TODD C. BATES - NIPFTC OPERATIONS SPECIALIST

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

Las Vegas, NV

Email: todd_bates@fws.gov

Cell: (702) 755-2831

Todd began his service in wildland fire in 2002 looking for a job where he could be of service and enjoy some adventure before returning to school in Las Vegas, NV. He quickly realized that he had found his future profession. He would get his first permanent position with the US Forest Service (USFS) in 2004. 

In 2008, when Todd joined the National Park Service (NPS), a light came on for Todd that would take his career in a path he could not have previously imagined. Here he learned about prescribed fire and the role fire plays in the environment, its importance for ecosystem function and critical habitats. Todd would become a RXB2 and return to school to finish his education through the 401 Natural Resource and Biological Sciences education program at UNLV. Todd would become the Prescribed Fire and Fuels Specialist at Lake Mead NRA, and then Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks where he took special pride in restoration treatments. In 2018 Todd joined the US Fish and Wildlife (FWS) as the AFMO of the Nevada Zone where he rounded out his experience in timber ecosystems by working in marshy refuges dedicated to providing habitat for migratory birds and to the protection of endangered species. 

In 2023 Todd joined the ranks of NIPFTC as an Operations Specialist. Todd has strived to provide development and growth opportunities to others, just as he has received throughout his career. And he is dedicated to the creation of these opportunities in his position at NIPFTC.

Todd and his wife spend a lot of time outside or traveling with their two kids, but they also like to binge good TV. He also enjoys nerding out history podcasts or books, and he is a long-suffering fan of the Chicago Bears.