"Every acre that the National Forest Foundation and my team have treated here in the Sierra has helped protect the forests and the community that raised me. The risk of catastrophic wildfire looms constantly in my mind. We need to act now to reduce the number of unhealthy trees in our overstocked forests to ensure the forests around our community are resilient to wildfire, to protect and restore threatened habitat, and to capture and retain water in our watersheds."
BIO
Carson joined the National Forest Foundation in January of 2022 as the California Program Forestry Supervisor in the Yuba Ranger District. Carson grew up in the Tahoe Basin exploring the outdoors and all that the Sierra have to offer. This time provided the foundation for his desire to protect the land that raised him.
Carson received his Bachelor of Science in Cellular and Molecular Biology at Chico State. During his time at Chico, he found his passion interning at the Big Chico Creek Ecological Preserve conducting trail maintenance, invasive species removal, educational outreach, and prescribed burns. This experience shifted his career pathway to forestry. After graduating, Carson worked as a contractor on Pacific Gas and Electric’s Vegetation Management Program maintaining vegetation around the utility’s electrical grid for wildfire resilience. During his five years with Pacific Gas and Electric, his passion grew to restore forests and protect communities within them.
Outside of work, you can find Carson in the mountains biking, backpacking, backcountry skiing, cross-country skiing, rock climbing, rafting, and running.