2022 State Forester’s Prescribed Burning Award (Deadline 1 PM, 7/22/22)

Photo Credit: Ann Liles

The North Carolina State Forester’s Prescribed Burning Award may be presented annually to a NC Forest Service employee or group of employees who demonstrate leadership and excellence in accomplishing prescribed burning.  This award represents an opportunity to recognize significant achievements in:

  • overcoming obstacles to prescribed burning;
  • working successfully with landowners and partners to facilitate, support and conduct prescribed burns; and/or
  • promoting the benefits of prescribed burning

The acres burned in a single year are not the sole basis for this award. The recipient(s) will have shown perseverance to support and accomplish prescribed burning for the benefit of our forests and the citizens of North Carolina.  The award will be presented by the State Forester or their designee during the Annual North Carolina Prescribed Fire Council Meeting (August 10-11, 2022 in Ellerbe, NC).

Nominations for the 2022 State Forester’s Prescribed Burning Award are being accepted (access the nomination form here).  NC Forest Service employees and/or groups of employees may be nominated by NC Forest Service staff, partners, landowners, etc.  Please share this email & nomination form with partners, landowners and others as you see fit.  This award covers burning efforts that occurred between July 1, 2021 – June 30, 2022. 

Nominations must be emailed to [email protected] and [email protected] by 1:00 PM on Friday, July 22, 2022 to be considered.  Please include “2022 Prescribed Burning Award Nomination” in the email heading.

Please take the time to nominate those who have gone above and beyond in getting fire on the ground.  Thanks very much for your consideration and your efforts. 

Past Recipients include:

2009: Phillip Inman, Mike Hardison and Shane Hardee (Brunswick County)

2010: Brian Elam (Surry County Ranger)

2011: Scott Maynor, Jason Haywood, Jay Strider, Tommy Gaddy and Tom White (Montgomery County)

2012: Jeremy Callicut (Stanley County ACR)

2013: Rob Shackelford (Dare County Ranger)

2014: Alan Hill, Hugh Hassell, Kerry Lathrop, Jonathan McCall, Charles Choplin, Harold Phillips, Bobby Mashburn, Benji Reece, Jamie Logan, and Dwayne Vigil (District 9)

2015: David Poole and Jason Walker (Rowan County)

2016: Kenny Griffin (District 11 Ranger)
2017: David Spooner, Pilot and Wayne Everts, Crew Chief

2018: Jonathan Young, Taylor Whitmire and Preston George (Stokes County)

2019: Carla Freeman (District 5 Management Ranger)

2020: Bryan Singleton (Caswell County Ranger)

2021: Keith Money (R2 ARF-Fire)

More Facts

Applications Open: WTREXSA

What is WTREXSA?WTREXSA is an exciting global wildland firefighting collaboration offering practical live prescribed fire training. Presented in the form of a 12-day training event,

Read More »