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Assistant Cooperative Extension Specialist - Forest Health - Environmental Science, Policy, and Management

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Position description

The Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management at the University of California, Berkeley seeks an Assistant Cooperative Extension Specialist in Forest Health. This is a full time career-track research and outreach position (http://ucanr.edu/About_ANR/What_is_ANR/). The expected start date is July 1, 2015. The Forest Health Specialist will help create a collaborative, multidisciplinary and multifaceted research and outreach program with UC Cooperative Extension Advisors and Specialists; community partners; government/institutional groups; forestland owners and managers, and land management and advisory agencies with forestland responsibilities. The Specialist will investigate the linkages between policy and planning processes, and environmental outcomes on forests at multiple scales.

The Specialist will develop an applied research and extension education program focusing on the interaction of insects, climate and vegetation management in conifer-dominated forests that cover more than 20 percent of the state. Episodic population increases of insects and diseases have created annual economic losses of millions of dollars from mortality, reductions in tree growth and quality, loss of amenity value, increased fuel loading and fire intensity, and accompanying soil erosion. Several of the current beetle outbreaks from British Columbia to Mexico are among the most severe in recorded history. They illustrate the need for a research and extension program to apply principles of forest science and integrated pest management to various forest health issues in California’s forests.

The duties of this position are to: (1) Develop information on forest health issues statewide; (2) Extend forest pest management and monitoring information to resource managers, landowners, policy makers, and the general public; and (3) Develop an applied research program focusing on the interaction of insects, climate and vegetation management in forest environments.

The Specialist will be expected to develop a nationally competitive research program and to obtain extramural grant funds. Meaningful engagement in University of California’s Agriculture and Natural Resource’s Strategic Initiatives and Program Teams is also essential for a successful program, see http://ucanr.org/About_ANR/Strategic_Vision/. The incumbent will be expected to qualify for licensing as a California Registered Professional Forester within three years following their fulfillment of the licensing prerequisites.

Justification: Large changes in California's forest environments from climate change, fire suppression, and population growth have increased the potentially destabilizing impact of forest insect population dynamics. Fire suppression has created forest stand structures that have a higher predisposition to catastrophic losses to insects, especially during periods of extreme climatic events. The highly mobile human population settling in forested areas and the widespread planting of ornamental tree species increases exotic species introduction for which there may be no natural resistance. Increasing importation of wood products from throughout the world creates another pathway for exotic forest pest introduction. Projected climate changes may predispose forests to new and unknown impacts from insects, pathogens, and invasive plant species. The impacts can have large economic impacts to different types of forests that may be managed to produce wood products, protect watersheds, provide diverse habitats, or provide a backdrop to populated areas. The skill to identify these risks and developing strategies to address the changing population of people, insects, and diseases in forested environments is currently lacking.

Extension: There is a large clientele base that would be served by this position. The 12 million acres of conifer dominated forests owned by families and businesses lack the in-house expertise or consultants necessary to provide the best science and management advice. Membership organizations such as the
http://ucanr.edu/About_ANR/What_is_ANR/ Forest Landowners of California, the Forestry Committee of the California Farm Bureau, the California Association of Resource Conservation Districts, and the California Forestry Association provide key forums where a specialist can interact with interested forest landowners. In the public sector, the USDA Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, National Park Service, California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, California Department of Food and Agriculture, California State Parks, and many local government agencies also would look to the Forest Health Specialist for leadership. Professional groups such as the Board of Forestry’s Forest Pest Council, Forest Vegetation Management Conference, and the Sierra Cascade Intensive Forest Management Cooperative would also provide excellent opportunities for input and collaboration on priority issues and experimental work. Forest products companies, non-industrial forest landowners, land trusts, conservation groups, consulting foresters and arborists, and the horticulture and nursery industry would also look to the Specialist for advice on forest health issues. Some specific examples are: 1) Develop research findings and transfer information for use by public and private sectors concerned with wildland or urban forest health. 2) Coordinate extension activities with other forest pest and disease management personnel. Extend information on concerns and problems of public and private sectors to appropriate University, USDA Forest Service and California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection personnel. 3) Maintain professional competence and interactions by participating in professional organizations, workshops, conferences, and other means. 4) Facilitate affirmative action programs to encourage greater participation of minorities, women, and other underrepresented groups. Assist in the conduct of effective outreach programs for the above themes.

