Tim Bottomley


Education

  • MA Public Administration, Valdosta State University
  • BS Forestry, University of Illinois

Work Experience

Over 40 years of experience in two Federal agencies as a professional forester. Expertise in planning and managing for sustainable forests, restoration of natural forest ecosystems, forest inventory, timber sale preparation and administration, and several forestry-related computer applications. Also, extensive experience in the preparation of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) documents, especially those related to natural resource management and military training programs and activities.

Currently working with the University of Belize – Environmental Research Institute on a Forest Inventory Plan for the Mayan Forest Corridor project, including carbon calculations using Verifiable Carbon Standard guidelines.



Notable Experience

  • Was a senior forest inventory specialist for the US Department of the Interior - Bureau of Land Management (BLM). Also served as the User Representative for several applications in the agency’s Forest Inventory Information System, including national databases (FORVIS and EcoSurvey) that collected, stored, and analyzed forest resource inventory information. Was also the User Representative for another national databases that collected, stored, and analyzed information (both volumes and values) on forest product sales (TSIS, SFP, SCID). Additionally, worked work with the agency’s national office on developing policy statements on specific issues related to the harvest of forest products.
  • Was the Project Manager for a large-scale ecological assessment for the Northern Great Basin Ecoregion, an area encompassing over 75,000 mi2, in southern Idaho, Southeastern Oregon, northern Nevada, and northwestern Utah.
  • Co-authored a publication that synthesized data from over 2500 Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) plots to provide general information regarding the condition of the forest lands.
  • Was the primary spokesperson concerning NEPA for the BLM in the States of Colorado and Wyoming for over two years. Interpreted NEPA regulations and associated agency implementation policy to employees and the general public and reviewed NEPA documents prepared by field offices for legal and technical sufficiency. Also provided NEPA training to field offices.
  • Worked at Moody Air Force Base in southern Georgia for 6 years. First as the Base Forester, then the Base Natural Resource Manager, and finally as the Environmental Flight Chief. Was responsible for managing the Base’s environmental program through leadership and direction to a 13-person staff. The specific environmental programs were forest management, NEPA, prescribed burning, wetlands protection, endangered species management, hazardous waste management, air quality, environmental cleanup projects and the Base hunting program.
  • Fifteen years of forestry field experience with the BLM in Wyoming. As the forester, prepared and implemented land use and resource activity plans as part of an interdisciplinary staff. The staff included range management specialists, realty specialists, geologist, wildlife biologists and outdoor recreation planners. These plans provided the direction and established resource management objectives that guided proposed project activities. Was responsible for all aspects of the forestry program; including the preparation and administration of timber sales; fuels reduction; Mountain Pine Beetle infestations; restoration of forest damaged by wildfires; conducting forest inventories; developing forest management plans that scheduled future treatments and coordinated all these activities with other natural resource needs for the area.


Other relevant training/education/experience

In 2019, completed the course "Physical Science of Forests, Climate Regulation, and Carbon Storage", curated by Michigan State University’s Forest Carbon and Climate Program. This course provided foundational knowledge in the relationship between climate regulation, forests, and forest carbon. In five modules, the course covered the 1) Carbon Cycle and Storage, 2) Humans, the Global Carbon Cycle, and Terrestrial Sinks, 3) Forest Ecosystems and Carbon Storage, 4) Forest Ecosystem Carbon Pools and Fluxes, and 5) Disturbances and their Carbon Impact.

Member of the Society of American Foresters since 1977. Involvement included many leadership positions, including Chapter and State Society Chairs.



Wildfire Suppresion Experience

Over the past 15 years have worked on Incident Command Teams on over 25 major Incidents in Overhead positions, including: Equipment Time Recorder, Base/Camp Manager, Facilities Unit Lead, Food Unit Leader, and Type 3 Logistics Section Chief. My current qualifications with expiration dates in parathesis are BCMG (9/1/22), FACL (9/1/22), FDUL (8/5/23), and LOG3 (9/1/22).



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