Tina Terrell: From urban roots grows a love of forestry

Cleveland National Forest supervisor Tina Terrell recently toured Morrell Canyon at the invitation of Chapter forest activists. Terrell, who was named to the post last summer, is California's second African-American female forest supervisor, just behind Gloria Brown, who oversees the Los Padres National Forest.

The Cleveland extends from Orange and Riverside counties to within five miles of the Mexican border. It has been named one of 18 most threatened wilderness areas in the world. Terrell takes the helm at a time when the forest is facing unique challenges-urban encroachment, fire threats, and proposed highways, tunnels, and dams. The Forest Service is in the process of developing a long-term management plan that will decide the future of all Southern California forests.

Cleveland National Forest Supervisor Tina Terrell and Angeles Chapter chair Virgil Shields discuss national forest issues during a spring hike sponsored by the Santa Ana Mountains Task Force. photo by Gail Prothero

GP: I understand that you are from Philadelphia.

Tina Terrell: Yes, I was born and raised in the inner city of Philadelphia. Growing up in the projects, the only tree I knew about was the one growing in my front yard.

It's quite a leap from your urban roots to the forest service. What was the impetus for your career path?

I had always been interested in sports and wanted to be a sportscaster. But there were not many African-American females in that field and I did not receive any encouragement to go in that direction. My mother instilled in me the importance of an education. I majored in environmental resource management in college and obtained a summer intern job with the Forest Service just outside Philadelphia. They took me out to see what forestry was all about. I saw a tree being cut down and I thought at the time that it was a powerful thing. But we have to live with nature, not just destroy it. I graduated from Penn State University in 1987 with a degree in forestry. I was one of just a few African-American foresters in America.

Where did you work before your assignment to the Cleveland National Forest?

I have worked in many states-Massachusetts, Delaware, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Kentucky, Maryland, Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama, Arizona, California, and Washington, D.C.

How does the Cleveland National Forest differ from other forests where you've worked?

All the forests were quite different from one another. But there are three major ways in which the Cleveland is different. First, it is an urban national forest-there are 20 million people who could impact the national forest every day. The second difference is the Cleveland's proximity to Mexico. Fire does not recognize international boundaries. How we can learn from and work with our neighbors is part of the job. Third is the level of complexity in managing the land and providing an opportunity for people to use the land.

You've been on the job for nearly a year now. What are some of the challenges?

We deal with federal and state agencies as well as with private owner conservancies. Fragmentation, losing connectivity of land, is an important issue, so we need to work with partners. Between 2010 and 2030 the number of people using the national forest could double or triple. We need to balance the natural resources with the needs of people.

What kinds of opportunities are available with the forest service?

We hire people with a variety of educational backgrounds, including high school graduates and GEDs as well as people with degrees in forestry. We hire wildlife biologists to help manage land and species, and archaeologists to help manage cultural resources and Native American sacred sites. We do manage trees. America is the largest consumer of wood products in the world. It takes lots of wood to make paper and build houses. We have to supply the wood. The question is how much and from where? Much of the wood is now coming in from Canada and third world countries. Firefighters make up 70 percent of our forest service work force. We put out 99 percent of the fires in the forest. The firestorms of 2003 burned the land, but it is starting to come back. Restoration is a big issue.

Forest fires must be one of your critical concerns.

We have old growth chaparral in the Cleveland that is 20 to 25 years old. It can be a dangerous place to live. Long periods of drought contribute to a build up of stressed trees. There can be too many trees competing for not enough water. In a forest fire, the small trees burn first, then the crowns of the big trees can catch fire and cause an inferno. The forest service can't affect weather, a long drought, or wind conditions. But we can remove some of the risk factors by engaging in prescribed burns and removing some of the dead vegetation in the forest.

You have a background in cultural diversity programs. Are there programs to diversify the forest service?

We need to diversify the agency and the people we serve. Many inner city people barely have a clue there is a National Forest out there to enjoy. I grew up in Philadelphia, but I didn't visit Independence Hall National Historical Park until I was an adult. There are opportunities to use media outlets such as public service announcements and the Ad Council.

The Sierra Club brings many people out to explore and enjoy the national forest every year, including our Inner City Outings programs. Do you have any suggestions on ways to diversify our outreach?

Eighty percent of the people live in cities. People of color have a connection to the land but they need to see their own kind participating to learn that an opportunity is meant for them. The Sierra Club needs to go out and talk to people, not just to get them connected to what the Sierra Club is doing, but to ask people, 'What do you want?' It does take an effort.