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Forestry

Corpsmembers with the Placer 1 fire crew cut fire line with hand tools as flames from the Dixie Fire approach in 2021.
info info (right) info info (bottom right)

The California Conservation Corps partners with CAL FIRE, U.S. Forest Service, county agencies, fire safe councils, and other organizations to improve the health of California’s forests. Corpsmembers enrolled CCC’s Forestry Corps Program complete an array of projects such as planting young trees, collecting cones and seeds, and removing invasive and/or fire-prone vegetation

Corpsmembers enrolled in the program receive arborist training and certifications. Professional development courses, offered in collaboration with industry and community college partners, also prepare young adults for future careers in forestry.

Forestry program supports workforce development while also providing tangible benefits to state responsibility areas and high fire hazard severity zones.

Training

  • Corpsmembers receive hands-on training in fuel management and fire fuel reduction
  • Crews learn about forest resiliency, tree planting, tree felling, flora and fauna identification, and more!
  • Earn certifications, including chain saw training, Feller 3, arborist training, and more!

Requirements

  • Must be willing to respond to emergencies and be on-assignment for lengthy periods of time
  • Corpsmembers often camp near worksites in remote forest areas to better access project locations, up to eight days straight
  • Must meet physical fitness standards to earn wildland firefighting certifications (only available in Forestry Corps)

Benefits

  • Help protect California’s forests and fire prone communities
  • Improve visitor experiences in national, state, and local parks
  • Corpsmembers can be hired by private forestry companies, local cities and counties, CAL FIRE, U.S. Forest Service and more!

FORESTRY LOCATIONS

[
    Northern
  • Chico Center
  • Solano Center
  • Tahoe Center
    Central
  • San Luis Obispo Center
  • Fresno Center
    Southern
  • Camarillo Center
  • San Diego Center
  • Inland Empire Center
  • Pomona Center

Reduce the Threat of Wildfires

Chico Forestry Corps crew partnered with the Butte County Fire Safe Council to clear potential fire fuel from around parts of Paradise Lake in and around Paradise and Magalia. The goal of the work was to allow for a prescribed burn to take place during the cooler months to rid the forest floor of dead and downed vegetation, which would help reduce the threat of a megafire.

Find a Future with Forestry Corps

Corpsmembers at the Los Padres Center have traded in their warehouse, retail, and chain restaurant jobs for chaps, chain saws, and a new perspective of future career pathways. They’re doing their part to remove invasive species in places like Montaña de Oro State Park in San Luis Obispo County. The work will allow for native species to thrive and reduce fire danger. For the Corpsmembers, it’s hands-on experience in the field and in the classroom that has them seeing future forestry careers.

Find Your PAth

Each CCC district employs a Career Transition Navigator who will help you explore opportunities,  apply to college or vocational schools, build your resume, practice for interviews, and more!

Don’t just take our word for it, hear from a CCC alum who benefitted from more than a year of service at the CCC Delta Center.

“The CCC prepared me for this job by preparing me for working outdoors. It built my foundation for working in State Parks and gave me knowledge, working with certain tools that I had never used before.”
Chynna Silva

Delta Alum | Aquatic Pest Control Technician, State Parks - Division of Boating & Waterways

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