People

The people most directly involved in the BURN-UP Project include the UP RC&D staff, and the steering committee (volunteers). 

UP RC&D Staff:

Marilyn Shy, Coordinator (left)

Darcy Rutkowski, Executive Assistant

BURN-UP Project Steering Committee (partial; left to right): Maria Janowiak, Dave Andersen, Donna LaCourt, Jim Gries, Don Howlett, Bill Cook, Tina Hall, Cara Boucher, Dean Reid.

BURN-UP Project Steering Committee Members:

Dave Andersen (Schoolcraft County Extension Director with Michigan State University Extension) - Dave primarily functions in the area of land use education in planning and zoning. Secondarily, he is involved in forestry education.

Cara Boucher (Michigan Department of Natural Resources)

Bill Cook (Extension Forester/Biologist with Michigan State University Extension) - Bill serves the outreach and education needs in forestry for Upper Peninsula groups. 

Robert Froese (Assistant Professor of Forestry at Michigan Technological University) - Robert specializes in research, teaching and service in forestry, forest modeling, applied statistics and natural resources inventory. 

Jim Gries (Soil Scientist/Landscape Ecologist/Watershed Program Manager for the USFS Hiawatha National Forest) - Jim manages the soil, landscape ecology and watershed programs on the Hiawatha including project effects analysis, monitoring, data stewardship, and program oversight.

Shawn Hagan (Sr. Director of Forest Operations, Great Lakes Region with The Forestland Group) - Shawn directs all aspects of land management for the Heartwood Forestland Fund Properties managed by The Forestland Group, LLC within the Great Lakes Region.

Tina Hall (Director of Conservation Programs, The Nature Conservancy) - Tina oversees the day-to-day operations of land protection, science, and stewardship in Michigan.

Don Howlett (Partnership Coordinator, Hiawatha National Forest) - Don develops partnerships with individuals and organizations that wish to work with the Forest Service on projects of mutual interest and benefit and provide support to community efforts of interest to the Forest Service.

Bernie Huetter (Schoolcraft County Conservation District Forester)

Maria Janowiak (Outreach Scientist with the Northern Institute of Applied Carbon Science & Michigan Technological University) - Maria specializes in communicating the role of carbon in northern forest ecosystems. She develops information and tools to manage forests to mitigate the effects of increased carbon in the atmosphere through mechanisms such as terrestrial carbon sequestration and bioenergy.

Ray Miller (Michigan State University Extension)

Brian Nelson (Marvin Nelson Forest Products Inc.)

Dean I. Reid (Certified Forester of D & S Forestry Services Co.) - Dean operates a single-person forestry consulting firm.  He has 39 years of experience developing management plans and setting up timber sales for private landowners and doing marking contract work for the USFS.

Jim Schmierer (Michigan Technological University)

Dave Silvieus (District Ranger, Rapid River/Manistique Ranger District, Hiawatha National Forest) - Dave oversees the management of 300,000 acres of public lands in the Hiawatha National Forest. 

Warren Suchovsky (Suchovsky Logging, LLC)