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James R. Erickson Biography

James R. Erickson was contracted as the Intertribal Timber Council Fire Technical Specialist in October 2002, and is their representative on the Wildland Fire Executive Council (WFEC). This is his thirty-fifth year working in Indian country. He had a twenty-five year career working for the Colville Confederated Tribes where he was the Director of Colville Tribal Forestry and their alternate representative to the Intertribal Timber Council.

Jim began his career with the U.S. Forest Service on the Beaverhead National Forest in 1975. He worked briefly for Weyerhaeuser Corporation and Boise Cascade, before going to work for the Colville Tribe in 1977. His experience with the Tribe included overseeing forest development, writing silvicultural prescriptions, and administering the Tribal Forestry program. Erickson’s tenure with the Intertribal Timber Council included participating in development and passage of PL 101-630, the Indian Forest Resource Management Act, which currently directs federal actions on Indian forests.

Jim was born in Williston, North Dakota; he grew up in Washington State. He graduated from Washington State University with a bachelors of Science degree in Forest Management. He also attended the institute for Continuing Education in Forest Ecology and Silviculture (CEFES) through Washington State University, the University of Idaho, and the University of Montana. Jim also attended the Washington State Agriculture and Forestry Leadership program.