FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 9, 2024
Texas A&M Forest
Service forester receives national Smokey Bear award
COLLEGE STATION,
Texas—Michelle Moore, Texas A&M Forest Service Forester, received a bronze
Smokey Bear award today in recognition of her efforts to create a first-of-its-kind
wildfire prevention resource guide.
The Introduction to Fire
Prevention virtual resource guide created by Moore is a Texas-specific guide for
volunteer fire departments, members of the public and Texas A&M Forest
Service personnel.
Moore also created fire
prevention training kits specifically for pet rescue and adoption centers in
East Texas as part of her fire prevention training resource outreach strategy.
These kits contained homeowner prevention, mitigation and evacuation materials,
as well as pet-specific evacuation and emergency resources.
“Michelle was instrumental
in the construction and launch of this program that creates a way to share
these valuable resources for those with diverse needs across the state,” said
Karen Stafford, Texas A&M Forest Service Program Coordinator.
The bronze Smokey Bear award
is the highest honor given to an individual for their prevention service that has
a significant impact within a state over at least a two-year period.
Moore aids in sustainable
forest management and silviculture in East Texas. Outside of her normal duties
as a forester, Moore became particularly interested in fire prevention. During
the two wildfire seasons of 2021/2022 and 2023, Moore supported fire prevention
activities and presentations across 25 east Texas counties, which revealed to
her that these prevention resources needed a larger, more accessible platform.
In her search to create a
fire education guide, Moore prioritized the idea of constructing an educational
resource program for fire prevention for internal and partnership use. As the
training’s impact grew, so did the perceived need for more community members
and first responders to have access.
“Michelle took great
initiative to create these accessible resources following her introduction to
fire prevention, and we are so grateful she did,” said Stafford. “Her unique
perspective on wildfires and fire prevention was crucial to the success of this
program’s reach.”
Texas A&M Forest Service
has over 500 fire and non-fire response personnel. The Introduction to Fire
Prevention resource guide is used to introduce all new employees, including non-fire
response personnel, in the agency to become acquainted
with fire prevention and operations.
Smokey Bear awards, sponsored by USDA Forest Service, the National Association of State Foresters and the Ad Council, began in the mid-1950s, and the bronze award was
established in 1962.
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Editor's Note: Photo ID--Michelle Moore, Texas A&M Forest Service Forester (left) was presented the Smokey Award by Scott Phillips, National Association of State Foresters Presidents (right) in Washington, D.C.
Contacts:
Texas A&M Forest Service
Communications, (979) 458-6606, newsmedia@tfs.tamu.edu
Karen Stafford, Texas
A&M Forest Service Program Coordinator, (936) 639-6991, kstafford@tfs.tamu.edu