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Program Codes:
MSNRC
Master of Science
Successful professionals in this rapidly-growing field are expected to possess an integrated knowledge of natural sciences, social sciences, policy development, and conservation laws. Increase your workplace competitiveness and growth potential by earning an advanced professional credential that is critical for assuming leadership roles in environmental careers.
Focus your work by choosing among three concentrations:
The Master of Science in Natural Resources Conservation requires completion of 32 credits of coursework.
A program in environmental conservation must consider environmental ethics since so much of the conflict over the use of resources is fundamentally a conflict over values, world-views, and belief systems. All too often, these beliefs remain implicit. This course is designed to identify and critically examine the dominant models that shape human relations with natural environments, and to suggest that new, bridge-building narratives can be created that more directly address the disconnect between humans and natural environments. As natural resource professionals, we must be conscious participants in public debates about values, recognizing evolving public views of the value of the environment and humans’ relationship with it, and how changing views influence efforts to protect or restore ecosystems. Prerequisite: Enrollment in MS NRC.
Enrollment in MS NRC.
Summer
Ecosystem services are the sum of all goods and services that natural and managed ecosystems provide to humanity. These services range from providing food and clean drinking water to providing recreational activities and spiritual fulfillment. While these services from nature underpin our lives, most have been undervalued historically in land use, economic, and policy decisions. In extreme cases, the value of ecosystem services is only recognized after they are lost. In this course, we will examine how ecosystem services are measured and related to basic ecological processes, and how these services are valued when considering their interplay with economic, societal, and political challenges. Through hands-on experiences in the Adirondack region participants will learn to identify and characterize the contribution of ecosystem services to human well-being and develop approaches to integrating ecosystem services into decision making in natural resources conservation.
Enrollment in the MS-NRC program.
The basic foundations of natural resource planning and management will be covered in this course under the premise that ecologically sound and culturally acceptable approaches are integrated, comprehensive, long term in scope, and stakeholder supported. Content will include theoretical frameworks, methodological investigation and applied practices used to work with communities and stakeholders to plan and develop natural resources management plans that support conservation goals. Specific topics covered will include types of management approaches/models; management environment and management cycle; inventory of existing data/information, information and knowledge processing; assessing social-cultural attitudes, beliefs, and values; modes of communication and stakeholder engagement; conflict resolution; and adaptive management. Students will visit and engage with state agencies and environmental groups like the Adirondack Council and the Nature Conservancy. This is an applied 2-week intensive blended course required during the first summer of the Natural Resource Conservation program.
Enrollment in the MS-NRC program.
This course prepares students to design and execute research and monitoring projects that support management planning and implementation. It introduces students to common qualitative, quantitative, and mixed research approaches utilized in natural resources conservation and covers the basic techniques of designing research and for collecting, interpreting, and analyzing qualitative and quantitative data. Necessary background knowledge on research design and execution will be built through on-line coursework, which will then be enhanced through hands-on analysis of social data and environmental data collected by the students during their residential experience at Paul Smith’s College. Students must be familiar with basic statistics. Students who are not familiar with statistical analysis will be given preparatory exercises before the course begins.
MAT 210
In this course the core focus is on developing and applying monitoring and evaluation procedures designed to serve several functions: a) successfully integrate into the broader management cycle, b) provide reliable knowledge about the achievement of conservation goals and objectives, c) guide adaptation when uncertainty is high, and d) create meaningful partnerships. Key topics covered in this course include: the purpose of monitoring and evaluation, monitoring and evaluation in the larger management process; matters of scale in the design; metric selection useful as sensitive indicators of change; establishing reference or benchmark conditions using multiple metrics; data acquisition, management and sharing arrangements; the adaptive use of findings in the face uncertainty and risk; enhancing collaborations and partnerships; citizen participation and engagement in the process; and communicating and reporting of monitoring and evaluation outcomes (short-term and long-term). Information and date from this course will help student prepare their Master’s final project.
