SAF Internships

SAF is excited to announce a revamp of the Henry Clepper Forest Policy Internship Program. The new and improved program will offer students and recent graduates a unique opportunity to not only work closely with the policy and public affairs team but also learn from and contribute to the entire SAF organization. Applications will open every December and close on February 1 for summer internships.

The 2023 application period has closed. Check back in December for updates on 2024.

Program Details

 

Eligibility 

All applicants must be:

  • Undergraduate students (current or rising juniors and seniors preferred), graduate students, or recent graduates; 
  • Based in the United States; and
  • Interested in pursuing a career that impacts forestry or related natural resources. 

Commitments

  • Full-time internship in DC office or remote 
  • Three-month term with flexible start and end dates from May-August

Stipend 

$1,650 / month stipend 

Other Benefits 

  • One year of SAF membership 
  • Complimentary registration to the SAF National Convention

Activities

The SAF team does its best to tailor intern activities to the individual's interests and career goals. Activities will vary based on a number of factors but may include:

  • Tracking and attending congressional hearings
  • Researching legislation and proposed administrative rules 
  • Creating content for the SAF website and social media
  • Helping draft letters, testimonies, and other public statements 
  • Writing articles for SAF publications 
  • Helping organize SAF forums, webinars, and other events
  • Connecting with SAF local unit leaders and student chapters 
  • Participating in meetings with partner organizations, agencies, and congressional offices
  • Networking with SAF leaders

How to Apply

Please send a resume, cover letter, and short writing sample (less than six pages) to Tony Mazza, SAF Natural Resources Policy Specialist, at [email protected] by February 1, 2023.

What Past Interns Had to Say

SAF was an incredibly fun, motivating, and productive work environment. Many internship experiences are not as involved and personalized as mine was through SAF, and I appreciate the effort by the national team to include me in meetings and projects, treating me as a contributing member of the overall production.”

Arjeta Bajramaj, Summer 2021

It’s hard to express in one page all the benefits this short internship has provided me -- inside knowledge of the policy process, fluency in budget numbers, knowledge of federal programs, deep insight into the workings of nonprofits, the chance to network with forestry leaders...the chance to publish my writing, and first-hand interaction with congressional staff, to name a few."

Don Radcliffe, Spring 2017

My SAF internship has been such a rewarding experience. Whether researching legislation in the office, attending meetings with congressional staff, or connecting with partner organizations in DC, I not only had an excellent opportunity to see natural resource policy in action, but developed an invaluable professional network.”

Catherine Masingill, Summer 2017

I was given the fantastic chance to witness and interact with almost every aspect and level of environmental policymaking from grassroots organizing to senatorial debates over multi-billion dollar budgets. These experiences, among other things, helped me to hone my communication, organizational, analytical, and writing skills to a degree that I would have not thought possible beforehand.”

Connor Stephens, Summer 2016