Martin Twer is the Montana State University Extension Forestry BioEnergy Associate Specialist, housed cooperatively at The University of Montana in the College of Forestry and Conservation. As a member of the NARA Outreach Team in the “Western Montana Corridor” Pilot Community, he assists the NARAExtension Working Group by providing information such as brochures, popular articles and guidelines about the NARA program and provides research updates to Montana stakeholders including industry, logging and landowner professional organizations and conferences.

He is the director of the Montana Natural Resources Youth Camp, coordinator of the Montana Master Forest Steward Program and annual Forestry MiniCollege, and teaches workshops for landowners and forestry professionals on GPS, GIS, Google Earth applications, Heating with Wood, and Riparian Assessment and Management. Further responsibilities include website development and maintenance as well as the evaluation and implementation of new teaching and outreach tools.

He is currently conducting research to fulfill a doctorate in forestry and master’s degree in economics at the University of Montana studying the ecological, economic and social feasibility of increased woody biomass utilization as a renewable energy source in Montana. Martin holds a Master in Science degree equivalent in landscape ecology from the University of Muenster, Germany, and a Master in Science degree in resource conservation from The University of Montana.