E-mail: ktackett@fs.fed.us
E-mail: dwanner@fs.fed.us

Forest Service Aids Katrina Relief

Newtown Square, Pa—USDA Forest Service offices across the Northeast are mobilizing employees to assist victims affected by Hurricane Katrina. Over 100 employees from the Northeast and Midwest have already been dispatched to locations in Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama. So far, five 20-person crews and about 12 individuals with specialized skills have been deployed to the hurricane ravaged area.

“We have three crews from Missouri, Minnesota and Wisconsin that went to Mississippi,” said Bob Hartlove, a fire planner at the Northeastern Area State and Private headquarters. In addition the Allegheny National Forest in Pennsylvania sent a crew to Camp Beauregard, Louisiana, and the Monongahela National Forest in West Virginia is putting together a crew that will be deployed early next week.

The Northeast Area is also putting together a standby list of personnel and resources available to fill requests quickly when additional laborers or individuals with specialized experience are needed. “Right now we are sending mostly crews with chain saw experience, but there is also a need for employees with specialized experience such as Information Technologies, logistical support, medical, incident management, contracting and many other position we utilize during wildfire incidents,” said Hartlove.

“The 20 person crew we are putting together on the Monongahela will consist of experienced chain saw operators,” said Kate Goodrich-Arling, Public Affairs Officer for the Forest. They will go to areas that are still isolated and begin removing damaged and fallen trees.

“This is our second year of deploying crews from the Monongahela National Forest after a hurricane,” said Goodrich-Arling. “Last year we sent a crew after Hurricane Charlie went through Florida.”

The crews utilize the Forest Service’s Incident Command System which, was developed to respond to wildfires, but can adapt to a wide range of situations. It provides a flexible structure to allow people from many different organizations to work together, monitor costs, develop plans of action and carry them out, and make sure people and supplies get to the areas that need them most. The Forest Service maintains and trains employees to be ready to respond when the need arises. The crews are made up of Service employees and members of interagency partners such as the Northeastern Area Association of State Foresters. The individuals responding have specialized skills for disaster situations, ranging from chain saw handling to planning and logistics.

“The motto of the Forest Service is ‘Caring for the Land and Serving People,’” said Kathryn Maloney, Director of the Northeastern Area State and Private Forestry. “As a part of our commitment to the American people, Forest Service employees in the Northeastern Area will continue to provide assistance as long as required.”