NRS 541
Short Title : Water Law, Policy and Regulation
Course Code : ENV 515
Course Description :
Water law, policy and regulations have changed over time as a result of human population growth patterns and demands, but also these changes reflect our cultural values and priorities. Population growth patterns, demands, values, and priorities will continue to change with much of this driven by climate change. This course is designed to cover three topics: a) how and why U.S. water law and policy have changed over time including the influence of new stressors in the future; b) specific laws, policies, and regulations governing water allocation and conservation of water resources, and protection and restoration of riparian zones and floodplain, wetlands, and water quality; and c) case studies showing successes, shortcomings, and lessons learned. Prerequisite: Enrollment in MS-NRC.
Prerequisites :
Enrollment in MS-NRC
Short Title : Assessment of Aquatic Resources
Course Code : ENV 541
Course Description :
Assessment of aquatic resources entails a scientific study of the physical, chemical and biological attributes of water bodies (lakes, wetlands, and streams). The purpose is typically to determine the level of impairment based on systematically collected data. Thus, this course is designed to provide the student with the basic skills and knowledge to collect useful data typically required during the assessment phase of resource management efforts. This includes use of existing literature or data, creating a research design, selection of field or laboratory methods, and critical thinking. For each typical waterbody type (lake, riverine, wetland), students will learn standard approaches to designing an assessment network, selecting reference conditions, collecting and analyzing field data, and presenting results. Students will also learn how the public participation can be employed in assessments.
Prerequisites :
Graduate standing.
Short Title : Restoration of Aquatic Ecosystems
Course Code : ENV 542
Course Description :
Restoration of aquatic ecosystems depend in large measure on the functional capacity of aquatic terrestrial transition zones (ATTZs) and upland land cover in the watershed. Students will learn how ATTZs along lakes, wetlands, and streams support a high diversity of plants and animals, serve as a refuge or corridor for migratory species, attenuates the flow of soil and water downslope, promotes recharge of groundwater and summer base stream flows, and maintains organic matter production and retention (sequestration). Students will also learn how conversion of natural upland land cover to human uses tends to convert a watershed from an infiltration, groundwater system to a runoff, surface water system along with the stress it places on ATTZs and water bodies. This course focuses on the skills needed to a) define benchmark restoration conditions, b) identify the degree to which ecosystem structure and function of ATTZs have been lost, c) identify the effects of altered land cover on watershed process, and d) develop short- and long-term management plans. Prerequisite: ENV 441 or ENV 541.
Prerequisites :
ENV 441 or ENV 541
Short Title : Forest Policy
Course Code : FOR 550
Course Description :
This course will examine the evolution of forestry as an applied science. Emphasis will be placed on identifying the major scientific and social drivers which have created the emergence of new paradigms in forestry. Policy and actual forestry practices will be examined concurrently to better understand how land-use decisions are made. The scope of this course will range from local forestry issues within the Adirondack Park, to global issues faced in the developing world which, strive to strike a balance between development and preservation. General topics will include historical land-use shifts, environmentalism, economic shifts, interagency conflict, conservation mechanisms, and cross-border forest policies.
Short Title : Natural Resource Economics
Course Code : NRS 510
Course Description :
This course will cover important economic principles relevant to natural resource management with an emphasis on forest-based resources. Topics will include supply and demand, pricing, investment evaluation, net revenue maximization, non-timber forest products and the emerging field of ecosystem service valuation. These topics will be explored through a variety of case studies, both domestic and international in scope. Emphasis will be placed on learning to construct strong, defensible, land-use arguments through the use of quantitative analysis.
Prerequisites :
ECN 200 or an equivalent economics course
Short Title : Forest Resource Assessment
Course Code : NRS 540
Course Description :
Forests contribute to community resilience by regulating water flows, sequestering carbon, harboring biodiversity and providing food, energy, shelter, income and employment. Furthermore, forests support sustainable agriculture and human well-being by stabilizing soils and climate. Assessments are generally done to identify available resources and the state of these resources as part of developing and executing natural resources management plans. Thus, this course is designed to provide the student with the basic skills and knowledge to collect useful data typically required during the assessment phase of resource management efforts, reflecting the diversity of uses and services provided by forests. This includes use of existing literature or data, creating a research design, selection of field or laboratory methods, and critical thinking. Students will also learn how public participation can be employed in assessments.
Prerequisites :
Enrollment in MS-NRC program.
