Biography

Michael T. Rains is a Substitute Teacher and Homebound Tutor for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. He has a Bachelor of Science degree in Forest Management and a Master’s degree in three areas -- Watershed Management, Public Administration and Government Affairs, and Secondary Education. In the classroom, he enjoys teaching math, science, and history – his formal teacher certifications. Before his current work, he was with the United States Forest Service for almost 50 years, starting as a wildland firefighter in California and rising to Deputy Chief of the agency. As a Senior Executive for over 30 years of his Forest Service career, Michael was often called upon to lead special projects and represent the Forest Service and Department of Agriculture in matters outside his normal duties. His leadership helped advance land management and science processes across America, improving the lives of people and their communities in both rural and urban areas. In 2014, he authored A Forest Service Vision During the Anthropocene, a unique look at the future for landscape-scale conservation in America.

Additional accomplishments include the agency lead for the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009; Department of Agriculture lead for the “Impacts of Wildfires on Communities and the Environment” (aka, the National Fire Plan); and the framework design and implementation of the Living Memorials Project in response to the events of September 11, 2001. A Presidential Rank Award winner in 2012 for distinguished public service, he retired from Federal service in 2016. In 2017, Michael received both the Humboldt State University [now, Cal Poly Humboldt] Distinguished Alumni Award and the America's People's Choice Award for the Urban Waters Federal Partnership, an initiative designed to help protect America’s urban forests.

His commitment to contemporary land conservation and service to others continues. Since retirement, he has written extensively about the lack of forest management across our country, especially in the West, and its impact on large, intense wildfires. He is the primary author of America’s Forests in the Balance: A National Emergency [aka, A Call to Action], a document that outlines solutions that address the current national emergency of uncontrollable wildfires resulting from the lack of both forest maintenance and a rational wildfire control policy across America. Now, to become the best possible Substitute Teacher he can be to help young learners, Michael is continuing his education in the Doctoral Program, Curriculum and Instruction, at West Chester University. Michael is a Registered Professional Forester [No. 632] for the State of California and resides in Broomall, Pennsylvania.