Partnership with Choctaw Nation could help reduce forest fuels

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OKLAHOMA - A 30-year partnership between the USDA Forest Service and the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma is poised to create what they believe is the first-ever tribal wildland fire module, which is a crew that manages prescribed fire and responds to wildfires.

“There are about 60 wildland fire modules throughout the nation within the federal system, but this would be the first managed directly by a tribal nation,” said Tom Lowry, senior director of natural resources for the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma.

The benefit? A skilled, efficient workforce that carries out prescribed fires, reduces the risk of wildfire by working on fuels reduction projects, removes hazard trees and suppresses wildland fire.

The Forest Service’s work with the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma began in 1989. Together, they trained and developed firefighting crews to serve the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma service area. Over time, they developed nearly 700 tribal members with firefighting capabilities.

“Our partnership with the Forest Service to develop and train our members in fire was a really important building block,” said Lowry.

Today, the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma Forestry Department has 12 permanent forestry staff members able to respond to fire emergencies. The department is interested in expanding this workforce.

“This is an avenue to provide our future leadership with the tools, training, and experience they need to create longevity for the program. A win-win for everyone,” said Lowry.

Fire is essential to southern ecosystems. Prescribed fire is used more frequently in southeastern states than other U.S. regions. About 6.5 million acres for forest management and 3.8 million acres for agriculture are burned each year. Prescribed fire reduces the risk of catastrophic wildfire and supports healthy forests. It helps establish new longleaf and shortleaf pine forests. The Southern Region of the Forest Service works closely with its partners and communities, including Tribes, to manage fire across landscapes.

“Most Southerners live close to forested areas. They value forests for producing clean air and water, as well as providing a home for wildlife,” said Andy Baker, assistant director of Fire and Aviation Management in the Southern Region. “Wildland fire modules are one way we are working with others to keep forests healthy.”

The Southern Region’s wildfire fuels reduction program efforts protect more than 58,000 communities and 89 million acres in areas where communities are near forest lands. The hazardous fuels reduction program restores dozens of ecosystems, maintains threatened and endangered wildlife habitat, and guards hundreds of watersheds that supply drinking water to every major metropolitan area in the South.

The Choctaw Nation is the third-largest Indian nation in the U.S., with more than 200,000 tribal members and more than 11,000 employees.