Nate McKeen, forestry district manager at Vermont’s Department of Forest, Parks and Recreation (FPR), recently reached out to us with a request to share a job posting. We were happy to oblige, and asked in turn if he might be willing to answer some questions about his life and his work at FPR. Here are excerpts from that conversation:
Where did you grow up, and what brought you to Vermont?
I am from Fryeburg, Maine, and grew up between the Saco River and foothills of the White Mountain National Forest. I have been in Vermont since late 1992, when I returned from working with the Peace Corps in Senegal and came to ski and snowboard instruct at Jay Peak, and serve as park manager at Little River State Park.
What kept you in Vermont?
The woman of my dreams was working at Jay Peak. Jane and I have been married 25 years now with two daughters.
How did you end up in your current job, and what do you enjoy about it?
I worked for years as a parks regional manager for the state, then as chief of park operations for the Parks Division within FPR, which was amazing. However, with a forestry degree from the University of Maine, a father who worked as a logger, an uncle and cousins who owned a sawmill, and a woodlot of our own, I decided to take an opportunity to jump over to the forestry division and experience this side of land management.
What does a “forestry district manager” do?
I manage two offices encompassing southern Vermont (Rutland and Springfield) and work across the primary forestry programs (Private lands, State Lands, and Forest Protection) on a regional level to advance the goals of each program and coordinate activities. This requires a lot of administrative, planning, and management work in the office with colleagues and partners.
How often do you get into the woods?
I walk with the dogs in our woodlot most mornings and evenings. At work, I do not get out in the field as often as I would like.
Any other “creatures” you live with?
Chickens, horses, rabbit. I am partial to the chickens because we actually get something we can eat in return!
Finish this sentence: I never go into the forest without…
LUNCH! The people I work with are passionate about what they do and very thorough. My rule of thumb is I add by one-third to the time a colleague predicts a visit will take.
What are the best parts of your work?
I really enjoy the variety and breadth of responsibility, and my colleagues.
How do you think the public views forests?
One particular concern I have is how well the average citizen is connected to our forests, and how well they understand what a healthy forest looks like. For example, good forest management and harvesting activities can look like devastation and destruction.
What’s your favorite Vermont park?
Tough question! There are so many amazing parks spread throughout our small state. I have visited every one of them multiple times and also camped with our family at many. Little River State Park would have to be my favorite. It is beautiful, expansive, includes a lot of history from the CCC [Civil Conservation Corps] days and hardscrabble hill farming settlements, and has lots of great recreational opportunities. Plus that is where I started my career with FPR, as a park ranger.
What are you reading right now?
I just finished the novel Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens. This was a wonderful exploration of marshlands and the coast of North Carolina told through a story of murder mystery, abandonment, resilience, romance, and prejudice, and triumph (all the good components). Reading this makes one want to go explore a marsh and not take nature for granted. I think that this type of writing needs to be woven into how we get people interested in science and biology and should be a component of teaching it.
Any other book recommendations for those who love the woods?
I also recommend Collapse, How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed by Jared Diamond. This is a very interesting and strangely not depressing read. A primary take home message is that the failure of societies often begins with poor forest management and loss of forests. I would be remiss not to mention the boss’s book – Woods Whys by Forest Commissioner Michael Snyder. This book is a terrific collection of 63 essays written for anybody to read. [Note: these essays first appeared in Northern Woodlands magazine.]
What are your thoughts on the Use Value Appraisal program?
The program is so wonderful in part because private landowners are able to achieve financial benefit for managing their forests and open lands in a manner that benefits all Vermonters. It is a challenge to own forestland both financially and socially. Often the return on investment takes many years to play out and there are also pressures from citizens who would like to recreate in your forests, or from community members concerned about how you are managing your land.
How do you think public forests may change over time?
Recreational use will increase, as will pressure for extraction of resources. However, if we do our jobs well enough, hopefully individuals and communities will keep moving forward toward understanding the value of forests and open space. They are long-term assets supporting the economy, tourism, water, wildlife, air, and quality of life.
And will the role that FPR plays change too?
I think we have to continue to learn, educate and evolve right along with the people we serve. Competing interests, needs, and demands focused both on the short term and with an eye toward the future will be increasing. Our job will be to tie everything together and manage the connections as best we can. Taking the long view does not really seem to be in the DNA of most people. It’s a challenge for each of us, but needs to remain a large component of our work and mission.
Any final thoughts for our readers?
Keep advocating for your interests and the importance of public land to you; make an effort to take the long view when thinking about the importance of public land; and trust me when I say that FPR is full of dedicated professionals who work very hard, and incorporate a lot of planning and thought into the management of these priceless public assets.
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