Michael Davis, Forest Fire Management Officer for the Gainesville-based Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests, is the winner of the National Forest Fire Management Officer of the Year Award for the Southern Region, which covers an area from the Carolinas to Texas.
"Mike's dedication and passion for the job (are) inspiring, and he is a great asset to our Forest and the communities we serve," said Forest Supervisor Betty Jewett. "In the fall of 2016, he stepped up when we needed him the most and did a great job leading our forest through a historic fire season."
In 2016, Davis was cited for his management of the Chattahoochee-Oconee fire program during the historic autumn wildfire season, which included a record number of wildfires that burned more than 40,000 acres, including major wildfire incidents at Rock Mountain and Rough Ridge located on the Chattahoochee National Forest.
He was lauded for his vision and leadership to involve local citizens, stakeholders, state partners and county governments led to the Towns County Fire Adapted Community Learning Network in the northeast Georgia mountains.
A first of its kind in the east, the Towns County FACLN is described by the USFS as a nationwide model for community wildfire safety education efforts. Davis' work and support helped make Towns County the top Firewise county in Georgia, with 20 of Georgia's 91 Firewise communities. These efforts have resulted in a 75 percent decrease in wildfires in the county, according to the USFS. The effort has now expanded from northern Georgia through the mountains of North Carolina and Virginia, to form a first of its kind in the country, multi-state coalition.
