As chief of the Yellowstone Center for Resources (YCR), Dave Hallac will oversee the majority of the park’s natural and cultural resources management functions.
Hallac’s experience includes more than a decade working with fish and wildlife conservation, invasive species management, restoration, water quality and regional watershed management planning for both Everglades and Dry Tortugas including helping to plan and implement Everglades restoration projects.
Hallac was also instrumental in helping the Everglades minimize impacts associated with recreational watercraft use, as well as leading the region’s challenging management of several exotic species including the Burmese python and more than a dozen species of fish. In the Tortugas, Hallac was responsible for implementing a five-year science plan to protect the park’s natural resources throughout a 46-square-mile marine reserve that encompasses more than half of the park. He was a recipient of the 2010 Department of the Interior Partners in Conservation award for his work with exotic species. Prior to his career with the National Park Service, he worked for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
Hallac holds a Master’s Degree in Wildlife and Fisheries Biology from the University of Vermont. He and his wife, Robin, have four children.
The YCR division was created in March 1993 as a centralized team to gather, manage and analyze data that helps the park better manage its natural and cultural resources. Its scientists and researchers help mitigate the environmental and historic impacts of proposals and work to preserve and curate rare, sensitive and valuable resources. The ultimate goal of YCR is to collect and promote acquired scientific knowledge about the park to staff members, partners and visitors both inside and outside of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.
Many of Yellowstone’s YCR resource managers hold advanced degrees that provide them with the knowledge and experience to fill a scientific research role, and are often accomplished authors of scientific research. As a result, many are highly respected and internationally recognized experts in their fields.
For information on YCR and Yellowstone science, visit http://www.greateryellowstonescience.org/
NPS Photo
Dave Hallac, Chief, Yellowstone Center for Resources]
