NRIC 2026 Intern Blog: Samantha Higgins

The following is a blog written by Samantha Higgins, a University of Montana Junior that is majoring in Environmental Science and Sustainability. Her summer was spent as a Developed and Dispersed Recreation Resource Steward on the Lolo National Forest, Seeley Lake Ranger District.

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"Working with the USFS this summer has been different from what I expected. I came into the internship thinking the Forest Service would be very strict and organized, with not much room for individual decisions. Instead, I’ve had a lot more independence than I expected. Our crew has a basic framework for what needs to get done each day, but we’re trusted to make decisions about how we use our time and what needs attention.

Most mornings start at the station, where we meet with the crew and go over what needs to be done. We print reservation placards, check in with our volunteer campground hosts, and load up the patrol trucks. Once we’re out in the field, our priorities are making sure our hosts have what they need, checking campgrounds for bears and making sure things like trash bins are secured, and doing compliance patrols. Once those things are taken care of, we can work on other projects or visit dispersed recreation sites that we don’t get to as often. 

The variety of the work has been one of my favorite parts of the internship. Depending on the day, we might be installing a dock, replacing signs, maintaining recreation sites, clearing trees from roads or trails after a windstorm, responding to abandoned campfires, or helping visitors understand Forest Service rules. I’ve also gotten to take on projects that I noticed needed attention rather than always being given a specific assignment.

One of my favorite parts of the summer was taking the S-212 Wildland Fire Chainsaws course with the fire, trail, and recreation crews. We spent several days learning about chainsaw maintenance, PPE, and techniques for felling, limbing, and bucking trees. After classroom instruction, we practiced in the field at Pyramid Pass and Rice Ridge. It was hot and physically demanding, but it was also a lot of fun. I got to work with people from the other crews, and even when everyone was tired and covered in sawdust, there was still plenty of joking around. We ate lunch together in the woods, talked about our plans for the summer, and helped each other while practicing and testing for our certifications.

Another highlight was helping open the Double Arrow Lookout for the season. I had never been inside a fire lookout before, so I was excited to see one up close. After a bumpy drive up the forest road, we split into teams and started cleaning out the lookout after it had been closed for the winter. There was plenty of dust, dirt, and dead bugs to clean up. We opened the window shutters, cleaned the windows, raised a new flag, and got everything ready for visitors. We also found the old logbook, which had entries from people who had visited the lookout over the years. Seeing all of those entries was a pretty cool reminder of how long the lookout has been part of the forest.

Another big part of the internship has simply been getting to spend so much time outside. A lot of our job involves driving between campgrounds and recreation sites or working outside, so I’ve gotten to spend most of my summer around the lakes and forest. I’ve seen deer, bears, sandhill cranes, great blue herons, and loons while working. I’ve also gotten to watch the landscape change throughout the season. Earlier in the summer, I saw beargrass flowering, and later on the thimbleberries, serviceberries, and Oregon grapes started ripening. Around the lakes, lily pads and flowers came up along the shore and across the water.

I also got to see Gus, the huge western larch in our district. It’s an incredibly old and massive tree, and standing next to it made me feel like I was a part of something much bigger than myself. It had been there long before me, and hopefully it will still be there long after I’m gone. Getting to see something like that in person has been one of the experiences I’ll remember from this summer.

Working with the public has been another major part of the internship. Most interactions are pretty straightforward, but we’ve also had some difficult ones. We had an incident with a campground host who became very emotional and confrontational over a misunderstanding about campground rules. The situation escalated into threats and insults, and eventually we had to call for backup and have the sheriff escort him out.

That was definitely a difficult day, but one of the things I’ll remember most was how my crew handled it afterward. On the way back to the station and once we got there, I ended up breaking down and crying. My crew was really supportive, and we sat down with some hot tea and talked about what had happened. After we had a chance to decompress, we went to the local bar after our shift. As one of my coworkers put it, “We deserved it.” It was a good reminder that the people you work with can make a huge difference, especially on the harder days.

There have also been smaller moments where I’ve gotten to help people in the community. Near the end of one of my shifts, I was making a quick delivery to one of the campgrounds before heading back to the station when I noticed a loose dog along the highway. I was able to stop and get ahold of the dog, and a sheriff’s deputy arrived shortly afterward. Together, we worked to figure out where the dog belonged and walked around the nearby residential area asking about it. We eventually found the owner and reunited them with their dog. It wasn’t a huge event, but it was a nice example of being able to help someone in the community in a way I hadn’t expected when I started my shift.

Overall, this summer has given me a much better idea of what working in public lands actually looks like. I’ve gotten to work on projects, spend a lot of time outside, interact with visitors, work alongside different crews, and experience some situations that I definitely wouldn’t have expected when I started. It’s been a busy summer, but I’m glad I got the chance to spend it working in the Seeley Lake Ranger District."

- Samantha Higgins