Wyoming Honor Conservation Camp

For the past 43 years, the Wyoming State Forestry Division and the Wyoming Department of Corrections have combined efforts and resources in the development and support of a Forestry Conservation Camp Program manned by inmates from a Wyoming Department of Corrections facility. This program’s work projects are under the supervision and control of State Forestry personnel. They include forest management, fire suppression and control, and community service projects for federal, state, county and city governmental entities.

A BRIEF HISTORY

l964 l974: In 1964 the State's first self contained mobile conservation camp was established. This camp operated on state lands and state parks in the eastern half of Wyoming. Manned with 6 inmates, a correctional officer and a State Forestry Division work supervisor, they accomplished natural resource conservation management, which included tree planting projects on State Land and at State Parks, tree thinning, insect control projects, work at State institutions and fire suppression activities. Fire suppression activities remain a top priority. The firefighting crews were allowed to assist in fire suppression activities inside the State or on boundary fires. In l974 the camp closed because of a dwindling inmate population at the State Penitentiary.

l975 l979: With no operational camp during this time period, the Penitentiary administration would assemble a fire fighting crew as needed and Wyoming State Forestry personnel would transport and supervise crews during fire suppression efforts. Annually, these crews were given a one day training session. Occasionally, this training occurred in conjunction with local Forest seasonal crew training. However, the majority of their training came from actual hands on experience.

l980 l983: In 1980 a second attempt was made to open a conservation camp. This camp was located 60 miles southeast of the State Penitentiary, on the northern edge of the Snowy Range Mountains. Inmates were initially housed in large military squad tents. As the program progressed mobile homes were utilized. The 5 to l5 man crew and correctional officer would travel from the State Penitentiary to the camp site on Monday morning, bringing sufficient food and supplies for the work week. Friday afternoons they would return to the Penitentiary. The projects included thinning lodgepole pine timber stands on State lands then salvaging and peeling 8' posts and l6' corral poles. These products were then utilized by the Wyoming Recreation Commission and the Wyoming Game and Fish Department. During these three years, the inmate firefighting crew was used primarily for fire mop up. Because of their limited training (day annually) and lack of equipment. Limited financial support and an unfavorable camp location for year long operation resulted in its closure in late l983.

l984 l988: Penitentiary support for firefighting continued during this period. Two Wyoming State Forestry employees would instruct one or two classes yearly for inmates volunteering to fight forest fires. These classes spanned three days, the first two involved classroom work and hand line construction practice while the final day was devoted to physical fitness step testing. Inmates were not allowed to participate on the firefighting hand crew until the step test was successfully passed. Each year 30 50 inmates were trained for wildland fire suppression and pride began to develop among them to provide a professional and quality job.

l989 PRESENT: After key personnel from the Wyoming State Forestry Division and the Department of Corrections toured and reviewed the Nevada Conservation Camp program in January of l988, the Legislature allocated funds for construction and operation of a permanent conservation camp. This 50 man camp was placed in Newcastle located in northeastern Wyoming.

The Wyoming Honor Conservation Camp (currently housing 227 inmates) operates under the following Mission Statement: "The Wyoming Department of Corrections contributes to public safety by exercising reasonable, safe, secure, and humane management while actively providing offenders opportunities to become law-abiding citizens”.

Even though the inmate care and the facility's operation are solely the responsibility of the Wyoming Department of Corrections, the Forestry Division has a vested interest in the camp and provides supervision and equipment for all field work and projects. These projects are inside state boundaries and typically within 1 ½ hours travel of the Camp. Present Forestry support staff includes a program manager and nine crew supervisors. At capacity, each supervisor supervises a seven man crew or a work program of 63 inmates.

Wyoming Inmate Conservation

The forestry work crews have been widely accepted in the local communities. From March 1990 through June 30, 2007 2,047 projects have been performed through the program at the Wyoming Honor Conservation Camp. Projects were completed for 48 agencies.

Numerous community service projects for City Governments include: mowing, weeding, tree planting & pruning and general maintenance in and around city parks, cemeteries, baseball parks, and soccer fields. Special projects, for these agencies, have consisted of sprinkler system installation, sign construction, playground equipment construction, park development, painting buildings and litter pickup.

Projects for County agencies have been fence construction, culvert and cattle guard installation, truck and trailer sanding for painting, county road right-of-way brush removal and chipping, and living snow fence installation and maintenance.

Forested lands have also received a tremendous amount of attention in the form of management. Projects have included thinning, chipping, slash burning, cone picking, and product removal for the development of a healthier and more fire safe environment. Revenue generated from the sales of removed products (peeled posts/corral poles/house logs/saw logs/firewood/pine seed) is placed in the State of Wyoming’s Common School Trust Fund.

Our inmate work crews have also assisted the federal cooperators in trail construction & maintenance, sign construction, blue bird & bat house construction, and timber sale marking.

In 2001 the forestry program was expanded to the Wyoming Honor Farm, in Riverton, Wyoming. This program, modeled after the program in Newcastle, has a program site manager and three crew supervisors. Each supervisor supervises a seven man crew. From inception through June 2007 Wyoming Honor Farm crews have completed 200 work projects for 34 agencies.

Wyoming Inmate Firefighting Crews

Since 1966 Wyoming inmates have been performing in-state firefighting activities on as needed basis. Wyoming inmate crews are fully equipped firefighting crews with transportation, tents, sleeping bags, chain saws, and all safety and fireline equipment needed for wildland fire suppression activities. With the training they receive, the crews are qualified as Type II hand crews as defined under the National Wildfire Coordinating Group Standards. Initial crew member 40 hour training includes: Basic Firefighter; Introduction to Fire Behavior; Pumps and Water Use; Basic First Aid; Standards for Survival; Basic Helicopter and Aircraft Safety; Mop-up techniques; Human Factors on the Fireline; and Look Up, Look Down, Look Around, courses. Inmates also receive 40 hour training in chainsaw operation, safety and maintenance. All firefighters receive annual refresher fire training. Inmate classroom training is often reinforced with practical experience during Spring and Fall prescribed burning projects.

From 1966 through October 2007 the inmate firefighting crews have assisted 25 agencies with fire suppression efforts on 511 fires.