Alumnus Joins Advisory Board of American Forests

03/07/2014

An alumnus of the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry (ESF) has been named to the Science Advisory Board of American Forests, the oldest national conservation organization in the United States.

Dr. Paul K. Barten, who earned his associate in applied science degree at the ESF Ranger School in 1978 and his bachelor's degree in forest resource management from ESF in 1983, is one of two new appointees to the board. The advisory board informs and evaluates American Forests' forest restoration work and public policy initiatives, including helping develop new programs and projects.

"We are deeply committed to employing sound science in our forest protection and restoration work," said Scott Steen, American Forests president and CEO. "The Science Advisory Board ensures that both our board of directors and staff have access to some of the best thinking in the world from a wide variety of forest-related disciplines, including ecology, genetics, hydrology, evolutionary biology, urban forestry, fire and more."

The American Forests Science Advisory Board members represent a diversity of fields, geographic areas and work experience to help address myriad issues facing America's rural and urban forests. The other new appointee is Dr. Jennifer Jenkins, director Science and Strategy at Applied Geosolutions, LLC (AGS) in Washington, D.C.,

Barten is professor of forestry and hydrology at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and executive director of the Great Mountain Forest in northwestern Connecticut. His research includes field and modeling projects focusing on forests, land use, stream flow, water quality and aquatic ecosystems. The primary motivation for this work is the protection of drinking water supplies and aquatic ecosystems in collaboration with local communities, water utilities, nongovernmental organizations and state and federal agencies. In many cases, this involves the development and application of GIS-based analytical methods to identify and prioritize critical areas for conservation, restoration and stormwater management in large, diverse watersheds.

Barten has served on three National Research Council study teams, in 2000, 2004 and 2008, and as scientist-at-large on the research planning committee of the Sustainable Forest Management Network in Canada from 2003 to 2010. He was a Bullard Fellow at the Harvard Forest from 2003 to 2004.

After graduating from ESF, he earned his master's and doctoral degrees in forest hydrology and watershed management from the University of Minnesota.