Please Welcome New Board Member - Tom Carlson

Tom Carlson, former USDA Forest Service Representative for the Arthur Carhart National Wilderness Training Center from 2002 - 2010, recently became the newest member of the Society's Board of Directors. Tom has a venerable history with wilderness, and brings years of experience and a wealth of knowledge to the Society.

Most recently, Tom focused on developing and implementing interagency training courses and workshops, identifying and responding to wilderness information needs, and supporting wilderness education efforts. Tom was also involved with developing content for Wilderness.net such as the on-line ‘toolboxes’, and revising and implementing the Wilderness Distance Education Program training courses, He was a member of the Forest Service Chief’s Wilderness Advisory Group and the Wilderness Information Management Steering Team. Prior to his last position, Tom worked as a Wilderness Manager on the Eagle Cap Ranger District/Hells Canyon National Recreation Area, Wallowa-Whitman National Forest and on several national forests in Oregon, Colorado, and Wyoming.

Tom, a forestry grad from the University of Minnesota worked on a number of wilderness projects while at the Carhart Center, including:

• Developing a visitor use capacity determination guide for wilderness.
• Planning and implementing classroom and field training courses for line officers and staff.
• Developing and delivering new on-line training courses in Visitor Use Management and Natural and Cultural Resource Management
• Assisting Washington Office Staff and field managers with achievement of the 10 Year Wilderness Stewardship Challenge and preparing new policy for current wilderness management issues.

Past positions that Tom has held include:

• Recreation Forester, Arapaho-Roosevelt National Forest, Ft. Co0llins. CO, 1978-1988
• Recreation Technician, Deschutes National Forest, Bend, OR, 1988-1990
• Recreation Planner, Willamette National Forest, Sweet Home. OR, 1990-1992
• Recreation and Wilderness Manager, Wallowa-Whitman National Forest, Enterprise, OR, 1992-2002

"I joined the Society for Wilderness Stewardship because I agree with the mission and goals," said Tom. "There has long been a need to support the professionals who manage and contribute to management of wilderness in the same way that other professional societies have. I want to help grow the Society and assist it to become an influential organization for wilderness."