As an organization that values rural Oklahoma and the people who call it home, American Farmers & Ranchers (AFR) Cooperative strongly opposes the closure or reduction of OFS.
“Any efforts to diminish or disband the Oklahoma Forestry Service is a misguided, terrible idea,” said AFR Cooperative President Scott Blubaugh. “The OFS not only plays a significant role in the state’s expansive timber industry, but also trains, supplies and coordinates rural fire departments across the state.”
Oklahoma’s forestry sector is substantial. According to Oklahoma State University Extension’s most recent report, the sector contributes an industry total of $6.9 billion to the state’s economy and supports more than 19,000 jobs. OFS’s role in the industry is vital, working with landowners and timber companies to conserve Oklahoma’s forests and related natural resources, including pest management, reforestation, prescribed fire, and cost-share grants for landowners to replace harvested timber.
Beyond forestry, OFS’s impact on rural Oklahoma is most strongly felt through wildfire suppression and prevention. During a fire event, OFS is essential in coordinating state and county task forces and providing aerial support for ground crews. OFS wildfire crews are often sent statewide to act as a force multiplier, directly helping the firefighting effort on the ground using specially designed bulldozers.
Perhaps most importantly, OFS expands firefighting capacity statewide by providing vital support for volunteer fire departments. Oklahoma is home to more than 900 volunteer fire departments in communities with fewer than 10,000 people. These volunteer fire departments are often the only line of defense for Oklahomans living in rural areas and, without OFS, these volunteer departments would lose access to the resources and technical assistance needed to efficiently and effectively combat wildfires. OFS supports these volunteer fire departments through training, serving as a pass-through for wholesale firefighting supplies, and providing grant assistance. Volunteer fire departments use these grants to fund firefighting equipment, equipment maintenance, protective gear, and more.
“An OFS reduction would inhibit our rural fire departments’ ability to respond when it matters most,” said Blubaugh. “The pocketbooks, property, and possibly lives of Oklahomans are at stake. We should be talking about more funding, not less.”
American Farmers & Ranchers Cooperative is a membership services organization established in 1905 as Oklahoma Farmers Union. AFR provides educational, legislative and cooperative programs across the state and serves as a watchdog for Oklahoma’s family farmers and ranchers and rural communities. The organization is actively supportive of the state’s agricultural industry and rural population with membership consisting of farmers actively involved in production agriculture and non-farmers adding their voices in support of AFR principles.
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