How do You Prepare for this Year's Fire Season? Tune in Friday with #PrepareAthon!

USDA Blog Post:

Posted by Leo Kay, U.S. Forest Service, Fire and Aviation Management, on April 23, 2014 at 3:00 PM

Prepare your home and family for wildfire season. Click to enlarge or download.

With yet another busy fire season around the corner, the U.S. Forest Service, CAL FIRE and the U.S. Fire Administration decided to take to social media and talk about America’s PrepareAthon!, which is a nationwide, community-based campaign for action to increase emergency preparedness and resilience through hazard-specific drills, group discussions and exercises conducted at the national level every fall and spring.  Wildfire experts will be ready to answer any questions that range from how to help protect your home from wildfire to what the wildfire season forecast looks like this year.

Drought conditions in the West, especially in California, combined with other factors portend a dangerous fire season that now could start at any time.  Last year, 34 wildland firefighters died in the line of duty as fire ravaged 4.1 million acres and destroyed more than 1,000 homes around the Nation. This year the U.S. Forest Service has more than 10,000 firefighters who stand ready as well as aircraft and engines deployed around the country.  Should that call be received, these firefighters and the tools that they use are ready to spring into action.

Join U.S. Forest Service Fire Director Tom Harbour, a 45-year veteran of the Forest Service, CAL FIRE Chief Ken Pimlott and FEMA U.S. Fire Administration Fire Program Specialist Teresa Neal for a Twitter chat aimed to empower communities with the information needed to remain prepared for what might be a longer and more severe wildfire season in an era of changing climates.

Tune into Twitter @forestservice and follow #PrepareAthon on Friday, April 25 at 11am EDT (8am PST) to hear from experts in the field about how YOU can prepare your family and community if wildfire strikes.

And speaking of prevention, this year also marks another significant milestone in the wildland firefighting arena: Smokey Bear turns 70.  Given that 9 out of 10 fires in California are still caused by humans, it is clear that Smokey cannot afford to slow down in his golden years.

Forest Service Hosts National Boy Scout Jamboree

USDA Blog Post:

Posted by Haven Cook, Florida National Forests, and Tiffany Holloway, Office of Communication, U.S. Forest Service, on August 27, 2013 at 12:55 PM

Boy Scouts work on pulp and paper merit badge at the Forest Service exhibit. (U.S. Forest Service photo)

Did you know the U.S. Forest Service has a long connection to the Boy Scouts of America? Roughly 78 percent of Forest Service employees were Boy Scouts or Girl Scouts in their youth; and many scouting projects, including Eagle Scout projects, take place on national forests or grasslands.

“The Boy Scouts of America is a longtime valued partner of the Forest Service,” said DeVela J. Clark, deputy forest supervisor on the Monongahela National Forest. “Scouts have assisted our National Forests and Grasslands with numerous conservation service projects across the country.”

The Forest Service has been a part of the National Boy Scout Jamboree since 1967, when the Jamboree was held at Valley Forge, Pa.

This year, more than 40,000 Boy Scouts attended the National Boy Scout Jamboree in West Virginia. Every four years the Jamboree happens, and scouts come from across America and around the world to sleep under the stars, learn new skills, work on merit badges, and make new friends. The first Jamboree was held in 1937. This year’s Jamboree marked the 103 anniversary of Boy Scouts in America. It also marked the first time the Jamboree was held at its new permanent home – Summit Bechtel Reserve, commonly referred to as “The Summit.”

“We think it’s awesome to have the National Jamboree held in West Virginia now and into the future. It’s a great opportunity to showcase the state’s national forest and beautiful landscapes to a wide range of people,” said Clark.

At this year’s Jamboree, Scouts experienced many outdoor and adventure skills: canoeing, ziplining, rock climbing, rappelling, archery, whitewater rafting, shooting sports, skateboarding, mountain biking, bicycle motocross, kayaking, all-terrain vehicle riding, stand-up paddle boarding and more. In recent years, the Jamboree has gone high-tech, offering Scouts the latest in robotics, geospatial mapping and computer technology.

Others had the opportunity to travel north to participate in service projects on the Monongahela, focusing on improving wetland habitat at several newly created vernal pools and two recreation sites.

During the Jamboree, there were several agency exhibits along the Conservation Trail giving the Forest Service a chance to share their conservation education message with each new generation of scouts. The Forest Service exhibit features the Decision Trail, where visitors must make their own decisions about how to manage a specific resource problem, and at the end of the trail they find out the consequences of the decisions they’ve made.

The agency exhibit also includes two smokejumpers demonstrating their equipment, the pulp and paper merit badge, and a tent where scouts can join an internationally known sculpture artist, Jorge Rodriquez, in creating a stone sculpture during the 10-day Jamboree.

There were also several appearances by Smokey Bear and Woodsy Owl to assist in re-enforcing conservation values.

Keith Lawrence, forest supervisor on the Savannah River Site, explains the tornado scenario. (U.S. Forest Service photo)

Smokey Bear Pauses from Routine to Distribute Awards

USDA Blog Post:

Posted by Smokey Bear, U.S. Forest Service, on August 26, 2013 at 12:45 PM

Hi there! Smokey Bear here. We all know that bears love to hang out in the forests, but as our Nation’s symbol for wildfire prevention, I don’t get to do that as much as I’d like. So I’m really excited to tell you about a trip I recently made to the woods of Pennsylvania.

I went to the Boy Scouts of America Camp Karoondinha to help present a Bronze Smokey Bear Award to Pennsylvania State fire wardens for their “Wardens Helping in Prevention” program.

Since 1968, the fire wardens have volunteered their time to make presentations at schools, malls, fairs, and other events as part of their firefighting duties. The fire wardens use a manual designed for all ages that focuses on basic leadership skills and includes Smokey Bear games and coloring sheets, public service announcements, and more.

This year, Forest Service Northeastern Area Deputy Director Jim Barresi went with me to present the award because my paws aren’t much good for holding statues. The Smokey Bear Awards are given annually to national, regional, and statewide groups for excellence in wildland fire prevention. My gold Smokey Bear statues are awarded to national programs, silver statues to regional programs, and bronze statues for statewide recognition. These awards are not given out lightly—those who receive them have put a lot of effort into their programs.

At the awards ceremony, I was thrilled to see more than 100 wildfire trainees in their orange vests with yellow stripes…some young and some pursuing a new chapter in their lives. They are the next generation of wildfire fighters and educators, and my heart was touched by their presence. Hope they invite me back soon!

Remember: Only YOU can prevent wildfires!

Northern Area State and Private Forestry Deputy Director Jim Barresi (second from left) presented the Bronze Smokey Award to the Wardens Helping in Prevention in Pennsylvania. With Barresi are (from left): Levi Gelnett, state fire prevention specialist, Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (PA DCNR) Bureau of Forestry; Barresi; Dave Coder, Pennsylvania fire warden; Randy White, state fire supervisor, PA DCNR Bureau of Forestry; Dan Devlin, state forester, PA DCNR Bureau of Forestry; and Amy Griffith, District 7 forester, PA DCNR Bureau of Forestry.