USFS Research Fellowship for RAD in Wilderness Climate Change Adaptation Project

*Applications are reviewed on a rolling-basis.

USFS Office/Lab and Location: A fellowship opportunity is available with the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service (USFS) in Missoula, Montana.

At the heart of the U.S. Forest Service's mission is their purpose. Everything they do is intended to help sustain forests and grasslands for present and future generations. Why? Because their stewardship work supports nature in sustaining life. This is the purpose that drives the agency’s mission and motivates their work across the agency. It’s been there from the agency’s very beginning, and it still drives them. To advance the mission and serve their purpose, the U.S. Forest Service balances the short and long-term needs of people and nature by: working in collaboration with communities and our partners; providing access to resources and experiences that promote economic, ecological, and social vitality; connecting people to the land and one another; and delivering world-class science, technology and land management.

Research Project: The Aldo Leopold Wilderness Research Institute (ALWRI) is currently engaged in research concerning climate change-adaptive decision-making in federally designated wilderness. The research will be co-produced with managers from the National Park Service as well as scientists from the United States Geologic Survey and Michigan Technological University. Climate change is exacerbating existing disturbance impacts to forested vegetation communities on Isle Royale. Whether or not to intervene to resist changes to current vegetation composition and structure, accept changing conditions, or direct change to a new climatically compatible vegetation community will have wide-ranging implications for important wildlife species and visitor use experience. Additionally, much of Isle Royale is federally designated wilderness, which further complicates the decision of whether or not to intervene to confront a transforming landscape. 

Learning Objectives:

• Evaluate use of the RAD (resist-accept-direct) framework to describe a multi-perspective decision space surrounding habitat management options related to the preservation of current habitat conditions that support moose, and subsequently wolf, populations on Isle Royale. This framework is intended to help managers and community members evaluate potential choices (actions or deliberate inactions) and potential outcomes related to these choices while balancing conservation needs for an iconic predator-prey community with the need to act within the bounds of the Wilderness Act.
• The RAD decision space will be informed by science completed at the Aldo Leopold Wilderness Research Institute, and partners as appropriate, to highlight the ecological, social, and legal trade-offs and consequences of selecting resist, accept, or direct in space and time on Isle Royale.

Mentor(s): The mentor for this opportunity is Kira Hefty (kira.hefty@usda.gov). If you have questions about the nature of the research, please contact the mentor(s).

Anticipated Appointment Start Date: 2023/Early 2024. Start date is flexible and will depend on a variety of factors.

Appointment Length: The appointment will initially be for 10 months, but may be renewed upon recommendation of USFS and is contingent on the availability of funds.

Level of Participation: The appointment is part-time.

Participant Stipend: The participant will receive a monthly stipend commensurate with educational level and experience.

Citizenship Requirements: This opportunity is available to U.S. citizens only.

ORISE Information: This program, administered by ORAU through its contract with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to manage the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE), was established through an interagency agreement between DOE and ARS. Participants do not become employees of USDA, ARS, DOE or the program administrator, and there are no employment-related benefits. Proof of health insurance is required for participation in this program. Health insurance can be obtained through ORISE.

Questions: Please visit our Program Website. After reading, if you have additional questions about the application process, please email ORISE.USFS.RMRS@orau.org and include the reference code for this opportunity.

Qualifications

The qualified candidate should have received a doctorate degree in one of the relevant fields.