Understanding Forest Health
How PSICC Silviculturists Use Prescriptions to Improve Forest Health
Author: Joshua Cowden
Unit: Pike-San Isabel National Forests & Cimarron and Comanche National Grasslands
A forest's health depends on a wide variety of factors. Risk factors such as high-severity wildfire, insect infestation and spreadable disease can devastate a forest and the communities surrounding it. Understanding the complex relationship between these factors is a job uniquely designed for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service timber program and its team of certified silviculturists and foresters. Foresters manage timber resources by developing annual work plans and carrying out short range timber management programs, and their work varies across forests. A silviculturist requires specialized training to learn the science of controlling the establishment, growth, composition and health of the forests. While many start their career in the various forester positions within the agency, only a select few continue to become a certified silviculturist. The process of becoming an accredited silviculturist is long and arduous, with a similar workload as a full-time master’s program. Within the last two years, two employees on the Pike-San Isabel National Forests & Cimarron and Comanche National Grasslands (PSICC) became certified silviculturists, each dedicated to improving the health and vigor of the Pike and San Isabel National Forests.
Meet the silviculturists of the PSICC
Matt Williams is the Pike zone silviculturist, responsible for the Pike National Forest, which includes the Pikes Peak, South Park and South Platte ranger districts. Williams started with the Forest Service as a seasonal employee in 2017. After two part-time seasons, Williams became a full-time forester in 2019. Before joining the Forest Service, Williams spent six years in the United States Air Force as an aircraft mechanic. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Natural Resources Management from the State University of New York, College of Environmental Science and Forestry in Syracuse, New York. He followed up with a Master of Natural Resources Stewardship in Forest Sciences from Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colorado.
Williams’ career path in the Forest Service has all been within forestry. After completing a few seasons as a timber sale preparation forester, and then a silviculture forester, Williams requested to attend the National Advanced Silviculture Program (NASP). A lot of time goes into becoming a certified silviculturist because an employee must complete the program and all 41 required task book items. This work is done at your own pace, so the timeline for completion varies.
“I technically started the process when I started with the forest service in 2017 because all that experience went towards completing the 41 required task book items,” said Williams. “However, I opened my task book to officially start the certification process in September of 2021 and got certified in August of 2024. So, the official process took me approximately three years.”
On the San Isabel National Forest, which includes the Leadville, Salida and San Carlos ranger districts, Eric Eden is the zone silviculturist. After attending Colorado State University in Fort Collins and double majoring in Natural Resources Management and Forestry, he began his federal career. Eden has over 10 years of forestry experience with the Forest Service, first starting on a timber stand improvement crew with the Dillon Ranger District of the White River National Forest. In 2018, he accepted a pre-sale forester position with the Salida Ranger District of the PSICC. Pre-sale foresters are responsible for laying out proposed projects on the ground and writing contracts to implement those projects.
Eden attended the 17th NASP class with the Forest Service in 2023-2024, shortly after accepting the silviculturist position on the San Isabel National Forest. He completed the four regional modules and two local modules required for certification within the Rocky Mountain Region of the Forest Service. It took a total of around 25 months.
What goes into becoming a certified silviculturist?
The Silviculturist Certification Program ensures that practicing silviculturists have the knowledge, skills and abilities needed to prepare adequate silvicultural prescriptions that address the complex management objectives of National Forest System lands. A silvicultural prescription is a document that describes a planned series of treatments designed to change the current tree stand structure and composition to one that meets management goals. These treatments can include thinning, harvesting or prescribed fire.
NASP provides unique opportunities to improve one's knowledge of silviculture. Enrollees meet with professionals from diverse backgrounds, share experiences and make connections. NASP consists of four modules designed to be rigorous, demanding and academically challenging. Students are expected to work during evening hours and undertake pre-work assignments in their home units before each module. This education is critical to acquiring the state-of-the-art knowledge and skills necessary for writing sound and defensible silviculture prescriptions.
Silvicultural certification is part of the Forest Service policy. The policy states, "On National Forest System lands, all silvicultural activities that cut, burn, establish, or otherwise modify forest vegetation must have a silvicultural prescription prepared or reviewed by a certified silviculturist before implementing the project or treatment.” So, it increases the capacity and ability to continue forest management at a large scale while still abiding by the law and Forest Service policy.
“Silviculture knowledge and experience is needed more now than ever because of increased emphasis on reforestation, hazardous fuels reduction, ecosystem restoration and climate change,” said Eden.
Certified silviculturists must demonstrate competency in landscape management, forest stand dynamics and developing treatment alternatives. Completing the NASP program is a lengthy and challenging process. However, with certification comes a wealth of knowledge and expertise these employees can pass on to their home units.
NASP collaborates with four leading academic institutions: the University of Minnesota, Oregon State University, Michigan Tech University and Virgina Tech university. These universities, respectively, conduct four modules, titled Ecological Systems, Inventory and Decision Support, Landscape Ecology and Advanced Silviculture Topics. Students on the certification track also take additional regional modules explicitly developed for expertise in regional forest types.
How is this education used to make a healthier forest?
Williams took a couple of key lessons from the certification process. One of the most important is the idea of being a lifelong learner.
“I will always be learning as a silviculturist,” said Williams. “After NASP, I felt like I had a pretty strong grasp on what it took to be a silviculturist, but there are so many different aspects of this job. I am constantly uncovering something new that I don’t know. I’m always reading a new scientific study, using a different software or database or just seeing different treatment results that show there is so much to learn in this field.”
A career in silviculture can be fun and rewarding. A silviculture prescription impacts a wide variety of aspects of the forest. From fire mitigation and forest health to recreation and forest research, silviculture is a commonality between making all these things sustainable.
“Almost all aspects of forest management are impacted by the silviculturist’s decisions,” said Williams. “When you write a silvicultural prescription, you have to consider how that will impact the future stand and other resources. Silvicultural treatments typically have a very long-lasting impact, so we want to be sure to make informed management decisions.”
The PSICC is thankful for the recent additions to their timber personnel. Retaining highly skilled individuals is vital for good land management practices. As communities in the west continue to be devasted by high-severity wildfires, keeping up with proper forest prescriptions is critical. As forests become too dense or crowded, the threat of wildfire and insect and disease infestation rises. Having adequately trained silviculturists on the forest allows the PSICC to continue operating operating quality mitigation and land management techniques. These techniques include mechanical thinning and preserved fire operations. These are treatments that will help create a healthier and more resilient forest. But, to do any of these, the plans must be approved by a certified silviculturist.
For others interested in a career in silviculture, experience is the most important thing to gather. Time in the field and exposure to various climates and environments are critical.