October 19, 2020 -

I received a very nice note from my friend Bud Sales in Buncombe County which I'd like to share with you that speaks to the partnerships we have. Bud is a farmer who also served as a fire chief for over 40 years.

The B.R.I.D.G.E. program has been so important to our NC Forest Service and so many others. These young men learn firefighting skills as well as many other trades they can use to become real contributing citizens when they leave the program. They volunteer for B.R.I.D.G.E. and the data we have shows that only 12% return to incarceration compared with an average of 35% for this age group.

I am proud of the work they do and our NC Forest Service for this program in partnership with the Department of Public Safety.
You can learn more about B.R.I.D.G.E. here: