Service Forester:  Steve Stasny
Investigation & Education Ranger:  Art Yagel
District Forester David G. Lilly
Assistant District Forester L. Rudy Williams

The WV Division of Forestry maintains a working relationship with all area fire departments, law enforcement agencies, and other emergency services personnel.  The Division provides various services to forest landowners, managed timberlands, loggers, and other forest industries.  The Logging Sediment Control Act and regulation of the state's timbering industries also fall under the responsibility of the Division.   West Virginia's forest resources provide in excess of 30,000 jobs and yield over two billion dollars to the state's economy each year.

In order to protect this important resource, the Division of Forestry is charged with primary responsibility for wild land fire suppression on all private and state lands, ultimately protecting 340,000 acres of prime Nicholas County forestland.  A cooperative effort managed by the Division involves fire departments, company crews local fire wardens, and many volunteers in the statewide fire protection program.

Wildfires, or forest fires, can occur at any time of the year, but most fires start during the spring and fall seasons.  By law, restricted burning rules are in effect March 1 through May 31, (spring fire season) and october 1 through December 31 (fall forest fore season).  Open outside burning is restricted to the hours of 4:00 PM until 7:00 AM the following morning during these months.  Other fire regulations include clearing and maintaining a ten foot minimum diameter safety strip to bare mineral soil around each fire:  staying with the fire while its burning, and completely extinguishing the fire, and all embers before leaving.  Individuals who cause a fire to escape control are responsible for fire fighting costs as well as damages to the property of others and may be liable for civil penalties as well.

Nicholas County Volunteer Fire Departments provide the front-line defense to wild land fire suppression in this largely rural region.  Rapid response, excellent organization, and continuous training make the Nicholas County fore departments among the best in the state.

The Division of Forestry provides equipment, training, law enforcement, and technical assistance to each department and investigates each wild land fire occurrence to determine an accurate cause as well as the person(s) responsible for the event.

County fire departments and the Division of Forestry team up for fire prevention.  You might see Smokey Bear or a forestry representative in a volunteer fire station for on a fire engine as often as he might be in a school or at a special event.

Additional information on the Division of Forestry may be obtained by contacting the Nicholas County offices at PO Box 187., Summersville, WV, 26651.