University of Vermont

Jerry Franklin, a world-leading expert on old-growth forests and sustainable forestry, will speak at the University of Vermont's Ira Allen Chapel on Tuesday, Feb. 20 at 12:30 p.m.

The event is free and open to the public.

Franklin's mission is clear: to "cut the best deal I can for forests and trees in a world that’s dominated by humans."

Franklin, sometimes referred to as the "guru of old growth," is professor of ecosystem analysis at the University of Washington. He has been a prime mover in the revolution now sweeping through the forestry profession under banners such as "new forestry," "ecological forestry," and "disturbance-based forestry."

His lecture, "Ecological Forestry and Challenges in the 21st Century," is sponsored by UVM's Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources in conjunction with the Conservation Study Institute and the Snelling Center for Government. It is part of the Rubenstein School's spring seminar series on conservation in the 21st century.

Franklin's research focuses on natural forest ecosystems, especially old-growth forests in the western United States—and on how forests recover following fires and other catastrophic disturbances. He also studies changing environmental conditions, such as global warming, on forest processes.

Franklin has authored over 300 research publications, including recent books such as "Creating a Forestry for the 21st Century" and "Conserving Forest Biodiversity." He was instrumental in a number of major forest management initiatives, including the Forest Ecosystem Management Assessment Team (Northwest Forest Plan) and the Sierra Nevada Ecosystem Project.

He has also worked extensively for the USDA Forest Service Pacific Northwest Research Station, the National Science Foundation, and the Ecological Society of America. He is currently the director of the Wind River Canopy Crane Research Facility and is heavily involved with development of the National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON).

Franklin earned his bachelor's and master's degrees in Forest Management at Oregon State University, a doctorate in Botany and Soils from Washington State University, and a doctor of laws at Simon Fraser University.

For more information about the lecture series, visit the Rubenstein School's conservation lectures Web page, or contact Rebecca Stanfield McCown at (802)656-3095.