Fellow spotlight: Katie Pietrucha

Alaska Sea Grant State Fellow Katie Pietrucha is working with the regulatory program of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Alaska Marine Mammals Management Office. USFWS manages three species of marine mammals found in Alaska: polar bears, northern sea otters and Pacific walrus. The regulatory program works with industry and other government entities to mitigate adverse impacts on these species by providing technical guidance, and if appropriate, issuing incidental take authorizations under the Marine Mammal Protection Act. Pietrucha is assisting senior biologists with these authorizations by updating stakeholder contact lists, conducting administrative reviews and managing databases of letters of authorization, wildlife sighting reports and literature.

Polar bear authorizations comprise most of the work done by the regulatory program, with Pietrucha reviewing hours of infrared video this winter to detect dens near industrial activity. If a female bear and her cubs emerge within a mile of human activity, Pietrucha and two wildlife biologists go to the North Slope to monitor behavior and ensure compliance with letters of authorization.

“Working in the regulatory realm feels like learning another language,” says Pietrucha. “I’m grateful for this opportunity to learn more about how the agency protects its trust species while collaborating with industry and Native communities. I am gaining valuable knowledge and skills that will contribute to my career in wildlife conservation.”

As part of her fellowship, Pietrucha has taken advantage of training opportunities through USFWS, including workshops on diversity and inclusion, data analysis, oiled wildlife response and Alaska Native relations. She will assist with Aleutian tern aerial surveys this summer through a USFWS partnership with the Prince William Sound Science Center. Having previously completed a master’s in film, Pietrucha will also work with USFWS staff and partners to produce a short video illustrating best management practices for boaters in sea otter habitat.

Pietrucha recently graduated from the Bren School of Environmental Science & Management at the University of California, Santa Barbara with a master’s degree, where she studied conservation planning and coastal resources management.

Pietrucha spent her first summer in Alaska with Lynn Canal Conservation in Haines, where she worked on a project evaluating mountain goat and brown bear habitat connectivity in the region. Before graduate school, Pietrucha worked in communications, operations and management for companies and nonprofits in Los Angeles and Washington, D.C. She is excited to return to Alaska and explore its incredible landscapes with her dog, Ranger.