East Texas wildfire academy kicks off Tuesday - May 15, 2012

LUFKIN, Texas ­--- In the Lone Star State, 80 percent of wildfires occur within two miles of a community, and volunteer firefighters are considered the first line of defense for almost all of them.

Those statistics underline the need for additional wildland firefighter training, and nearly 200 emergency responders from across the country will get just that at the 15th Annual East Texas Interagency Wildfire and Incident Management Academy.

Over the next two weeks, firefighters will converge on Angelina College in Lufkin to learn about wildland firefighting, dozer operations, chainsaw use, incident command, tactical decision-making and fire behavior.

“In our business, training is an essential element,” said Bob Koenig, chief response training coordinator for Texas Forest Service. “It doesn’t just prepare you for the job; it can save your life.”

The academy is a joint effort coordinated by Texas Forest Service, Angelina College, U.S. Forest Service, National Park Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Weather Service, The Nature Conservancy, National Wildfire Coordinating Group and Texas Wildfire Association.

Courses offered are part of a standardized, national training curriculum developed by the National Wildfire Coordinating Group.

Classes begin Tuesday, May 15, and run through Friday, May 25.

Texas Forest Service Launches Second Phase of Drought Assessment - May 15, 2012
Submitted by Chris Brown

Forestry crews will spend the next two months trekking across the Lone Star State counting dead trees to get a better picture of the mortality rate from the 2011 drought.

Texas Forest Service personnel will survey 700 plots of land, each specifically targeted by agency analysts who studied satellite images of tree canopy across the state.

Crews will note the number of dead trees in a 75-foot radius on each plot. They also will collect information — when available — about the prevalence of bark beetles and hypoxylon canker, two potentially-deadly health concerns for drought-stressed trees.

“We didn’t just lose trees. We lost all the social, environmental and economic benefits they provide,” said Chris Brown, a program coordinator and forester with Texas Forest Service. “Knowing the mortality rate allows us to help communities plan for reforestation.”

Last December, Texas Forest Service announced that an estimated 100 to 500 million trees had been killed by the 2011 drought. The preliminary estimate was derived by agency foresters, who canvassed local forestry professionals, gathering information from them on the drought and its effect on trees in their respective communities.

The current work makes up phase two of the agency’s drought assessment.

Crews started their assessment in East Texas earlier this month. They’re expected to conduct field surveys into July as they work their way across the state. A final report could be available as early as August.

Landowners should be aware that they may be contacted by crews seeking permission to survey plots on private property. They will be contacted using the information listed in appraisal district records — likely by phone or mail.

A third phase of the assessment includes a more scientific, longer-term study that will be completed as the agency collects data through its Forest Inventory & Analysis program. Considered a census for trees, the federally-funded program allows the agency to keep a close watch on trees — and how they’re growing and changing — across the state.

Walk in the Forest 2012 - April 24, 2012
Submitted by Becky Hopkins

The Texas Forest Service and the Sabine River Authority sponsored the 2012 Walk in the Forest this year. Approximately 280 5th grade students and their teachers participated at Ragtown April 11th and April 12th. The kids were divided into groups and went to several stations where they had a learning experience with a leader. Stop 1 was about Forest Products with Bob Lacher with TFA, Stop 2 was Forest Soils with Ray Grant from the NRCS Office, Stop 3 was Tree Growth with John Boyette with the Texas Forest Service, Stop 4 was Forest Wildlife with Rusty Wood and Andrea Webb with Texas Parks and Wildlife, Stop 5 was Water Testing/PLT with Todd Thomas and Donna Work with Texas Forest Service, Stop 6 was Forest Health with Joe Pace and Alan Smith with Texas Forest Service. This program is offered every year to all 5th graders in Shelby County. The schools participating this year were Center, Shelbyville and Excelsior. We appreciate the students and teachers being allowed to come and participate in this program. We would like to thank the following sponsors for help making this possible, M&M Feed, Wal-mart, Shelby Soil and Water Conservation, Brookshire Bros., NAPA, Boles Feed, Toledo Automotive, Center Motor Company and Sabine River Authority.