"This competitive grant program is a tremendous asset to our communities and volunteer fire departments throughout the state,” said Secretary of Agriculture Terry Peach. “The funding provided by the program helps to increase fire protection and lower fire insurance ratings for homeowners and businesses.”

State funds may be used to build new or improve existing fire stations, or to purchase firefighting equipment. The community must match grant dollars with at least 20 percent in local funds.

Rural fire defense is a significant program for ODAFF’s Forestry Services division, Peach said.  The 80/20 grants are available to more than 900 rural and community fire departments in Oklahoma.

The department expects to award up to $800,000 in state-appropriated grant funding during fiscal year 2009. Application forms were sent to all cooperating fire departments July 1, and may be obtained from rural fire coordinators or the Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry.

Applications are also available on-line at www.forestry.ok.gov . Completed applications must be submitted to the fire department’s Rural Fire Coordinator by July 31, 2008. For additional information or questions, call 405-288-2385.

John Burwell, State Forester for the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food, and Forestry said Allen officials and homeowners worked together to assess fire danger and form plans to protect lives and property from wildfire.

“Everyone involved in the Firewise activities in Allen is doing an outstanding job in preparing for dealing with wildfire where wildland and urban areas interface,” he said.  “We also need to recognize their commitment to maintaining this program for the future since the threat of wildfire is something we expect to recur year after year.”

Allen officials created a local Firewise Board of Directors consisting of homeowners, fire professionals and city leaders.

"Our biggest problem in the state right now is that a large percentage of the state's tree harvests are done without the advice of a professional," he said.  "Often a sale consists of a logger or logging company making a landowner an offer for his trees.

“Thinking the offer is a lot of money the landowner takes it with no understanding of the impact on the future of the stand.”  Burwell said, “Enlisting the services of a professional forester can provide management options and get a higher price by marking the trees, putting out bids and letting competition dictate the sale price.”

There are many quality-of-life benefits from forests and timberland as well, he said.

"Far too many people fail to realize the benefits besides wood production their trees are having on their land and in the community around it," Burwell said. "Timber is a valuable resource for wildlife habitat, water, air and wood production. When trees are properly managed, you receive those benefits and realize a greater profit at harvest time."

The first step to effective tree farming for most landowners is to locate a professional forester for advice and an evaluation of their property.

After that, the landowner can discuss both short term and long term goals for timber production and get an evaluation of the land with the forester.  Burwell said determining the types of trees on the land and identifying potential problems that could impair growth are keys to increasing the productivity of any timber stand.

The forester will then outline recommended actions in a forest management plan.  Ultimately the timber will likely be harvested for sale and at that point the goal will be to maximize the landowner’s income.

“Not waiting for the timber to reach maturity is the single most costly mistake we see timber owners make,” he said.  “That’s a mistake that won’t happen to someone using a professional forestry consultant.”

For forestry assistance, information on managing your forest land or locating a professional forester, contact Oklahoma Forestry Services at 405-522-6158 and ask for the OFS forester who serves your area or a list of private consulting foresters.   

For the past three years, Huber has purchased a minimum of one million pine seedlings from the State Forest Regeneration Center and provided them free-of-charge to participating forest landowners in a nine-county area. Forestry Services' staff of professional foresters provides technical assistance to participating landowners and administers the popular program. 

Oklahoma’s seedling program is patterned after similar cooperative ventures in other states where Huber manufacturing plants are located. The Huber Corporation is one of the largest and oldest family-owned companies in America and is headquartered in Edison, New Jersey. Huber’s oriented strand board plant in Broken Bow, Oklahoma, began operations in April 2004 and currently operates the largest “continuous mat press” OSB plant in the world. 

 “Huber Engineered Woods recognizes the importance of planting trees to replenish this renewable natural resource that makes our business possible,” said Garrett Tipton, head procurement forester for Huber in Broken Bow.  “The Huber family is committed to helping make sure that trees and forests will be as plentiful in the future as they are today, not only for our company, but also for a healthy natural environment and for the people who depend upon it.”

 “This is a great partnership for Forestry Services and for the local communities in the area, and Huber is to be commended,” John Burwell, State Forester and ODAFF Forestry Services Director said, “The program not only helps private landowners offset some of their reforestation costs, but it also is an invaluable contribution to our goals in managing the state’s forests and making sure they remain healthy and productive.” 

More information on the program is posted on the Oklahoma Forestry Services website at www.forestry.ok.gov/trees-for-oklahoma-program. Landowners that are interested in participating can call the Department of Agriculture's Southeast Area forestry office in Broken Bow at 580-584-3351 (Atoka, Bryan, Choctaw, McCurtain and Pushmataha counties) or the East Central forestry office in Wilburton at 918-465-2082 (Haskell, Latimer, LeFlore and Pittsburg counties). 

The 52^nd Annual Oklahoma Youth Forestry & Wildlife Camp is sponsored by the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry, OSU Extension Services, OK Department of Wildlife Conservation, USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service, US Forest Service and the Oklahoma RC& D.  Camp takes place June 9-14, 2008 at Oklahoma’s Beavers Bend State Park and applications are being taken now.

“The Youth Forestry and Wildlife Camp is a tradition in Oklahoma,” says Camp Program Director, Christina Stallings, “but this year’s camp will definitely be something different.

“We’re stirring things up and I can promise that learning about forestry and wildlife will never be more fun,” she said. “We have even added an extensive fieldtrip day.”

The camp is geared toward students 13 to 15 years old who are interested in learning about conservation, wildlife and forestry in an outdoor setting, Stallings said.

“We expect youth coming to Forestry and Wildlife Camp will investigate possible careers that interest them as well as just enjoying the outdoors,” she said.

