best we could. We wanted to feel better about the qualifications with which our students were leaving A&M. This led me to realize I needed to focus on teaching students practical information that would help them become well rounded natural resources professionals. Hang in there; this story does have a purpose.

I applied for teaching positions across the country. Fortunately, my first interview was at Reedley College. Most of you are familiar with their Forestry Technology program. They were looking for someone with wildlife background to replace a retired faculty member. After I was offered the position, it was brought to my attention that I should “consider” joining SAF. I joined in 1998, participating in chapter meetings and taking over as advisor for the Reedley student chapter.

As I became more active in the High Sierra and Wyntoon chapters, I had an epiphany: Despite my wildlife background, I felt at home with the foresters in SAF. During my time with the
Wildlife Society, it was all about research. I am not discounting the value of basic research. However, if the research is not applied to management, it has less intrinsic value. It seemed to
me that foresters were doing a better job of getting the applied research to the field. As a member of SAF, I am proud to be involved with a group of dedicated professionals who are well grounded and whose work is based on a realistic view of conservation. (Keep in mind this is only my perspective.)

Now, my goals for 2011. First, we must continue to focus on small rural communities, as Nick did during 2010. No other area in the country knows more about the impact of forestry on the economy than Northern California. We need to remain focused on this issue into the foreseeable future. It concerns me when I hear people state that the current economic downturn has forever changed forestry and related industries. While part of me acknowledges this is likely true, another part hopes that it is not. Change is inevitable. Yet, the key is to change in a way that meets current and future needs and trends, while maintaining the integrity and history of our profession. As members of SAF, we must keep this in mind in the coming years.

I also would like to look at the importance of forestry education to the future of our economy, our rural communities, our profession, and our forest communities themselves. Forestry programs in California (both two- and four-year institutions) have had highs and lows in recent years. While programs at the three universities appear to have remained relatively stable, all but one of the accredited technician programs has disappeared. There are several two-year programs across California with comprehensive transfer or terminal degrees in forestry (e.g., Reedley College, Shasta College and College of the Redwoods). Other colleges, such as Modesto JC, Santa Rosa JC, Bakersfield College, and Feather River, offer forestry and/or natural resources curriculum. However, in the 13 years I have taught in California, a number of programs have gone away or have changed significantly (in my opinion for the worse).

While much has changed in the past 30 years, the fundamental roles of the community college have not. One is to provide an environment where students get hands-on experience. Second, and equally important, is to mentor students into the career pathway that best fits their skills and interests. Finally, community colleges should provide basic curriculum that is transferable to universities. While there are jobs for students graduating with Associates Degrees in forestry, most jobs will require a Bachelor of Science degree or beyond, especially if a student wants to advance up the ranks.

So what challenges does forestry education face? We need to address a diversity of issues, including SAF accreditation, course articulation between community colleges and universities, relevance of course content, placing students in seasonal employment to gain experience, developing internships with industry, and developing programs that meet the needs of a diverse student population.(Continued... Click here to read page 2.)