Jim Whelan

Fisheries Biologist, Fishlake National Forest

Sevier, UT

9/24/22

Jim Whelan is a US Forest Service aquatic biologist working in Fishlake National Forest. Walking up the Fish Creek watershed, Jim’s deep knowledge of river systems, riparian plants, and the fish of the area spills out. Focused on restoring native Cutthroat Trout to the stream, Jim works with a variety of agencies–local, state, and federal–on fish restoration.

While Jim taught us valuable lessons about river ecosystems, he also addressed the day-to-day life of a Forest Service biologist, describing watershed health evaluations, fish surveys, and the interagency relationships needed to do the job. Even though the Forest Service manages the land Jim works on, he needs to include the Utah Division of Wildlife and various local water authorities in his discussions and operations, as the water and wildlife are not managed by USFS. These relationships can make or break restoration projects, Jim tells us, so navigating the institutional system along with the ecological system is crucial to getting good work done.

By Nat Lange