Day 2

Oregon Forest Service

Day 2

            Waking up at 6 and getting dressed for our big day with the Oregon Forest Service. I was ready for breakfast and the long day ahead of us. We drove back towards Bend and met with some firefighters just in the outskirts of Bend in the forest. Fuel technicians Robert Newey and Nick Swagger met with our group to discuss forest fire management and their jobs dealing with fires. Both men had education in forestry and been switching jobs in firefighting for the last 5+ years going from state to state getting promotions and new assignments. Nick and Robert love what they do and the fact that that their services impact surrounding area. Fuel technicians deal with what type of fuels that forest create and how long those fuels will burn in a fire. Fuels include dead or living debris like branches, stumps, grass, shrubs, trees, and bushes. A way to judge burning time is the circumference of an item.

¼ Inch burns for an hour.

¼ to 1 inch burns for 10 hours.

1 inch to 3 inches burns for 100 hours.

3 inches to 10 inches burns for 1,000 hours.

10 inches plus will burn for 10,000 hours.

Firefighters must pass a physical test and enroll for 1 week of guard school. Crews that work in forest fighters earn a red card and can be as young as 16 years to camp and volunteer. Logistics is the key to solving forest fire which include the acres that burned, how many firefighters, supplies, camping areas, water, vehicles, tools, food, protection, weather, and individuals in danger. Knowing how to combat fires will help find a resolution. Not only do firefighters have to consult within the agency but other agencies like botanist, biologist, politicians, BIA (Bureau of Indian Affairs), Forest Service, Timber manufactures, and so many more. It’s a joint effort across Oregon to know when fires are needed to clear areas that could lead to a dangerous situation from over flooded fuels or even an area with an invasive species of weeds that could outcompete native species. Some Issues that could lead to firefighters to build control fires are tree health, diseases, fungi, road and trail issues, dryness, fuels over flooding, invasive species, and other issues that could pose any danger to public or forest. 
 

            Stopping at Oregon’s Forest Service headquarters in Bend for our next stop was my inspiration to continue in my education and career path. The first place we tour was the Seed Department which was led by Seed Manager Kayla and her assistant Sarah. Both had volunteer with the Forest Service before landing their jobs at the seed depart which extract seeds gather by private groups. The process of gather seeds that could potentially be smaller than dust starts by removing larger debris like sticks or stones from samples in machines that uses several filters to narrow the seeds away from other debris. Over 1,500 different seed species could be gathered over one season that lasts from the fall and winter. Different lights and screens are needed to capture seed and seed nurseries have more jobs available that other occupations with the Forest which include Tribal nurseries hiring outside sources because of the low worker available within any particular tribe.

            We were greeted with Tammy the head supervisor of the Forest Service Headquarters that had been working for the Forest Service for the past 20 years. We sat and had lunch with several members of the Forest Service that provided us with their backgrounds on who they are and what they do. Tom worked with fish and works in waterways that could prevent fish to head to spawning grounds or provide invasive species areas to spawn. Robin works in architecture and provides help with building projects and facilities. Bill is a land surveyer and heads to areas that could be potential hazards for fires. Lori is a biologist that provides helps with species’ habitats. Charmaine is a botanist and studies rare plants to gather information to prevent them from going extinct. Gina works with public affairs which notifies communities of dangers, big events, and any information that needs to be public. Stacy is a volunteer event supervisor which helps gather community help for large events to preserve the forest. The Forest Service provides many jobs that don’t necessarily need a degree in environmental science but also provide workers with possibilities to work their own hours. Bill had told us that this is his favorite job and has been available to retire for the last 5 years but hasn’t because he loves what he does. This leave a permanent reminder that this is what I want to do and I’m heading in the right direction. I can’t wait to finish my degree. Even before I get it, I can volunteer and earn credits doing what I love.