Growing Together: Conversation with Terry Baker, Chief Executive Officer, Society of American Foresters

Terry Baker is the CEO of the Society of American Foresters (SAF). He oversees all of SAF’s programs and collaborates with his Board of Directors to establish a strategic vision committed to the scientific sustainable management of America’s forests.  

Prior to his selection as SAF CEO in September 2018, Baker served in various roles within the USDA Forest Service. His almost 20-year federal career started in his home state of Florida on the Apalachicola National Forest.  

Baker earned a Master’s degree in Forest Management and Policy from Yale University in 2007, a Bachelor’s degree in Forest Resources and Conservation at the University of Florida in 2004, and a Bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Sciences from Florida A&M University. 

How did your educational experiences at the University of Florida and Florida A&M University influence your path to leadership?

In addition to my technical studies, my time at both institutions developed critical leadership, innovation, and collaboration skills. I entered forestry to spend more time with trees than with people, but I came to understand that the work gets done through people, and that our forests are the responsibility of everyone. Working in teams and presenting to classmates and professors on projects was instrumental in building my public speaking skills and confidence.

At Florida A&M University, I had the opportunity to heavily engage in the cooperative program with the USDA Forest Service. While I was building my knowledge of soil science, ecology, and forestry, I had many opportunities to engage local communities through Extension efforts to raise awareness of the forestry profession and educational pathways.

At the University of Florida, I started my upper-level forestry courses and had my first introduction to the Society of American Foresters through the student chapter. I served as vice chair and chair of our student chapter, expanding my understanding of navigating administrative processes and empowering my classmates. These were invaluable experiences to take into my career as a federal employee. It is great to be right, but it is even better to understand how to make something happen.

How do Society of American Foresters’ (SAF) priorities align with land-grant universities’ research, education, and Cooperative Extension efforts?

SAF has been a long-standing organization supporting science and its role in the longevity and health of our forests and the communities they support. SAF has two peer-reviewed scientific journals, Journal of Forestry and Journal of Forest Science. Since 1902, SAF has supported forestry research and researchers through its scholarly journals. The ability to publish cutting-edge forest science, provide editorial and peer review experience to researchers and faculty members, and share that information with academic institutions and professionals across the country and around the world has been a core responsibility and effort of SAF.

Following graduation from a forestry, urban forestry, or natural resource program, we are a committed partner in the continuing education and professional development to meet the current and future needs of landowners, government agencies, private companies, and non-profits. Our online learning platform, www.forested.org, has reached over 1 million users following its launch in 2019. We also serve as the largest reviewer and approver of meeting agendas and education courses for continuing education credits. The number of reviewed events often reaches over 1,300 annually. Assigning these credits often results in higher engagement in meetings and courses (including Extension courses) among professionals who need them to obtain or maintain professional credentials.

As SAF advances sustainable management of forest resources through science, education, and technology to benefit society in perpetuity, how have land-grant universities helped strengthen its impact?

We have two key relationships with land-grant universities. SAF accredits forestry, urban forestry, and natural resource programs. This relationship represents our four-way handshake with land-grant universities: Universities, students and their families, employers, and SAF. This handshake represents our commitment to each other, ensuring that students build the necessary skills during their studies to meet the ever-changing needs of our forests and communities.

Our second relationship manifests as partners in education, research, and connection. This relationship is critical in our ability to connect with students, faculty, and staff to highlight our programs that may be of benefit. Also, we provide key opportunities for faculty and students to present their research at our National Convention, and our 30 State Society meetings held each year. These events easily eclipse 500 research presentations/posters shared with professionals. Lastly, this relationship represents the network of researchers that we can help bring into key industry discussions on the immediate and future needs of our forests and the research topics that will help us meet those needs.

If you could ask land-grant university researchers for help with one critical forestry issue, what would it be and why?

We are facing a critical moment in understanding the ties among forest health, insects and disease, wildfire resilience, forest product markets, international trade, workforce deficits, milling infrastructure, solar farms, carbon markets, natural capital markets, corporate sustainability pledges, development pressure, and forest ownership. How do we best design new studies and use existing science to inform policy decisions for the longevity of forests in the face of these ever-changing impacts or needs?

What experiences best prepare college students for today’s forestry workforce and what advice would you offer students who are pursuing related careers?

The forestry sector is facing a pivotal moment. As students navigate their journeys to graduation, the needs will be many and varied. A robust technical background in how forest ecosystems work will provide a strong baseline for capturing and analyzing data and information to inform recommendations to a respective landowner. The use of remote sensing techniques, drone technology, and satellite imagery to make high-level assessments will become a more regular part of a forester’s expectations. The variation represents the many ways you can take a forestry degree: crunching massive data sets using historic data to help address the challenges of today, business and investment expertise to navigate land sales and acquisitions, engaging private landowners as a consultant, Extension professional or state forestry professional, calculating carbon dynamics associated with forests for global impact, understanding how travel, trade, and weather patterns impact insect and disease outbreaks, ensuring that forest management practices also sustain or improve wildlife and fish habitat, or informing and/or drafting policy to bridge the gap between the needs of a community and the health of our forests.

All those great opportunities require strong communication skills, especially the ability to connect the dots and present a compelling story that connects with someone who may not be a technical expert.

My favorite pieces of advice for students or recent graduates come from my own experiences: “Your first job is not your last job. So, give something a try!” and “We get paid to go to places people pay to go!”

How can Cooperative Extension provide the most value to landowners and other forestry stakeholders in communities across the U.S.?

Cooperative Extension is a cornerstone of the land grant mission. It shows that these institutions are here for research, teaching the next generation of professionals, and bringing together researchers, field professionals, and the general public. That connection leads to a better understanding of the resources we are here to steward through landownership and the care of outdoor spaces. I know some of this already takes place, but I would promote Extension programs and increase their partnerships to help reach broader audiences and expand their impact. To do so will require trust in others to deliver their message, but to meet today’s needs, it will take all of us working together in new ways.

With an anticipated severe wildfire season, where do you see the most powerful partnership opportunities between SAF land-grant universities that will bolster the future of forest management?

I spent much of my early career fighting wildfires eventually moving into the financial aspects of wildfires, and then into roles overseeing the resource and community expectations and firefighter risk. We have experienced significant droughts in some parts of the country, large wildfires earlier this year in Nebraska, and a changing federal administrative structure. With these realities amplifying the potential for widespread significant fire activity, the immediate impact that SAF land-grant universities have will be through communication. Over 70% of wildfires are started by people or human infrastructure. That means there is a chance to reduce many fires starting through information and intentionality.

Wildland firefighters and their equipment are a finite resource. If firefighters are responding to an abandoned campfire for the safety of people and property, then they are not able to respond to a wilderness lighting strike fire that could grow significantly before resources can respond. Additionally, our ability to prepare landowners for risk to their property and forests and raise their awareness of resources available to them if their land is impacted by wildfire. It will take all of us to sustain and improve the health of our forests. Let’s start by taking the proactive fight to wildfires.