People/ Partners
This program is developing through the support of two USDA Forest Service Collaborative Forest Restoration Program (CFRP) grants titled “Adding Value to New Mexico Wood through Branding and Chain-of-Custody” and "Expanding Market Opportunities for New Mexico Wood". Below is information on the incredible team of project partners.
Rachel Wood Program Manager
Rachel has worked as a consulting forester for over twenty years mainly as a consultant for private landowners, and also as a tribal forester, forest contract inspector for NM State Forestry, and as a forestry expert in wildfire litigation. Rachel has prepared numerous forest management plans, along with timber appraisals, wildfire damage assessments and rehabilitation plans, and work consisting of ecological and socio-economic monitoring, forest inventory, mapping, silvicultural design, tree marking, defensible space planning, project administration, erosion control, and grant writing. Rachel integrates client's objectives for forest health, fuels reduction, wildlife, soil, timber, water, fish, recreation, and aesthetics with the condition and capability of the immediate and surrounding forests, economic and social conditions.
Rachel is Society of American Forester’s Certified Forester #2029. Rachel has also completed over 200 Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Chain-of-Custody certification audits throughout the United States contracting with the Rainforest Alliance.
Rachel's experience as a forester and FSC Chain-of-Custody auditor have led her to create the GoodWood program at the encouragement of others and due to the fact that FSC and the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI) certification systems are barely taking place in the Rocky Mountains and the Southwest. In addition, after witnessing the effects that catastrophic wildfires have on our forests, water, wildlife, soils and other natural resources she realized the need for public education and promotion of the excellent forest restoration treatments taking place in New Mexico and elsewhere that help sustain our incredible forests and watersheds.
Kathryn (Katie) Fernholz Executive Director of Dovetail Partners Inc.
Kathryn (Katie) Fernholz is a dynamic and compelling speaker addressing the environment and sustainability. She brings a unique combination of both a broad understanding of the complex interconnection between society and the environment, and the experience of her own personal journey from a family organic farm to forestry school to being a leader and international expert on the responsible management of forests and farms. Katie shares her knowledge and experience with diverse audiences and engages them in developing a clear understanding of natural systems within an historical context and an exploration of their own land ethic - the relationship each of us has with our environment and the personal values that define it. Her passion for the complexity and beauty of natural ecosystems blends with a pragmatic recognition of the challenges and choices that we are faced with, as well as the tools - heart and mind - that must be united if we are to move forward. Katie lives in Minnesota and works, travels, and speaks throughout the United States, Canada, and Europe. http://www.dovetailinc.org
Marie Rodriguez Owner/Member Promise PCES, LLC
Marie, along with her husband, Roberto Rodriguez started Promise PCES, LLC following her retirement in 2015. Marie brings over 30 years' experience in federal land management to the planning, communication, and environmental services (PCES) offered by Promise. Marie has special expertise in NEPA with 20 years of experience and completion of Duke University's Environmental Leadership NEPA certification series. Marie also earned a certificate in Environmental Communications through Duke's Environmental Leadership program. Marie started her career working for the U.S. Forest service in fuels and fire management in Oregon, California, and New Mexico. Over the years, she broadened the scope of her work, ultimately overseeing an interdisciplinary stewardship program at the Valles Caldera National Preserve, in the Jemez Mountains of New Mexico.
David Breecker President David Breecker Associates
David’s work focuses on strategies for economic, industry, and business development, primarily in northern New Mexico. He has 20 years experience leading numerous projects in the clean energy area, founded the Microgrid Systems Laboratory in Santa Fe, was principle author of the NM film and media industries strategy project with Governor Bill Richardson’s office, and led the Santa Fe County economic development plan team in 2014, among many other projects. www.breeckerassociates.com
Eytan Krasilovsky, Rachel Bean, Esme Cadiente at The Forest Stewards Guild
The Forest Stewards Guild is a professional organization of forest stewards, associated natural resource professionals, and affiliates who are passionate about restoring and sustaining the integrity of our forests while meeting the needs of the communities that rely on them. The Guild is a non-profit organization (501(c)3). We are a national organization with regional projects and programs across the country. The Forest Stewards Guild practices and promotes responsible forestry as a means of sustaining the integrity of forest ecosystems and the human communities dependent upon them. The Guild engages in education, training, policy analysis, research, and advocacy to foster excellence in stewardship, support practicing foresters and allied professionals, and engage a broader community in the challenges of forest conservation and management. The Guild’s Southwest Region supports the organization’s goal of practicing and promoting excellence in stewardship by building a sustainable forest-based economy, developing future forestry leaders, practicing ecological forest restoration, and training and educating forest workers and landowners. Eytan Krasilovsky is the Southwest Director at the Forest Stewards Guild. The Southwest program continues the legacy started by the Forest Trust in 1984 to practice and promote excellence in stewardship by building a sustainable forest-based economy, developing future forestry leaders, practicing ecological forest restoration, and training and educating fire and forest workers and landowners. Eytan develops, funds, and implements projects, to support these goals.
Krista Bonfantine Arid Land Innovation, Field Measures
Krista Bonfantine is a watershed ecologist who grew up in Albuquerque dreaming of becoming a marine biologist. She holds a M.S. in Water Resources from the University of New Mexico and a B.S. in Biology from Colorado State University. A goal throughout her career has been to educate and engage with the public on natural resource issues. Krista founded Arid Land Innovation in 2006 with the intention of building a firm that combines ecology, fire, and watershed science with community participation and public education. Her experience includes watershed and forest health assessment, fuels management, hydrology, community wildfire planning, and fire ecology. She recently founded a company called Field Measures that is developing mobile applications for collecting and reporting ecological field data.
Drew Tulchin UpSpring Associates
UpSpring is a boutique management-consulting firm supporting the design, growth and measurement of mission-driven, market leveraging, and values based ventures across New Mexico, throughout the U.S. and around the world. We generate ideas, spark actions, and measure results providing tailored, practical and affordable solutions to real world problems. UpSpring (previously Social Enterprise Associates) was formed by a collaboration of consultants who recognized a need for market leveraging, mission based, and values driven expertise to generate ‘triple bottom line’ returns enhancing people, profit, and place. This certified HubZone small business became a ‘B Corporation’ in 2010, the first in New Mexico. Today, UpSpring – a networked, virtual learning organization – brings a circle of colleagues, seasoned experts covering many sectors to work with young professionals constituting the next generation of leaders – to affordably solve your problems. www.upspringassociates.com
Other Project Partners
Santa Fe National Forest, Cibola National Forest, New Mexico Forest Industry Association, National Wild Turkey Federation, The Nature Conservancy, New Mexico Forest & Watershed Restoration Institute, Mighty Nonprofits, Pueblo of Jemez, Alamo Navajo School Board, Santa Fe Area Homebuilders Association, Shanahan & Associates, New Mexico State Forestry Division, New Mexico State Land Office, Mt. Taylor Manufacturing, Roger Tucker Inc., Terry Conley/TC Company, Walatowa Timber Industries, Silver Dollar Wood Products LLC, RC Forest Products, and the Colorado State Forest Service - Colorado Forest Products™ Program.
In accordance with Federal law and the USDA civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, disability, and reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity. (not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.)
Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g., Braille, large print audiotape, and American Sign Language) should contact the responsible State or local Agency that administers the program or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.
To file a program discrimination complaint, a complainant should complete a Form AD-3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, which can be obtained online at https://www.ocio.usda.gov;document/ad-3027, from any USDA office, by calling (866) 632-9992, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant’s name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted to USDA by:
(1) Mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue SW, Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; or
(2) Fax: (833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442; or
(3) Email: program.intake@usda.gov.