Green Forest

Certified Firewise Community/USA

Green Forest, Ark., joined the Arkansas FireWise Team on Aug. 3, 2005, and became a recognized Firewise Community/USA on Sept. 21, 2006. A luncheon and recognition ceremony was held Dec. 14 in the Garden View Room of the Clinton Presidential Library.

The community of Green Forest was presented a plaque and highway signs which were accepted on behalf of the community by Bill Doyle, Green Forest FireWise Board. Presenting the items were John Shannon, State Forester; Tony Siciliano, Arkansas FireWise consultant; Patricia Siciliano, Arkansas FireWise consultant; Michele Steinberg, Firewise Communities Support Manager; and Don McBride, Assistant State Forester-Protection.

Attending the organizational meeting on Aug. 3 were: Green Forest Mayor Richard Deweese, Buddy Fry of the Department of Public Works, Green Forest Fire Department members Lt. Bill Doyle, Jamie Robinson, Kenneth Gibson, Paul McCormick, and Joshua McCormick, Tony Siciliano a FireWise consultant and member of the Holiday Island Fire Department, and Darrell Bohannan, Doug Johnson and David Samuel of the Arkansas Forestry Commission. Board Members elected at the conclusion of the Green Forest FireWise meeting were: Fire Chief Chris Trask (Chair), Richard Deweese, Paul McCormick, Kenny Gibson, Bill Doyle, and Darrell Bohannan.

The first half of the meeting was an introduction to Arkansas FireWise and how to be certified by the national Firewise Communities/USA program. The second half of the meeting focused on training the firefighters to conduct risk assessments on the home within the WUI of the Green Forest Fire District. The AFC offered Green Forest a $1,000 mitigation grant to contract Tony Siciliano from Holiday Island as a consultant to assist them through the process and the development of a risk assessment map and FireWise Plan.

On Dec. 10, 2005, members of the Green Forest Fire Department gathered to clean up an old downtown building overgrown with vines and trees. After the removal of several trees located within mere feet of the building, the vines overtaking one of the building's walls and spreading to another building were removed with pole loppers. Along with removing debris from the cut vines and trees, several bags of leaves were also hauled away.

On Oct. 25, 2006, the Green Forest Fire Department hosted a luncheon and presentation for a Regional Federal Review Team assessing the impact the Firewise program has had on communities in Arkansas. Tony Siciliano, Arkansas FireWise Consultant (left), Green Forest Fire Chief Chris Trask, and Green Forest Mayor Richard Deweese shared information about the program's accomplishments in their community and outlying areas. Chris Trask stressed the benefits of firefighters completing risk assessments for each home, mentioning how their department discovered roadways they previously never knew were there.

A little history

Provided by the City of Green Forest

• John Scott was the first settler to come to the area in 1828. The town was named Scott's Prairie. On Feb. 22. 1895, the town was renamed Green Forest. The population in 1900 was 469; the current population is 2,717.

• In 1854, the First Baptist Church was organized, and on Nov. 16, 1855, the Post Office was established.

• In 1860, Mr. Edward Harbert built the first resident, and in 1883, Green Forest had its first school.

• In 1889, the Green Forest Tribune was published.

• In 1901, the community had its first telephone switchboard.

• In 1913, the First National Bank of Green Forest was chartered.

• In January 1935, the Green Forest Public Library was established.

• On June 26, 1937, the First Assembly of God Church was established.

Mitigation Project