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Eastern Washington Forests Program Ecologist

Background: Reese has spent the last 15 years in research and management settings where he has applied lessons learned from conservation and restoration science. He earned a B.S. in Environmental Policy with a minor in Biology from Western Washington University in 1993. Working for the Kootenai National Forest Service in Montana, Reese focused on monitoring fire effects and response of forested plant communities. In 2005, he earned a M.S. in Ecosystem Studies from the University of Washington while researching fuel treatment effects on fire behavior and severity in Wenatchee mountains with professor James Agee. Before starting his current position with TNC, Reese worked in a cost-share position with TNC of New Mexico and the Gila National Forest Service. There, he worked with Forest Service staff to strengthen the scientific basis for fire management, and to help managers identify goals, objectives and priorities for treatment of hazardous fuels and restoration of ecological systems.

Current Projects/Professional Focus: Working with the Eastern Washington Forests Program Team, Reese focuses on applying scientific principles of conservation and restoration toward the Program mission of restoring resilience to eastern Cascades forest and woodland biodiversity in a changing climate. Being successful in achieving such an ambitious mission, means that Reese works with his team across landscapes from very large to the site level where restoration actions actually occur. He works closely with land managers such as Federal and State agencies, tribes and private interests.

As a member of the Tapash Sustainable Forest Collaborative, Reese is working with other agency scientists to develop an analysis tool called Central Washington Landscape Analysis. This tool will help Collaborative members better understand current forest conditions, how current and past cross-agency actions are affecting forest resiliency, set restoration priorities, and collectively determine how to meet objectives by working across ownership boundaries across 4 million acres. Bridging the gap between the landscape and the site, Reese is working on developing and testing methods for integrating landscape analyses with site level restoration projects in the Naches Basin across TNC, State, and Forest Service ownerships. At the site level, Reese is working with partners to further integrate ecological elements into restoration prescriptions in context of landscape diversity.

Fun Fact: Reese, with his wife and two sons, aged three and five, have embarked on an adventure of producing a large proportion of their food. The latest addition of two milk goats keeps his boys happy with ice cream, yogurt, and cheese. He can’t wait until they are old enough to milk!