Santa Lucia District Ranger presents Roberto Silva with an award for his service

The Los Padres National Forest paid homage to employee Roberto Silva for his exceptional service and initiative over the years as a firefighter on the Santa Lucia and Monterey Ranger Districts. Currently the fire engine operator and relief captain for Pozo Engine 34, Silva has been diligently leading the district in firefighting, fuels management, and forestry.

In addition to running the Pozo Engine and crew on wildland fires, Silva has taken on the extra responsibility of directing prescribed fire operations on the Santa Lucia Ranger District as a burn boss, enabling the Los Padres to meet our hazardous fuels reduction targets.

Yet another area where Silva has been providing valuable guidance and expertise is as the Forest tree climbing coordinator where he leads forest health improvement projects such as removing diseased portions of trees, performing weight reductions to keep leaning trees from toppling, and removing overhead hazards from campgrounds and other public use areas on Forest lands. We are delighted to have Silva on our team and wish to recognize him not just as a vital part of our fire protection operation, but as a go-getter and self-starter who knows how to get the work done.

Thank you Captain Silva!

Article by Flemming Bertelsen, Los Padres National Forest