Bolle Center Staff

Jill M. Belsky, Director

Jill Belsky Since 2005, the Bolle Center for People and Forests has been directed by Jill M. Belsky. Dr. Belsky is Professor of Rural and Environmental Sociology in the Dept. of Society and Conservation in the College of Forestry and Conservation. Dr. Belsky received her Ph.D. in 1991 from Cornell University in Rural and Environmental Sociology with an emphasis on Natural Resources and Agriculture. Her research over the years has been conducted in Asia (Bhutan, Indonesia, Philippines), Belize and Western Montana and has focused on the intersection of livelihood practices and participatory forest conservation strategies, including efforts to create or restore community-owned forests and community-based forest management. Under her directorship the Bolle Center has focussed on three programmatic areas: 1) Conducting participatory research, 2) Supporting collaborative conservation and 3) Building integrated forestry and conservation education. With regard to the first two areas, she (and many of her graduate students) have responded to local watershed and community-based organizations' requests to generate social science information and to build their own research/monitoring capacity on forest conservation, restoration, land acquisition, fuel reduction and sustainable economic development. Most recently they assisted with information on landowners' views and concerns for the Montana Legacy Project and the Blackfoot Community Project. She pursues the third focal area by organizing panels, conferences and other programs on and off the University of Montana campus on timely topics related to the intersection of people and forests, and providing consultation on cross-disciplinary and integrated forest and conservation curricula program development both at home and abroad.

Visit Dr. Belsky's personnel web page

Martin Nie, Natural Resource Policy Specialist

Martin Nie Dr. Nie received his Ph.D. from Northern Arizona University in Political Science. He currently is Professor of Natural Resource Policy in the Dept. of Society and Conservation in the College of Forestry and Conservation. His research and teaching focus on public lands and resources policy, environmental policy, property, and conservation strategies and tools. He has a particular interest in political conflict and public lands governance-the political institutions and decision making processes used to handle difficult policy problems. Dr. Nie assists the Bolle Center by providing policy analyses and briefs which are frequently distributed on the web and as reports, and organizing panels and lectures on current issues related to forest and natural resource policy and governance.

Visit Dr. Nie's personnel web page

Maureen Bookwalter, Assistant Editor, Society & Natural Resources

Mo Bookwalter Maureen Bookwalter received her M.S. in Environmental Studies from the University of Montana in 2004 with a focus on community forestry. She previously worked as Program Director with Northwest Connections in the Swan Valley, Montana as well as a coordinator of conservation strategies with the Swan Ecosystem Center. She currently serves as the Assistant Editor of Society & Natural Resources, as well as an independent consultant on a variety of issues related to forest contracting, socioeconomic assessment and monitoring, and community-driven and collaborative conservation strategies.