Laurel James is the Director of Programs at the Native American Fish & Wildlife Society in Colorado while concurrently pursuing her iPhD from SEFS and the Department of Anthropology here at the University of Washington. She expects to graduate this fall and in anticipation of graduation, we wanted to take a moment to speak with her about her current role and her research and experience while pursuing her BS and MS in Forest Resources (2008; 2012) and PhD here at the School of Environmental and Forest Sciences. While here Laurel was a member of the Precision Forestry Cooperative (PFC), who just celebrated 25 years of pioneering research and industry engagement. 

At your time at the UW how did you come across the Precision Forestry Cooperative? Did you know early on that you were interested in the geospatial sector or did the PFC help you discover that passion?

Laurel James: PFC helped me to understand the tools available to assist tribal nations in assessing their natural resources — from wetland delineation and tracking mammal movements to assessing forest stand inventories. The training I received at PFC helped me understand the breadth of tools available for both my research and my work with Tribes across the nation.

What was your search for internships or jobs like? How did the PFC support you? What advice would you give to someone who is looking for work right now?

LJ: I worked at UW for Daniel Schwartz in Chemical Engineering. Prof. Schwartz is now the director of the UW Clean Energy Institute. I have worked my way through my degrees. I can only imagine how tough the job market is right now. Many federal employees have been let go this year and many more have chosen an early retirement. So I hope that helps balance out the market for people searching for new positions. 

My advice would be to look beyond the standard online and federal sites and also consider the organizations associated with the field of work you desire to work in. For example and to name a few; Native American Fish & Wildlife Society and the Intertribal timber council, for tribal opportunities. I would also suggest looking at internship or career opportunities with the American Fisheries Society and the Wildlife Society for various related positions. 

You’re the Director of Programs at the Native American Fish & Wildlife Society in Colorado. What is that role like? How are you employing the skills that you learned while at the PFC directly to your career?

LJ: As the Director of Programs for NAFWS, I oversee the team of Biologists that focus on various priorities highlighted by our tribal communities. Our current focus areas include wildlife corridors, mapping and data analysis for wildlife migration movements, wildlife disease, Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD), aquatic & fishery species and pollinator species. In addition, our BIO team provides training that is requested by tribes, throughout the country. Some of our current and past trainings include: NEPA, Electroshocking/fishing, Wildlife Handling and Chemical Immobilization, Beaver Re-location, Tribal mapping, Fundamentals of R programming, Wilderness First Aid and Motorboat Operator’s Certification Course (MOCC).

This year, I am detailed from the Native American Fish & Wildlife Society to the Department of Interior-Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), Office of Trust Services, Environmental and Natural Resources. My task for this yearlong detail in part, is to focus on Nature Based Solutions and a Restoration and Monitoring framework for the BIA. 

I am also assisting with a congressionally mandated request to complete the Biodiversity and Climate Change Assessment as one of the co-authors for chapter 8B, US Policy Options and Solutions in a Complex and Changing Environment. We began this writing process with our first author meeting in the spring of 2024 and are nearing the completion of both our chapter and the entire document. Biodiversity and Climate Change Assessment | U.S. Geological Survey.

I believe my participation in previous collaborative and congressionally mandated reports provided me the necessary experience to join this author team. I assisted in development of the Voluntary Guidance for States to Incorporate Climate Adaptation in State Wildlife Action Plans and Other Management Plans Voluntary Guidance for States to Incorporate Climate Adaptation in State Wildlife Action Plans and Other Management Plans | U.S. Geological Survey and I was fortunate to be selected as a graduate student observer on the Indian Forest Management Assessment team in 2012-2013. 

What has been most surprising about your career as a woman in science? Any advice for young indigenous females looking to pursue a career in the geospatial sector or environmental science in general?

LJ: Working in any natural resource related field requires a willingness to understand the challenges and hurdles of the discipline you work within; as well as those that you work with. The majority of my work has been collaborative/interdisciplinary and I have learned a great deal from those around me. 

At the same time, Women in Science has challenges all its own, a strong sense of self is required to work in these male dominated fields (in my experience). I have also worked through my degree program as a single mother and balancing family, work and school, heightens the challenge. If I can work my way through a degree as a single indigenous female at one of the highest ranked universities in this country, then it is possible for other indigenous females to also succeed. It can be done. Nobody is saying it will be easy but it can be done. 

