Northwest Youth Corps recruiting 19- to 26-year-olds for Pendleton brush-clearing crew

“If you’re between 19 and 26 years old and intrigued by a job clearing brush to reduce wildfire danger near homes, the Northwest Youth Corps is interested in hearing from you.” The organization is recruiting a six-member community wildfire crew based in Pendleton for a 12-week brush-clearing program that runs Feb. 23 through May 15, 2026, with openings for a crew leader and an assistant crew leader.

PENDLETON, Crews will work 10 days straight and then receive four days off, living in tents while on assignment, with all food provided and showers and restrooms available at basecamp. The assistant crew leader “can earn about $12,700,” program reporting says, while crew leaders are paid $180 per work day. Leader trainees receive $100 per day during a 10-day leader training. The reporting does not provide a detailed breakdown of the assistant leader earning figure or disclose pay for regular crew members.

Sarah Worthington, who works with the Northwest Youth Corps Community Wildfire Protection Corps, said she hopes to recruit workers who live in Eastern Oregon so they can return home during their four-day off periods. Worthington also said the Oregon Legislature halved the program’s budget this year, reducing Eastern Oregon capacity to a single crew of six members rather than the 10-member crews previously planned. The community wildfire crews began in 2021 after the Legislature funded projects in the wake of the Labor Day weekend fires in 2020.

The Pendleton crew will continue work similar to past seasons, when crews operated in several areas including parts of the Umatilla National Forest’s Walla Walla Ranger District. For residents of Baker County and neighboring communities, the program has two immediate implications: it creates paid short-term employment and training opportunities for young adults, and it expands localized efforts to reduce wildfire fuels near homes and infrastructure.

From a public health perspective, brush-clearing around residential areas helps lower the risk of structure loss and can reduce smoke exposure during future fire seasons. Tent-based living and the physically demanding nature of fuel-reduction work make clear the need for adequate supervision, safety equipment and clear information on pay and benefits for recruits. The program provides food and hygiene facilities, but the announced cut in statewide funding tightens the number of young people who can access these work and training opportunities this spring.

Prospective applicants can find more information and an application link on the Northwest Youth Corps Community Wildfire Protection Corps program webpage. With work set to begin Feb. 23, organizers and local leaders say timely applications matter. For Baker County, the crew represents both a small boost to local wildfire prevention capacity and a reminder that state funding decisions directly affect the region’s ability to staff and sustain hands-on mitigation efforts.