Domke briefed National Press Foundation fellows in October 2021: How Forests Provide a Carbon ‘Sink’.

Grant Domke has leadership responsibilities for forest carbon estimation and reporting within the Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program of the USDA Forest Service. This program is responsible for reporting on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and removals in the forest land category as part of the United States’ commitment to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. This involves working with a team of scientists and staff to compile estimates of carbon stocks and stock changes in forest ecosystems for national and international reporting instruments. It also requires working with scientists from other land use categories to ensure transparency, consistency, completeness, comparability, and accuracy in GHG reporting.

He grew up in southern Minnesota where, as he says, “the tall grass prairie meets the Eastern forests.” His parents and grandfather Jake, an outdoorsman and all-around handyman, inspired him to work in wilderness science. He also credits several teachers in middle school who helped to inspire his interest in nature, the outdoors and math and science.

A research forester based at the Forest Service Northern Research Station, Grant began his career with the USDA Forest Service’s Forest Inventory and Analysis program within the agency’s Research and Development area. He now works with the Carbon Science group and helps compile estimates of carbon stocks and stock changes in forests each year as part of the U.S. commitment to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.