Website California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection
Position Summary:
The Department of Forestry and Fire Protection’s (CAL FIRE’s) Resource Management Climate and Energy Program represents the Department on climate change and forest product topics and manages funds from the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund. Using established Resource Management policies, regulations and guidelines, as well as scientific knowledge and skills, the Climate Change Senior Emission Specialist will lead the Department’s climate change and co-benefits impact modeling and reporting.
Key Responsibilities:
- Conduct and contribute to science-based activities that support Climate and Energy program objectives of mitigating climate change through Natural and Working Lands sector and adapting forest ecosystems to future climate conditions. Examples of such work include conducting literature reviews, synthesizing research, identifying data sources and developing new analysis methods to apply them.
- Complete modeling and assessment calculations and draft technical writing for various mandated reports and analyses.
- Participate in use and maintenance of comprehensive databases of geographic and ground disturbing activity reporting to serve the needs of Forest Health and Wood Products and Bioenergy grant program reporting, effectiveness monitoring, and adaptive management.
- Lead development of co-benefit reporting methodologies for benefits including but not limited to fire prevention, habitat, climate resiliency, and protection of important natural resources, including water quality and water supply.
- Support application of those methodologies and the existing Forest Health Quantification Methodology to new and existing projects.
- Lead development of reports to the legislature and contribute significantly to drafting reports.
- Support development of CAL FIRE’s contributions to climate change and forest resilience focused inter- agency plans and reviews.
- Support development of forest resilience metrics for adaptive management of existing grant programs and communicating program success to the public.
- Manage research and implementation contracts to ensure timely and accurate reporting.
- Serve as the program’s subject matter expert on inputs to and functions required for emissions calculations and formal quantification methodologies.
- Consult with California Air Resources Board and Pacific Southwest Research Station on development of integrated emissions calculation program and user interface.
- Maintain project-level emissions and co-benefits data in multi-purpose or standalone database.
- Ensure continued accurate and timely required reporting to California Climate Investments Reporting and Tracking System.
- Contribute to Resource Management use of Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) as a mission planner and complete data management and image processing.
- Participate in CAL FIRE UAS Working Group as requested by Staff Chief – Forest Health, Wood Products, and Bioenergy.
- Provide information relevant to bill analysis and media requests to supervisor as needed through email or writing.
- Other job-related duties as assigned. May include non fire line assignments on wildfire incidents or other natural disasters related to climate change impacts
Required Education & Experience:
- This position may require travel up to 5% of the time. This travel may be local or statewide and may result in overnight stays.