ELKINS, W.Va. –– The 37 professional foresters at the Division of Forestry about to lose their jobs had no warning it was coming.
“It was very unexpected,” said Rick Wernicke, a forester in the agency’s Region 2. “We’ve been listening to the news about the legislative session and had not heard a hint about something like this.”
Wernicke has been with the Division of Forestry for three years. His responsibility lies in Randolph and Pocahontas Counties. He said the loss of manpower in that region will stretch management duties so thin, it will be impossible to insure proper forest management, sediment control, water quality, fire suppression, or logger safety.
“These layoffs will leave to just three supervisors to handle the field work of just over 600 jobs registered and active,” he said. “I actively manage in Randolph and Pocahontas Counties 85 jobs right now. That’s quite a load just for me to do well.”
Wernicke feared what would be at stake by cutting a third of the forestry staff in the third most forested state in the nation.
“It’s dangerous activity and a lot of folks can get hurt. A lot of what we do is offer safety recommendations. DEP and OSHA isn’t always there, we are there,” he said. “I fear reduced staff will increase problems in situations and concerns even in safety issues, not just forest and water quality issues.”
The cuts, according to Wernicke, will also create the potential for catastrophic forest fires.
“It’s definitely important the state have folks who are well trained and skilled to assist and manage situations when needed and not have the burden on volunteer departments in rural areas,” he said. “As we know, those folks are going through cuts as well.”
Wernicke is 55 and worries about where he’ll be able to find another job. He said he had to leave states before to find work, but now nearing the latter years of his career hoped to retire to his farm in Randolph County. He admitted, that may not be an option anymore for him or many others in his predicament.