Short Title : Strategic Communication Sustainability
Course Code : SUS 520
Course Description :
Strategic Environmental Communications will provide students the opportunity to develop vital professional skills in oral and written communication while preparing them to communicate clearly about science, natural resources policy, sustainability, and technology issues with demographically diverse and geographically dispersed audiences. Content will address mass media and public understanding of organizational communication issues such as structure and communication networks; rhetoric, advocacy, and strategic message development; the role of public opinion and public policy; innovation and decision making; crisis communication and conflict management; emerging communication technologies; and inter-organizational and cross-disciplinary communication. The course also proceeds from the assumption that science is only one mode of discourse mediating our relationship to the natural world.
Short Title : Building Collaborative Communities
Course Code : SUS 530
Course Description :
Building Collaborative Communities connects students with communities to address sustainability priorities and challenges through an engaged, collaborative effort. This course is intended to build understanding of the importance of partnerships in the field of sustainable development. Partnerships may form around specific issues or areas of concern, or they may evolve from visioning, inventory, and indicator projects. Students will address factors that contribute to livable and desirable communities. Collaboration can be a powerful alternative to conventional mechanisms for effecting change. Through understanding group decision making, students will comprehend the necessity of collaboration amongst stakeholders in community development. Students will employ appropriate assessment tools to determine the status of community sustainability practices.
Short Title : Sustainable Development
Course Code : SUS 555
Course Description :
This course is primarily concerned with the continued challenges and opportunities of finding sustainable patterns and processes of development within the international community for the future. This course also provides a historic look at the demographic pressure on renewable and non-renewable resources and demonstrates the need for management strategies. Management of both resource supply and demand is considered. Sustainable resource management methods are applied to specific resources including soil, water, minerals, forests, energy, and food. The inter-relationship and sustainability between natural and cultural resources are studied. (3 hours lecture). Completes General Education Requirements: WC-I, LAS.
Prerequisites :
Junior standing.
This course teaches essential spatial techniques and analysis that a person working in a natural resource field should be familiar with including GIS concepts, functions and applications via hands-on projects. No formal prior GIS experience is needed, but students must be familiar with natural resources spatial issues, and students who are not familiar with GIS software will be given preparatory exercises before the course begins. Using data collected in the field by the students, hands-on projects will allow students to develop an understanding of how spatial data are created and learn methods and techniques for obtaining quantitative and qualitative geospatial information by incorporating field derived data with existing data from various web sources. These data will then be used to develop maps and conduct spatial analyses relevant to natural resource issues.
The Natural Resources Conservation Project is designed to be a culminating endeavor based upon student course work, reading, interests and experience. Through the application of principles, theories and methods learned, students analyze, synthesize and evaluate information. Individually or with a group, students will work independently to investigate a topic of interest. Under the supervision of a mentor, students will either work alone or in small groups. Students are required to prepare a substantial written report demonstrating the students’ project focus as well as the integration of their work, and an oral presentation.
NRS 541
Fall
The Natural Resources Conservation Project is designed to be a culminating endeavor based upon student course work, reading, interests and experience. Through the application of principles, theories and methods learned, students analyze, synthesize and evaluate information. Individually or with a group, students will work independently to investigate a topic of interest. Under the supervision of a mentor, students will either work alone or in small groups. Students are required to prepare a substantial written report demonstrating the students’ project focus as well as the integration of their work, and an oral presentation.
NRS 590
Spring
Short Title : Water Law, Policy and Regulation
Course Code : ENV 515
Course Description :
Water law, policy and regulations have changed over time as a result of human population growth patterns and demands, but also these changes reflect our cultural values and priorities. Population growth patterns, demands, values, and priorities will continue to change with much of this driven by climate change. This course is designed to cover three topics: a) how and why U.S. water law and policy have changed over time including the influence of new stressors in the future; b) specific laws, policies, and regulations governing water allocation and conservation of water resources, and protection and restoration of riparian zones and floodplain, wetlands, and water quality; and c) case studies showing successes, shortcomings, and lessons learned. Prerequisite: Enrollment in MS-NRC.
