FIRE PREVENTION EDUCATION TEAM is on Long Island  
working on the SPB infestation

SOUTHERN PINE BEETLE         LONG ISLAND PINE BARRENS     

Team Members:

• Fred Turck Team Leader ... Virginia Department of Forestry Conservation 
• Kent Nelson Team Leader (T) Maine Forest Service
• Kara McCurdy Team Member Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources
• David Russell Team Member NY Department of Environmental Conservation (from home station)
• Roxanne Savoie Team Member MA Department of Conservation and Recreation Bureau of Fire Control (from home station)

The WFPET was deployed on June 7, 2015 and was assigned to be working out of the Suffolk County Fire Training Academy in Yaphank NY located on Long Island. Funding for the team was provided by the North East Forest Fire Compact and the Mid-Atlantic Forest Fire Compact. Several NY DEC employees were assigned to the team as liaisons and subject matter experts. Bill Fonda, Rob Cole, Jessica Cancelliere and John Wernet were primary points of contact.

NFFPC / MA_BFFC   FPET Daily reports for mobilization to Long Island, NY   June 2015

Monday, June 8

Met with DEC’s Bill Fonda and set up working space at the Suffolk County Fire Training Facility.

Attended meeting with Dick Amper (Long Island Pine Barrens Society) and John Pavacic (Central Pine Barrens Commission) to get their perspective and background info on the SPB infestation / preserving pine barrens on Long Island.

Participated in the SPB media event at Rocky Point State Pine Barrens Preserve. CH 12 CBS andFOX and CH 2 covered the newstory.

Discussion and field tour of treated pitch pine areas in the Wertheim National Wildlife Refuge and the National Park Service’s William Floyd Estate.

Returned to work space in Yaphank and began formulating outreach ideas, target audiences and recommendations for a multi-agency approach. Those Organizations/Agencies identified as critical partners were the State DEC-Foresrty, Suffolk and Nassau Counties, The Pine Barrens Commission, The Long Island Pine Barrens Society, USFWS, NPS, various Towns and State Parks.

Tuesday, June 9

Met with DEC representatives and prioritized tasks / outreach products. Below is a list of those tasks and prioritized by the host along with team member assignments.

Tasks

• Best Management Practises (One Pagers)
• Fire Departments – Greg
• Homeowners – Fred
• Tourists/Parks – Kara
• DEC Management strategy, but incorporate the interagency management practises and education – Greg/Kent
• Social Media – electronic messaging – Library posts – ALL
• Info-Graphic – Pine Beetle – Kara
• Talking Points for Field Staff – Fred
• Canned PSA – Kent
• Slogans – ie Protecting your investments – ALL
  Powerpoint – Why would anybody cut a tree ( Kids) – Agency Education – Fred
• Press Releases
• Powerpoint for adults on SPB – Already Developed by DEC

Started producing products using DEC templates.