Julianne Jones Essay

Preventing Tragedy and Loss Through Better Preparation

When I was only 7 years old, my Uncle Rich and Aunt Jeanette lost 100 head of cattle to the Long Draw Fire that raged through the dry grassland of southeastern Oregon. Long Draw burned more than half a million acres and took almost a month to extinguish. In the aftermath of the fire, Uncle Rich had gone looking for missing cattle and discovered a bunch of them that tried to outrun the fire and couldn’t. It was horrifying. While wildfire risk can never be completely eliminated, I plan to be part of the wildfire management solution. I will merge my passion for flight and our wild outdoor spaces by flying for the US Forest Service.

I will make my region of eastern Oregon a better place by managing and protecting the forests in my own backyard and building community partner coalitions to help create more resilient and fire-resistant communities.

Wildfires have always occurred and there are legitimate benefits for forests to be periodically renewed by fire. With the creation of the Forest Service in 1905, wildfires were aggressively suppressed. This had the unintended consequence of building up underbrush, fallen trees, and other fire fuels over time. Beginning in 2002, this buildup has led to the return of megafires to Oregon the likes of which we had not experienced for over a century. In 2018, almost 120,000 acres of wheat farm and rangeland burned in Wasco and Sherman counties alone. These megafires are not easily controlled and have already caused significant destruction to public and private lands.

The forests, rangeland, farmland, and cities of Eastern Oregon are vulnerable. As we have seen, simply putting out fires is not the best long-term strategy. In addition to firefighting, the US Forest Service also uses airplanes for natural resource management activities such as conducting aerial surveys of wildlife populations and forest health. As a forest service pilot, one of my duties will be to look for areas of fire fuel buildup and identify them for controlled burns.

The Northwest Antique Airplane Club scholarship will form an important bridge to help me reach my goal. I am currently enrolled in the professional pilot program at Utah State University majoring in Aviation Technology and with a minor in Air Traffic Control. I have completed Private Pilot Ground School and I am in training for my Private Pilot Certification. I will eventually attain a commercial pilot license and become a certified flight instructor. I have chosen Utah State University because it is relative bargain for a nationally ranked, top 20 school for aviation.

My aunt and uncle’s loss is a painful example of the devastation that these fires can do. The emergence of mega wildfires and how to prepare for them is one of our region’s biggest challenges. As a pilot for the US Forest Service and with a coalition of community partners, I will help reduce fire vulnerabilities and strengthen wildfire and natural disaster response plans.

By Julianne Jones of Pendleton, Oregon
2025 Richard Farland Memorial Flight Training Scholarship Winner ($5,000)