Prerequisites :
Enrollment in MS-NRC
Short Title : Assessment of Aquatic Resources
Course Code : ENV 541
Course Description :
Assessment of aquatic resources entails a scientific study of the physical, chemical and biological attributes of water bodies (lakes, wetlands, and streams). The purpose is typically to determine the level of impairment based on systematically collected data. Thus, this course is designed to provide the student with the basic skills and knowledge to collect useful data typically required during the assessment phase of resource management efforts. This includes use of existing literature or data, creating a research design, selection of field or laboratory methods, and critical thinking. For each typical waterbody type (lake, riverine, wetland), students will learn standard approaches to designing an assessment network, selecting reference conditions, collecting and analyzing field data, and presenting results. Students will also learn how the public participation can be employed in assessments.
Prerequisites :
Graduate standing.
Short Title : Restoration of Aquatic Ecosystems
Course Code : ENV 542
Course Description :
Restoration of aquatic ecosystems depend in large measure on the functional capacity of aquatic terrestrial transition zones (ATTZs) and upland land cover in the watershed. Students will learn how ATTZs along lakes, wetlands, and streams support a high diversity of plants and animals, serve as a refuge or corridor for migratory species, attenuates the flow of soil and water downslope, promotes recharge of groundwater and summer base stream flows, and maintains organic matter production and retention (sequestration). Students will also learn how conversion of natural upland land cover to human uses tends to convert a watershed from an infiltration, groundwater system to a runoff, surface water system along with the stress it places on ATTZs and water bodies. This course focuses on the skills needed to a) define benchmark restoration conditions, b) identify the degree to which ecosystem structure and function of ATTZs have been lost, c) identify the effects of altered land cover on watershed process, and d) develop short- and long-term management plans. Prerequisite: ENV 441 or ENV 541.
Prerequisites :
ENV 441 or ENV 541
Short Title : Forest Policy
Course Code : FOR 550
Course Description :
This course will examine the evolution of forestry as an applied science. Emphasis will be placed on identifying the major scientific and social drivers which have created the emergence of new paradigms in forestry. Policy and actual forestry practices will be examined concurrently to better understand how land-use decisions are made. The scope of this course will range from local forestry issues within the Adirondack Park, to global issues faced in the developing world which, strive to strike a balance between development and preservation. General topics will include historical land-use shifts, environmentalism, economic shifts, interagency conflict, conservation mechanisms, and cross-border forest policies.
Short Title : Natural Resource Economics
Course Code : NRS 510
Course Description :
This course will cover important economic principles relevant to natural resource management with an emphasis on forest-based resources. Topics will include supply and demand, pricing, investment evaluation, net revenue maximization, non-timber forest products and the emerging field of ecosystem service valuation. These topics will be explored through a variety of case studies, both domestic and international in scope. Emphasis will be placed on learning to construct strong, defensible, land-use arguments through the use of quantitative analysis.
Prerequisites :
ECN 200 or an equivalent economics course
Short Title : Forest Resource Assessment
Course Code : NRS 540
Course Description :
Forests contribute to community resilience by regulating water flows, sequestering carbon, harboring biodiversity and providing food, energy, shelter, income and employment. Furthermore, forests support sustainable agriculture and human well-being by stabilizing soils and climate. Assessments are generally done to identify available resources and the state of these resources as part of developing and executing natural resources management plans. Thus, this course is designed to provide the student with the basic skills and knowledge to collect useful data typically required during the assessment phase of resource management efforts, reflecting the diversity of uses and services provided by forests. This includes use of existing literature or data, creating a research design, selection of field or laboratory methods, and critical thinking. Students will also learn how public participation can be employed in assessments.
Prerequisites :
Enrollment in MS-NRC program.
Short Title : Strategic Communication Sustainability
Course Code : SUS 520
Course Description :
Strategic Environmental Communications will provide students the opportunity to develop vital professional skills in oral and written communication while preparing them to communicate clearly about science, natural resources policy, sustainability, and technology issues with demographically diverse and geographically dispersed audiences. Content will address mass media and public understanding of organizational communication issues such as structure and communication networks; rhetoric, advocacy, and strategic message development; the role of public opinion and public policy; innovation and decision making; crisis communication and conflict management; emerging communication technologies; and inter-organizational and cross-disciplinary communication. The course also proceeds from the assumption that science is only one mode of discourse mediating our relationship to the natural world.
