April 24, 2000
The Kentucky-Tennessee Society of American Foresters (KT-SAF) applauds your recent establishment of the Ad Hoc Advisory Committee on Forest and Wildland Fire Protection. An effective forest protection program is essential to achieving sustainable forest management objectives. The individuals selected for this Ad Hoc Committee will render you wise counsel.
The Society of American Foresters (SAF) is the professional organization in the United States for foresters. The Society is committed to advancing the science, education, technology, and practice of forestry, establishing professional excellence, and using the skills of our profession to benefit society. The KT-SAF has chapters in both states, with foresters employed in private industry, academia, private practice, and government. We wish to share with you our thoughts regarding the role of forest management and forest protection, based on our experience in all aspects of timber management, landowner assistance, and forest fire effects.
The Executive Committee of the KT-SAF has appointed me to express our professional concern with Reorganization 2000, the Department of Agriculture plan to reallocate personnel resources between fire suppression and professional/technical forest management functions within the Forestry Division. Although we understand this plan has been withdrawn at this time, it is our opinion that the perceived dichotomy between forest management and forest protection responsibilities are unrealistic and detrimental to sound forest management.
To achieve sustainable forestry, it is our unequivocal professional judgement that forest protection and forest management are inseparable and fully integrated functions. Every first-rate division of forestry/natural resources in the United States operates in a manner that both protects and manages its forestry resources. There is not much to manage if the resource is destroyed or damaged by fire, diseases, and/or insects. Such an integrated program requires a full time staff of well-trained technicians and professionals with an adequate budget.
It is gratifying to see that your top priorities (Reorganization 2000) included increased professional forest management support to private forest landowners, increased emphasis on water quality related to forestry operations, and increased arson investigation. These areas of emphasis were among the recommendations of the Tennessee Forest Management Advisory Panel in 1998, and/or the Governor’s Council on Agriculture and Forestry in 1996. We do not, however, believe that these objectives should be achieved by reducing basic fire fighting capabilities.
To operate a fully integrated Division of Forestry program, as described above, requires adequate funding. In times of tight budgets it is logical to examine other ways of "getting the job done." Relegating a portion of forest fire control to the Volunteer Firefighting Departments (VFD) is not, however, a viable option in our opinion. Our close working experience with VFD’s has been a positive one. They are a valuable element in fighting wildfires. They should not, however, be held primarily responsible for fighting these fires as proposed. Even with increased training and more equipment, they remain volunteers, with limited amounts of time for wildfire suppression. Sometimes forest fires take days to contain, and volunteers simply cannot support that level of sustained intensity.
We respectfully submit a suggestion whereby a fully integrated forest protection/management program can be effectively operated in Tennessee. Use the dedicated employees now on staff to get both jobs done. It takes years of experience for persons to learn how to fight wildland fires safely and effectively. Many of those individuals are now employed as forestry aides, forestry technicians, and seasonal firefighters. These same individuals, with additional training, can become more diversified in their skills to perform other important jobs.
The Forest Management Academy at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, is an example of providing personnel development and management. Conducted for the Division of Forestry, forestry aides and technicians learn new skills that make them even more valuable to the organization. The benefit already derived from such "grass roots and up" training is the observed improved water quality associated with forestry operations. The trained forestry aides that come in direct contact with the logging operators have had a positive influence upon them.
Tennessee is in the top tier of hardwood producing lumber states. Along with tobacco and soybeans, wood delivered to the mills ranks as one of the three highest value crops in the state. Employing more than 69,000 Tennesseans, forest products manufacturing is one of the top four value-added industries. With 50 percent of Tennessee forested, 13.3 million acres, and more than 80 percent of these forests being hardwoods, the value of our forest resources is significant. The impact of fire in hardwood forests is particularly destructive, even though the trees might not be killed. Harvested hardwood trees routinely have their butt log, the most valuable part of the tree for lumber and veneer, discarded or degraded because of damage sustained years earlier from fire. Our forests are to valuable to be jeopardized for lack of adequate management and protection.
In summary, we do not believe that the functions of both forest management and forest protection should be compromised; they should be fully funded and integrated. Furthermore, personnel development, rather then personnel reduction, is the most productive means by which the Division of Forestry can reach its goals. The forest resources in Tennessee continue to grow in quantity and quality. Simply continuing to cut or reallocate existing funds is definitely not in the best interests of the citizens of Tennessee.
Thank you for the opportunity to provide comment. We will certainly support your efforts to increase professional forest management and forest protection through adequate funding of the state budget.
Sincerely yours,
Tennessee Department of Agriculture
Ellington Agricultural Center
P.O. Box 40627