National Interagency Prescribed Fire Training Center

Jim Durrwachter - PFTC Director

Director, Prescribed Fire Training Center, Tallahassee, FL

Education

Graduate Forester from Stephen F. Austin State University (Dec-1975)

Work Experience

Florida Division of Forestry 1976-1978
US Forest Service 1978-1990
US Fish and Wildlife Service 1990-Present

Career

Jim started with the Florida Division of Forestry as a Tractor/Plow operator in Quincy, Florida. He assisted the County Forester in cruising timber, timber sales, site preparation for planting, prescribed burned for private land owners and chased fire whenever possible. Jim accepted a permanent position with the US Forest Service on the Sabine NF where he was a Timber Marker on the Sabine and Sam Houston National Forests. He then transferred to the Ozark NF as a Trainee Forester on the Pleasant Hill RD and was involved in every aspect of upper management (personnel, budget, work plans, etc). Jim transfered to DeSoto NF on the Black Creek RD and worked as a Prescriptionist and in fire management. He moved to the Biloxi RD on the same forest to become the District Silviculturist in charge of longleaf restoration and fire management.

Jim took a leap of faith to the US Fish and Wildlife Service as the Fire Management Officer for the Florida Panther NWR and six other refuges. This was a brand new Refuge and the possibility of starting a fire program from scratch was very interesting. He was proactive in establishing cooperative agreements with state/federal agencies in south Florida. Jim placed the Refuge on a 4-year rotation and annually burned 25,000-30,000 acres on and off the Refuge with cooperators. This was all done with a staff of 6 permanent and 4 seasonal employees. Not much grass has grown under his feet!! He is a member of the Type 1 Incident Management Team (Southern Area Red) as the Operations Section Chief. He has been on this team for the past 17 years.

In 1998 the Florida Panther NWR was one of the founding cooperators for the Prescribed Fire Training Center. The Refuge continues to be a strong supporter for the Center.

Last Updated: January 08, 2008 | Page contents maintained by Fire Management. Contact: Fire Management Web Team