Short Title : Building Collaborative Communities
Course Code : SUS 530
Course Description :
Building Collaborative Communities connects students with communities to address sustainability priorities and challenges through an engaged, collaborative effort. This course is intended to build understanding of the importance of partnerships in the field of sustainable development. Partnerships may form around specific issues or areas of concern, or they may evolve from visioning, inventory, and indicator projects. Students will address factors that contribute to livable and desirable communities. Collaboration can be a powerful alternative to conventional mechanisms for effecting change. Through understanding group decision making, students will comprehend the necessity of collaboration amongst stakeholders in community development. Students will employ appropriate assessment tools to determine the status of community sustainability practices.
Short Title : Sustainable Development
Course Code : SUS 555
Course Description :
This course is primarily concerned with the continued challenges and opportunities of finding sustainable patterns and processes of development within the international community for the future. This course also provides a historic look at the demographic pressure on renewable and non-renewable resources and demonstrates the need for management strategies. Management of both resource supply and demand is considered. Sustainable resource management methods are applied to specific resources including soil, water, minerals, forests, energy, and food. The inter-relationship and sustainability between natural and cultural resources are studied. (3 hours lecture). Completes General Education Requirements: WC-I, LAS.
Prerequisites :
Junior standing.
Short Title : Water Law, Policy and Regulation
Course Code : ENV 515
Course Description :
Water law, policy and regulations have changed over time as a result of human population growth patterns and demands, but also these changes reflect our cultural values and priorities. Population growth patterns, demands, values, and priorities will continue to change with much of this driven by climate change. This course is designed to cover three topics: a) how and why U.S. water law and policy have changed over time including the influence of new stressors in the future; b) specific laws, policies, and regulations governing water allocation and conservation of water resources, and protection and restoration of riparian zones and floodplain, wetlands, and water quality; and c) case studies showing successes, shortcomings, and lessons learned. Prerequisite: Enrollment in MS-NRC.
Prerequisites :
Enrollment in MS-NRC
Short Title : Assessment of Aquatic Resources
Course Code : ENV 541
Course Description :
Assessment of aquatic resources entails a scientific study of the physical, chemical and biological attributes of water bodies (lakes, wetlands, and streams). The purpose is typically to determine the level of impairment based on systematically collected data. Thus, this course is designed to provide the student with the basic skills and knowledge to collect useful data typically required during the assessment phase of resource management efforts. This includes use of existing literature or data, creating a research design, selection of field or laboratory methods, and critical thinking. For each typical waterbody type (lake, riverine, wetland), students will learn standard approaches to designing an assessment network, selecting reference conditions, collecting and analyzing field data, and presenting results. Students will also learn how the public participation can be employed in assessments.
Prerequisites :
Graduate standing.
Short Title : Restoration of Aquatic Ecosystems
Course Code : ENV 542
Course Description :
Restoration of aquatic ecosystems depend in large measure on the functional capacity of aquatic terrestrial transition zones (ATTZs) and upland land cover in the watershed. Students will learn how ATTZs along lakes, wetlands, and streams support a high diversity of plants and animals, serve as a refuge or corridor for migratory species, attenuates the flow of soil and water downslope, promotes recharge of groundwater and summer base stream flows, and maintains organic matter production and retention (sequestration). Students will also learn how conversion of natural upland land cover to human uses tends to convert a watershed from an infiltration, groundwater system to a runoff, surface water system along with the stress it places on ATTZs and water bodies. This course focuses on the skills needed to a) define benchmark restoration conditions, b) identify the degree to which ecosystem structure and function of ATTZs have been lost, c) identify the effects of altered land cover on watershed process, and d) develop short- and long-term management plans. Prerequisite: ENV 441 or ENV 541.
