In Australia the fire departments are entirely volunteer.
I don't know that much about forest management in the US but in NZ we have Department of Conservation (govt dept) who are meant to look after forests. But a lot of the work actually comes from volunteers replanting and preserving wildlife.
Much of the land had been cleared for pasture or replanted as pine plantations, once thats been done its hard to get it back to native forest again but it can be done.
Plantations and pasture isn't that great for the knock on effect it has on native forest areas because native wildlife and stock and exotics don't mix well as neither does urban areas and countryside. There has to be a balance.
I don't know that much about forest management in the US but in NZ we have Department of Conservation (govt dept) who are meant to look after forests. But a lot of the work actually comes from volunteers replanting and preserving wildlife.
Much of the land had been cleared for pasture or replanted as pine plantations, once thats been done its hard to get it back to native forest again but it can be done.
Plantations and pasture isn't that great for the knock on effect it has on native forest areas because native wildlife and stock and exotics don't mix well as neither does urban areas and countryside. There has to be a balance.