Sarah Tomskyí¢â‚¬â„¢s internship provided a wide variety of experiences relating to environmental policy and planning at the regional and national level.

Much of her work contributed to the organizationí¢â‚¬â„¢s engagement in renewable energy planning and policy formation.  She developed a comparative matrix of existing renewable energy leasing and permitting processes at the federal, state, and local levels, to assist The Wilderness Society in identifying and recommending best practices to federal agencies.  Sarah also assisted in developing scoping comments for proposed solar projects, toured potential solar facility sites, attended stakeholder meetings, and met with regulating agencies.  In addition to the renewable energy work, Sarah had the opportunity to assist a field team conducting research in the Sierra National Forest. Finally, she compiled a list of scientists researching climate change in the California region of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, to inform The Wilderness Societyí¢â‚¬â„¢s engagement in local climate change work.  Sarahí¢â‚¬â„¢s internship informed her understanding of the role non-profit environmental organizations play in policy formation and local planning efforts, and how environmental organizations collaborate with one another on shared interests.  She also made several professional contacts and developed a more complete understanding of the environmental issues specific to the state of California.

Internship Details