Published February 25, 2026
Please join us in welcoming our newest Oregon youth crew! We’re excited to kick off the newest cohort of Lomakatsi’s Tribal Ecological Forestry Training & Employment Program, made possible through funding from the Higher Education Coordinating Commission for Oregon Conservation Corps (Oregon Youth Works).
The group of 10 tribal young adults (ages 18–26) are from the tribal communities of Chiloquin and Klamath Falls, Oregon, and Burney, California. The crew is committed to the next 18 weeks of immersive, hands-on training in fuels reduction and ecological restoration. Guided by Lomakatsi’s restoration forestry professionals and cultural resource management specialists, participants will earn nationally recognized certifications while building their skills in fuels mitigation, technical forestry, cultural monitoring, and prescribed fire. Their work will support collaborative restoration projects across public, tribal trust, and private lands.
The crew is currently working on completing their “Fire School” coursework to earn their “Basic 32” training required to work on active wildfire incidents, including prescribed burns. This first week is dedicated to the National Wildfire Coordinating Group curriculum and preparing for the physical fitness “pack test” required for wildland firefighter certification.
We’re proud to be a program partner in this statewide effort to protect Oregon — strengthening fire-adapted communities, expanding forest health and fuels reduction work, and investing in the next generation of land stewards and forestry professionals.