Research: Some research areas where the Specialist could address the challenges affecting both rural and metropolitan forests:
1) Development of pheromone trapping to monitor bark beetles and their natural enemies to assist in forest management decisions. Participation with U.S. Forest Service personnel on Ips, Dendroctonus and Scolytus spp. research and management activities. Develop programs with private forest landowners who can use a much broader range of vegetation management, biological control, and integrated pest management strategies.
2) Monitoring techniques for forest defoliators and development of prediction methods such as for Douglas-fir tussock moth. Cooperation with U.S. Forest Service, Cal Fire pest management experts, and selected U.C. Farm Advisors.
3) Development of integrated pest management strategies and monitoring methods for insects and diseases in large urban forest areas. Examples re: urban tree aphids, Eugenia psyllid, blue gum psyllid and elm leaf beetle, California oakmoths, various bark beetles, root diseases, and parasitic plants (e.g. mistletoes).
4) Relationship between forest health and wildlife populations under different management regimes and across mixed ownership landscapes.
5) Provide leadership in emerging issues from the Gold Spotted Oak Borer in oak woodlands and forests.
Relevance to the Division of Agriculture and Natural Resources Strategic Vision: Enhancing sustainable natural ecosystems is a key initiative of the UCANR Strategic Vision. Natural resource advisors currently lack a full-time forest health specialist with expertise in conifer trees and forests. A new specialist would play an important role in linking research and teaching resources of the campuses with advisors and landowners around the state.
Location: The position would be located at UC Berkeley, a base for the diverse forests of Northern and Central California. There is good access to our expanding number of research forests and private and public forests managed for a diversity of goods and services. The specialist will have access to UC Berkeley’s large number of capable graduate students, forest ecologists, entomologists, and other expert academic staff, who would be collaborative and supportive of the activities of the new specialist. For additional information on the department and the campus, visit http://ourenvironment.berkeley.edu, and http://berkeley.edu.

Support: Office space and laboratory space will be provided as appropriate to the research focus of the candidate. Administrative support, computing, internet access, telephone access, and research costs for the position will be provided by the supporting unit(s) in an amount commensurate with other CNR specialists. AES natural resources faculty currently enjoy research support from numerous federal, state, local, and nongovernmental sources. Expanding the kind and amount of outside support should be a goal of the new specialist.

Qualifications and Application: The completion of all Ph.D. (or equivalent) degree requirements except the dissertation is required at the time of application. The Ph.D. (or equivalent) degree is required by the start date. The successful candidate will have a doctoral degree (or equivalent) in a discipline related to forest health, including, but not limited to, forest science, entomology, disturbance ecology, or integrated pest management. Additional qualifications include demonstrated writing and public speaking skills to communicate to a diverse audience of professional and non-technical clientele, the ability to design and carry out high quality research in a discipline related to forest health, and the capacity to serve as a team member on interdisciplinary projects in forest health and ecosystem sustainability. The candidate should be able to work productively with diverse communities and stakeholders, and to build cross- disciplinary teams to meet the diverse challenges of the interaction of forest pests and diseases with fires, resource management, and public safety. Salary is commensurate with experience.

Each document should be submitted as a separate pdf file. Filenames should include the applicant’s last and first names. Letters of reference will be requested as needed for committee deliberations. All letters will be treated as confidential per University of California policy and California state law. Please refer potential referees, including when letters are provided via a third party (i.e., dossier service or career center), to the UC Berkeley statement of confidentiality (http://apo.berkeley.edu/evalltr.html) prior to submitting their letters.

The next review date is January 12, 2015. To receive full consideration, please submit all materials prior to this date; however, this position will remain open until filled. Please direct questions to espm_recruit@berkeley.edu.
UC Berkeley has an excellent benefits package as well as a number of policies and programs in place to support employees as they balance work and family.

The department seeks candidates whose research and service has prepared them to contribute to our commitment to diversity and inclusion in education and outreach. The University of California is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, age or protected veteran status. For the complete University of California nondiscrimination and affirmative action policy see: http://policy.ucop.edu/doc/4000376/NondiscrimAffirmAct.

Application Requirements

Document requirements
  • Cover Letter

  • Curriculum Vitae

  • Statement of Research - Statement of research and extension interests and experience.

  • Statement of Contributions to Diversity - Brief statement of past and/or potential contributions to diversity and inclusion.

  • Publication One - PDF copy of recent publication.
    (Optional)

  • Publication Two - PDF copy of recent publication.
    (Optional)

  • Publication Three - PDF copy of recent publication.
    (Optional)

Reference requirements
  • 3 required (contact information only)