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.
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