Prerequisites :
ENV 441 or ENV 541
Short Title : Forest Policy
Course Code : FOR 550
Course Description :
This course will examine the evolution of forestry as an applied science. Emphasis will be placed on identifying the major scientific and social drivers which have created the emergence of new paradigms in forestry. Policy and actual forestry practices will be examined concurrently to better understand how land-use decisions are made. The scope of this course will range from local forestry issues within the Adirondack Park, to global issues faced in the developing world which, strive to strike a balance between development and preservation. General topics will include historical land-use shifts, environmentalism, economic shifts, interagency conflict, conservation mechanisms, and cross-border forest policies.
Short Title : Natural Resource Economics
Course Code : NRS 510
Course Description :
This course will cover important economic principles relevant to natural resource management with an emphasis on forest-based resources. Topics will include supply and demand, pricing, investment evaluation, net revenue maximization, non-timber forest products and the emerging field of ecosystem service valuation. These topics will be explored through a variety of case studies, both domestic and international in scope. Emphasis will be placed on learning to construct strong, defensible, land-use arguments through the use of quantitative analysis.
Prerequisites :
ECN 200 or an equivalent economics course
Short Title : Forest Resource Assessment
Course Code : NRS 540
Course Description :
Forests contribute to community resilience by regulating water flows, sequestering carbon, harboring biodiversity and providing food, energy, shelter, income and employment. Furthermore, forests support sustainable agriculture and human well-being by stabilizing soils and climate. Assessments are generally done to identify available resources and the state of these resources as part of developing and executing natural resources management plans. Thus, this course is designed to provide the student with the basic skills and knowledge to collect useful data typically required during the assessment phase of resource management efforts, reflecting the diversity of uses and services provided by forests. This includes use of existing literature or data, creating a research design, selection of field or laboratory methods, and critical thinking. Students will also learn how public participation can be employed in assessments.
Prerequisites :
Enrollment in MS-NRC program.
Short Title : Strategic Communication Sustainability
Course Code : SUS 520
Course Description :
Strategic Environmental Communications will provide students the opportunity to develop vital professional skills in oral and written communication while preparing them to communicate clearly about science, natural resources policy, sustainability, and technology issues with demographically diverse and geographically dispersed audiences. Content will address mass media and public understanding of organizational communication issues such as structure and communication networks; rhetoric, advocacy, and strategic message development; the role of public opinion and public policy; innovation and decision making; crisis communication and conflict management; emerging communication technologies; and inter-organizational and cross-disciplinary communication. The course also proceeds from the assumption that science is only one mode of discourse mediating our relationship to the natural world.
Short Title : Building Collaborative Communities
Course Code : SUS 530
Course Description :
Building Collaborative Communities connects students with communities to address sustainability priorities and challenges through an engaged, collaborative effort. This course is intended to build understanding of the importance of partnerships in the field of sustainable development. Partnerships may form around specific issues or areas of concern, or they may evolve from visioning, inventory, and indicator projects. Students will address factors that contribute to livable and desirable communities. Collaboration can be a powerful alternative to conventional mechanisms for effecting change. Through understanding group decision making, students will comprehend the necessity of collaboration amongst stakeholders in community development. Students will employ appropriate assessment tools to determine the status of community sustainability practices.
Short Title : Sustainable Development
Course Code : SUS 555
Course Description :
This course is primarily concerned with the continued challenges and opportunities of finding sustainable patterns and processes of development within the international community for the future. This course also provides a historic look at the demographic pressure on renewable and non-renewable resources and demonstrates the need for management strategies. Management of both resource supply and demand is considered. Sustainable resource management methods are applied to specific resources including soil, water, minerals, forests, energy, and food. The inter-relationship and sustainability between natural and cultural resources are studied. (3 hours lecture). Completes General Education Requirements: WC-I, LAS.
Prerequisites :
Junior standing.
The Natural Resources Conservation Project is designed to be a culminating endeavor based upon student course work, reading, interests and experience. Through the application of principles, theories and methods learned, students analyze, synthesize and evaluate information. Individually or with a group, students will work independently to investigate a topic of interest. Under the supervision of a mentor, students will either work alone or in small groups. Students are required to prepare a substantial written report demonstrating the students’ project focus as well as the integration of their work, and an oral presentation.
NRS 591
Summer
Dr. Eric Holmlund
Joan Weill Adirondack Library, Room 120
