It's wonderful to be part of the RVCC team this summer, and I hope I have the opportunity to meet and learn from many members of the network while I'm here.

I was born and raised in Oregon, and just completed my first of two years as a masters student at the Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies. Prior to school, I spent four years in Washington, D.C. with the Department of Agriculture, where I had the chance to meet a small and passionate team of RVCC members during their yearly fly-in. I remember being blown away by the group's powerful combination of policy knowledge and place-based experience. Since then, I've always hoped for the chance to join this type of community-based work, and it's a great privilege to have that opportunity this summer.

My summer project will explore where and how a suite of federal programs and authorities have been successfully used to accomplish all-lands restoration work. We hope this information can be shared throughout RVCC and with relevant federal agencies to help replicate these successes throughout our member network.

--Becca Shively, RVCC Intern