Fire program manager receives national wildlife award

  • Published
  • By Scott Moorman
  • 96th Civil Engineer Group
EGLIN AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. --  Jackson Guard's fire management officer recently received the 2010 National Military Fish & Wildlife Association Award for Model Programs/Projects in support of Natural Resources on Department of Defense lands.

Mr. James Furman, 96th Civil Engineer Group's Natural Resources Fire Program Manager was praised by the association, which is dedicated to providing sustainable natural resource management on more than 25 million acres of DOD land in support of the military mission, for developing Eglin's Prescribed Fire Program into one of the nation's leading programs.

"This award is among the most significant I've ever received because it was submitted and reviewed by other DoD natural resource management professionals that compared our program to all others in DoD," he said. "It's like winning a regional tournament instead of just a local game."

Under his guide, Eglin's controlled burn acreage has increased by 87 percent over the last decade and led the nation with 112,000 acres burned last year. This aggressive burn plan has revitalized the base's fire-dependant long-leaf pine forest ecosystem, and in turn, boosted the red-cockaded woodpecker population, which relies on old-growth long-leaf pines for survival. As a result, Jackson Guard has reached U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recovery goals for the bird five years ahead of schedule.

The NMFWA also recognized Mr. Furman for turning Jackson Guard into a national "hot-spot" for fire research and wildland firefighter training. In fact, the Camden, Ala., native has been coined the "Director of Pyro-tourism" by his colleagues.

"Comparatively speaking, Jackson Guard conducts more prescribed fires in a week than most programs will see in a year," said Mr. Furman. "This advantage allows us to partner with other agencies and organization to give their people the experience and training they need to implement prescribed burns on their home turf."

To Air Force leadership, the choice to nominate Mr. Furman was obvious.

"James has worked diligently to support the military mission, implement the base's Integrated Natural Resources Management Plan, and protect the installation and local community from wildfires, while improving working conditions for his subordinates," said Kevin Porteck, Air Force Center for Engineering and the Environment Natural Resources Program manager, who nominated Mr. Furman for the award. "He has done an outstanding job and truly deserves this."