Older youth 18 to 22 years old may participate as camp counselors. Counselors should be mature, responsible young adults with an interest in outdoor careers such as forestry or wildlife, or in education, and have the ability to guide younger campers.

Counselors receive a weekly stipend.

Camper and counselor applications will be accepted until May 1, 2008 and can be obtained at www.whatisforestry.org, or by calling Stallings at the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry, 405-522-6158.

Spots fill quickly, she cautions.  Applications are accepted on a first come, first served basis.

A letter of reference from a teacher, counselor, principal, or club leader with personal knowledge of the camper’s interest and conduct must accompany each camper application. The $175 camper registration fee covers all costs including meals, transportation at camp, field trips, and workshops.

"The riparian forests of the Canadian River and its tributaries provide critical environmental benefits to a large portion of the state's population," said John Burwell, Oklahoma's State Forester and Forestry Services Director.  "These benefits are threatened because of invasive species and lack of young trees to replace older, mature trees.  It is our responsibility to help landowners enhance and conserve these resources."             

With funding from the USDA Forest Service, the Canadian River Riparian Forest Restoration Project is a partnership of the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food, and Forestry, the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation, the National Wild Turkey Federation and The Nature Conservancy.            

ODAFF foresters and wildlife biologists with the National Wild Turkey Federation will provide free assistance to landowners and communities in the planning and implementation of their management efforts.

Historically, wild turkeys used mature cottonwood trees in the southern great plains for roosting,” Burwell said.  “The disappearance of mature bottomland forests in this region reduces the quality of turkey habitat. “We also expect to see other species like quail and songbirds benefit from the improved habitat,” he said.  “I think people will be surprised at how much this watershed can be improved.”

Most eligible projects such as tree planting, prescribed burning and other activities to control unwanted species are eligible for 75-25 cost share through the program.  Other activities such as fencing will be eligible for 50-50 cost share funding.

The project is scheduled for the next two years and approximately $100,000 in cost-sharing is available through Oklahoma Forestry Services.  A project demonstration area is being created on the Packsaddle Wildlife Management Area in Ellis County as an educational tool for landowners.

For additional information call Oklahoma Forestry Services at 405-522-6158 or go to the project overview on the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry website at www.forestry.ok.gov/crrfp.

See our Urban Forestry Team in Action!

Damaged Trees Getting A Review

Welders, cutting torches and metal grinders cause many fires each year but these activities are allowed as long as the work is conducted over a non-combustible surface at least 10 feet by 10 feet and when welding blankets or screens are used to cover vegetation.  Wind speed must be less than 20 mph and a person other than the one doing the work must be present to serve as a fire watch with a pressurized water source or fire extinguisher.

Woody debris such as limbs and branches may be burned under the following conditions:

• An air-curtain incinerator is used to burn the debris below ground level.
• Department of Environmental Quality Open Burning rules are followed.
• The area where the burn is conducted is cleared of vegetation for a 100’ radius.
• Wind speed is less than 15 mph.
• Water and water pumping equipment is onsite.

Campfires and bonfires are not allowed.  Coleman-type pressurized stoves may be used outside but any fire resulting from the use of one of these stoves or any type grill will be considered an illegal fire.

Native American ceremonial fires such as conducted for sweat lodges are exempt as long as the area around the fire is cleared of vegetation for at least 10 feet.

Complete burn ban exemption guidelines are posted on the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food, and Forestry website at www.oda.state.ok.us.   Questions may also be directed to the State Forester’s office at (405) 522-6158.  

“The $2.5 million the legislature appropriated for this new equipment is greatly appreciated will strengthen our rural fire departments’ ability to protect Oklahomans,” said State Secretary of Agriculture, Terry Peach.

Rural fire coordinators from across the state accepted applications for the vehicles.  The coordinators made recommendations on which departments should receive the vehicles based on a number of factors including the conditions of vehicles the departments owned, the number of fire responses made, the number of citizens served and location.

Departments receiving new trucks will also get new radios provided through a federal grant.  The fire departments are responsible for equipping the new vehicles with fire fighting apparatus such as water tanks, pumps and hoses.

An inventory of the forest resources of 18 state counties was estimated to be 45 percent completed as of December 31 and State Forester John Burwell says he expects the project to be completed sometime this summer.  The project to inventory forest resources of the entire state was announced in October.

It will take approximately five years to inventory the entire state, he said.  The inventory process will continue each year thereafter.

Landowners in southeastern Oklahoma counties will be contacted in the coming months before inventory crews enter their property.  Most state forestlands are privately owned and no ownership data will be made public from this survey.

“This inventory started in eastern counties where the last inventory was made in the early 1990s,” he said.  “That information is obviously outdated and we’re excited about getting the new data from this area.

“We’ll be even more thrilled when we’ve completed the inventory of the entire state somewhere between four and five years from now,” Burwell added.  “Oklahoma’s forestlands have an economic impact of over $2.3 billion annually and provide considerable intangible benefits to the state’s citizens.”

Cleaner air and water, soil conservation, wildlife habitat, and beautiful scenery are just a few of the more obvious benefits, he said.  People and communities who lost trees to the recent ice storm may be painfully aware of their aesthetic and intrinsic value.

“The federal inventory crews will be noting damage from this ice storm throughout this entire project,” Burwell said.  “Ice damage from storms like we just experienced will have negative impacts on our trees years from now and it will be interesting to see what the inventory reports teach us in the future.” 

More information is available at the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food, and Forestry’s forestry website at www.forestry.ok.gov and at the Forest Inventory Analysis website at www.fia.fs.fed.us.