Central National Technology Support Center Staff

Bruce C. Wight

Agroforester

Updated 12/19/2007

As Lead Agroforester on the Central National Technology Support Center Core Team, Bruce is assigned to the USDA National Agroforestry Center (NAC) in Lincoln, Nebraska. The NAC is an interagency (USDA Forest Service and NRCS) cooperative venture to advance agroforestry nationwide. He jointly leads, with a Forest Service counterpart, the Technology Transfer and Application Team at NAC. He provides national leadership and guidance for natural resource professionals on major technical changes and developments in agroforestry. He coordinates with the other NRCS centers as well as various federal and state agencies, universities, experiment stations, and related conservation organizations to exchange agroforestry information and data that will assist natural resource professionals in helping landowners apply agroforestry systems. This usually results in developing informational and technical tools that are provided through training workshops and as printed/electronic formats in technical guides and handbooks. Two new tools from these collaborative efforts include:
CanVis –a conservation visualization tool
Buffer$ - a conservation buffer economic tool

Background

Bruce is a native of Iowa growing up on a diversified crop and livestock farm in south central Iowa. While attending Iowa State University, he started a 33 year career working for the Soil Conservation Service (SCS) as a soil conservationist (student trainee).

• 1973-1974 Soil Conservationist, SCS, LeMars, Iowa
• 1974-1977 District Conservationist, SCS, Grundy Center, Iowa
• 1977-1981 District Conservationist, SCS, Mason City, Iowa
• 1981-1992 State Staff Forester, SCS, Bismarck, North Dakota
• 1992-1995 National Windbreak Forester, SCS, Lincoln, Nebraska
• 1995-2004 Agroforester, Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) at the USDA-National Agroforestry Center (NAC), Lincoln, Nebraska
• 2004-2005 Forester, NRCS National Soil Survey Center (Interpretations), Lincoln, NE
• 2005-Present Lead Agroforester, NRCS Central National Technology Support Center at the USDA-NAC, Lincoln, Nebraska

Education

• B.S., Iowa State University, Forest Management with Soils minor, 1973

Affiliations

• Society of American Foresters – Past Chair for Agroforestry Working Group
• Association for Temperate Agroforestry
• Soil and Water Conservation Society
• International Union of Forestry Research Organizations – Shelterbelt Working Party

Interests

Professionally he is interested in all aspects of agroforestry. He has authored numerous technical papers including book chapters on windbreaks. Highpoints of his job include visiting with innovative landowners who have applied a new agroforestry application or technique and training natural resource professionals on agroforestry. Bringing agroforestry into the mainstream of American agriculture and conservation is an exciting challenge.

When Bruce is not promoting agroforestry, he enjoys reading mysteries and history, listening to bluegrass and classical music, working on family genealogy and enjoying different family activities with his wife, Connie including long walks with their golden retriever and traveling. Their two adult daughters are an English teacher/graduate student and a musician who teaches violin and viola and plays viola whenever she has an opportunity.

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