Recently, one of the greatest surprises was being asked to participate in the writing of a book titled, Women in Wildlife Science. The book addresses the opportunities and challenges for women in wildlife science, especially women from underrepresented communities. I was able to share a brief highlight of my time as a Hotshot crew member for the Wenatchee National Forest, Entiat Hotshot Crew. Albeit brief, that position played a huge role in my career trajectory. I’ve worked in the field of wildland fire, wildlife resources and have spent nearly a decade working on timber sale assessments, as part of an interdisciplinary planning team. 

My educational path has brought these lived experiences, full circle. I have a BS in Wildlife Science and my MS in Fire Ecology and nearing the completion of an Interdisciplinary PhD in Forestry and Anthropology. In my IPhD, I am honored to be able to work with the Confederated Salish & Kootenai Tribes in completing a forest history that utilizes both aerial photography and forest inventory data while assessing the traditional and cultural values of their land. I anticipate the completion of my dissertation in the Fall of 2025.

What lab were you a part of while a member of the PFC? Was being a member of the lab and a small cohort instrumental to your success?

LJ: I have been a part of both the Remote Sensing and Geospatial Analysis Laboratory and the Pacific Wildland Fire Sciences Laboratory with Prof. Alvarado. I have learned a great deal in both labs, while understanding the work that I was completing in combination with gaining knowledge from my labmates and the research they were conducting in the lab. As a part of my employment at UW’s School of Chemical Engineering, I worked with SEFS faculty as a Program Manager for the Northwest Advanced Reliables Alliance (NARA) grant. The Tribal Partnership portion of the NARA grant that was administered out of the School of Chemical Engineering and the program and included many faculty members from SEFS, providing a rich learning environment.

How have you seen the Geospatial sector change since you graduated?

LJ: Just recently I have heard how LiDAR is becoming the focal point for many tribes and federal agencies in the PNW. They are using the tool to  assess wildland fire fuel loadings. This effort may become the norm, if proven successful under the current effort especially with the current administration’s directive to consolidate fire programs amongst the various agencies into one agency for nationwide wildland fire response. A collaborative approach recognized by both federal agencies and tribal communities could assist in fire suppression activities that are also multi-agency and multi-jurisdictional when they cross over onto tribal land. 

There is a lot of uncertainty right now in the future of environmental research. How are you staying positive in the current climate? 

LJ: NAFWS has an agreement with the US Fish & Wildlife Service’s National Conservation Training Center Library. This agreement allows Tribes to register with DOI and gain login access to journal resources at the library, via their DOI login. This is a fairly new offering and provides opportunities that tribes have never had before, in terms of gaining access to research publications. Prior to this agreement, accessing research was cost-prohibitive for most tribes thus, they had no way of staying current about various species, habitats or methods to manage these species.

Our current environment is very uncertain but for tribes, this type of environment is not a new phenomena, as each administration brings about a certain level of uncertainty. We continue to strive to do our best with the resources that we have. 

What would you say to young, curious minds interested in studying the environment and some of today’s most pressing challenges?

LJ: I have seen a lot of young folks come out of college and step into a position without any type of field experience to orient them in their role out in the field. I recommend internships during their bachelor’s degree years that will provide that introduction to field work. I also recommend that they use those internships to help guide their selection for a Master’s degree program. 

My career began in wildland firefighting and I recommend at least a year of this type of work regardless of whatever career path or natural resource discipline is chosen. A year as a firefighter, in a very disciplined incident management team setting will provide a strong footing in natural resource management that can shape their career path and provide a continual understanding of the resources they hope to manage. 

My years working as a wildland firefighter, which began on a fire engine then a helitack crew for my Tribe and then as a hotshot crew member, have helped me understand various aspects of resource management and the importance of each decision for each species or fire environment. As a citizen of the Yakama Nation my holistic view of management was formed by my education in combination with my lived experiences and I am proud of the work that I’ve been able to do with and for Tribal communities throughout my career. I plan to continue this type of work for years to come.

A highlight of James’ career was being on a historic flight from Seattle to Washington DC on a plane powered by biojet fuel. Read more about James’ experience and work with the UW Chemical Engineering program.