On the Front Line of Fires
I’m trying to get work done in the crunch time before our National Tree Farmer Convention and have to pause to reflect on the amazing corps of volunteers that ATFS relies on. This is even more apparent to me in the recent days with fires burning across the country.
Our volunteers deserve accolades for all the work they do on behalf of America’s family forest owners, day in and day out. And now, with fires raging, these dedicated professionals are fighting blazes in their own states and sometimes clear across the country from where they live.
Recently, Mike Burns, a new staff member, reached out to the Pennsylvania ATFS State chair to learn he was off on fire duty. Our leader in the growing program in Oklahoma is off in Georgia fighting fires, putting on hold some work we need his help with. Our friends in Florida are mourning the loss of their colleagues at the state agency that were taken by the raging fires just a week ago. And as we work to finalize the plans for convention, I pick up the phone to call Todd Haines in New Mexico. I reach him on his cell, it is hard to hear him with the wind and incident teams around him. I ignore the reason why I called – it can wait . I let Todd know that I am praying for them. He tells me Los Alamos is burning.
I hang up the phone thinking, there is the office “crisis” of the day, and then there’s the real life situations that are so truly urgent.
I want to pause and acknowledge our friends and partners out there that hold ATFS together, that work to obtain good stewardship on private lands that are taken away from home, from their day jobs, to protect our natural resources. You are on the front lines of the fires and fighting a battle for all of us. We’re here at ATFS supporting you, praying for you.
I am humbled right now as I work to clear out my inbox. The inconvenience of not getting what I need because someone is out on fire is permanently put into perspective. The right perspective. I think of our staff member here in DC – her fiancé is with a fire fighting crew out of Utah. I remember what it was like for me when my husband was in Afghanistan. Just like overseas, there are families here at home just waiting to find out if their loves ones are ok.
We all need to pause and take a moment to pray for our friends on the front lines fighting fires across the country.
