Growing up in Wrens, Ga., Brandon Davis developed a love for the outdoors that has followed him into his adult life and influenced his career.
Davis took the position of chief forest ranger for the McDuffie-Warren Unit of the Georgia Forestry Commission last month.
He previously worked as a forest ranger in Wrens for almost eight years.
“Things are a little different here and a little slower than they are in Jefferson County,” Davis said of his new position. “But I’m getting used to it.”
He said he has loved being out in the woods ever since he was a child.
“I grew up hunting and fishing,” he said. “I spent a lot of time outdoors.”
As chief ranger, Davis said his job is basically to ensure that everything runs smoothly, make sure the paperwork gets done, meet with landowners and direct the crews. He said he has a good working relationship with the commissioners and the fire department.
Davis said the hardest part of the job is getting out and getting business and finding work to do.
He also said the office has a new employee who has just begun training. Davis said it will be difficult because it is an eight-week training program, and it will take place in the middle of the department’s busiest season, when they do a lot of prescribed burns.
“My favorite part of the job is being in the woods, doing prescribed burns and fighting fires, but I guess those are about the same,” he said.
Davis said he has high hopes for the McDuffie-Warren Unit.
“I guess my biggest hope is that we can get this unit to where we don’t have a lot of downtime and are constantly plowing and burning,” Davis said. “And bringing in more revenue.”
He also hopes to conduct some safety and prevention education.
“As for me, I’m just glad to be able to work outdoors,” Davis said. “I’m not used to being interviewed and having people write down everything I say, but I guess that’s part of the job. You just put me in the middle of the woods, and I can get some work done.”
