NFWF - Jamie Amato

          In my first week of my internship, I’ve been able to apply many concepts that I’ve learned over the years to real life scenarios. I have also realized that there is still so much that I have to learn. I am interning for NFWF with Jon Porthouse as my mentor. Jon is the Senior Manager for Coastal Habitat Restoration. The Gulf Environmental Benefit Fund allocates money to projects in Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida to aid in the restoration of coastal habitat and the conservation of species that live in these ecosystems. Within my first week, I have been learning the process by which states get funding for projects. Different agencies apply for money through proposals. NFWF takes all factors of the proposals into consideration and then gives feedback on what may have been left out or what research still needs to be done before the project can be approved and implemented. Proposals need to comply with certain conservation guidelines provided by NFWF. They also must meet the criteria of the BP and Transocean plea agreements because that is where the funds for this program come from. Past projects have included barrier island restoration, watershed restoration, and fisheries monitoring. NFWF has given their comments to all of the agencies that applied for funding this year, and the final proposals will come in the next couple of weeks. Then we will determine which ones meet all of the expectations. 
 

            One of the opportunities I’m looking forward to the most is getting to visit some of the sites where the proposed projects are to take place. The purpose of this is to see if the area is suitable for whatever restoration it may need and if the project will be cost-effective. We are also going to get the opportunity to travel to places where projects are underway, and I’ll be able to see the progress being made. Another large part of this job is dealing with the diversion of the Mississippi River. Jon is the author of Louisiana’s Master Plan, and I am extremely excited to get to learn more about that project and to get out to the coast and see what’s being done! 
 

            In these past couple of days I have been challenged to look at the pre-proposals and think critically. I’ve learned how to formulate questions based on the science and policy, and to determine the reasoning behind these things. I was able to compare the ideas that I came up with to the actual comments that NFWF sent back to the various agencies, and I was so excited to see that my suggestions and questions were extremely similar, or the same, as their own! Later today, I got to learn all about certain modeling programs that put a scientific basis behind the interactions of water, land, and people. I was very interested to learn how NFWF dealt with various human-conflicts, and this modeling program is something that quantifies the best way to manage an area. My mentor is doing a great job at introducing me to concepts and ideas that he sees on a frequent basis. Hopefully by the end of this internship I’ll have a grasp on all of these new things. Also, here are some really cool pictures of the views we have from the office.