Mary Burke

About Mary

How did this program prepare you for your job?

The HSU MS Program in Environmental Systems with an option in International Development Technology (IDT) taught me to understand effective engineering solutions for problems involving social and natural resources issues. The program’s consideration of political and economic dimensions of developing successful engineered solutions has proven highly relevant to the work I do with California Trout (CalTrout), which is a non-profit in Humboldt’s rural coastal communities.

CalTrout works throughout the state to ensure that there are resilient wild fish in healthy waters to support a better California. CalTrout’s North Coast region extends from the headwaters of the Eel River in Lake County to the Smith River near the Oregon border, and includes all of Humboldt County. We are often called upon to solve complex resource issues that balance the needs of wild fish and people. All of our river, creek, and estuary projects require the services of local and regional engineering and environmental science firms that are well-staffed with ERE graduates. We work with consulting firms to develop proposals for funding, and then we partner on collaborative processes to produce engineering designs and environmental compliance documents so projects can be implemented and improve the conditions for state and federally listed salmonids. In addition, many of our state and federal agency partners are HSU or ERE graduates. All of our projects benefit from the training and skills provided by the University and specifically by the ERE Department.

The north coast of California has large resource extraction industries and river systems which have major restoration needs. These needs have spawned organizations that have become leaders in salmonid restoration. Their work is to restore ecosystem function to support the life history of salmon and steelhead. Typical awards for restoration projects range from $100,000 to millions of dollars. The Salt River restoration project in the Eel River Delta recently showcased one of the largest restoration projects along the Pacific Coast. More than $35,000,000 has been spent on significant improvements to agriculture, fish, and wildlife in the coastal zone in the past four seasons of implementation. The economic impact of local restoration is three-fold: first, state and federal grants are used to fund the work and support local non-profits, engineering and environmental firms, and construction contractors; second, the resulting benefits to salmonid populations will provide future benefits to local recreational and commercial fisheries; and third, the restoration of ecological processes is at the heart of our public trust doctrine, and it benefits the natural world now and into the future.

During my time in the IDT graduate program, I focused on understanding the perspective of the people involved rather than a prescriptive action targeting a perceived need. While all of our projects involve fish, water, and people, each project has a unique set of conditions that require tailored engineering tools as a part of a multi-disciplinary approach to ecosystem restoration. I am thankful to have the partnership of many passionate and dedicated ERE graduates as we work together on these challenging and rewarding projects.