Alex Padilla U.S. Senator for California

WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), along with 16 of his Senate colleagues sent a bipartisan letter to the Department of Labor, Department of Agriculture, and Department of the Interior urging additional support for Job Corps Civilian Conservation Centers (CCCs). In their letter to Secretaries Marty Walsh, Tom Vilsack, and Deb Haaland, the Senators highlight their concerns about the current wildfire season, calling attention to the need to meet wildland firefighter and wood products workforce development, recruitment, and retention challenges to better position this critical workforce to prevent and respond to wildfire events.

“The Job Corps Civilian Conservation Centers (CCCs) serve as critical resources for forestry work – both through the hundreds of thousands of hours Job Corps CCC enrollees contribute to conservation and wildland firefighting and as a pipeline for the recruitment, training, and hiring of firefighters. We were pleased to learn that your Departments recently approved an expansion of the conservation and firefighting trades offered at several campuses,” wrote the Senators. 

In their letter, the Senators asked how the Departments are working to specifically increase enrollment at Job Corps CCCs and invest in developing the workforce. They also asked how Congress can better support these efforts to improve and enhance this pipeline. 

“All signs point to yet another dangerous wildfire season, given severe to exceptional drought conditions as well as fuel levels that the Forest Service labels as being at ‘crisis proportions,’” they continued. “[…] Given the urgency of expanding our firefighting workforce, we appreciate your timely consideration and response to these questions.” 

With more than 4.6 million properties or about 40 percent of California at “moderate” risk of burning in the next 30 years, according to First Street Foundation, Senator Padilla has made addressing the increased threat of wildfires a priority in the Senate by pursuing efforts to improve federal response. In 2021, California experienced more than 8,000 fire incidents, more than 2.5 million acres burned, and more than 3,500 structures were damaged or destroyed.

Padilla introduced a slate of bills to support efforts in California and across the country put fires out faster and better protect communities from post-fire flooding. He also helped secure $3.4 billion for wildfire risk reduction through the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act that was signed by the President last year.

In addition to Senator Padilla, the letter is also signed by U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore,), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), James Risch (R-Idaho), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), John Boozman (R-Ark.), Jon Tester (D-Mont.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), and Angus King (I-Maine).

Full text of the letter can be found here and below:

Dear Secretaries Walsh, Vilsack, and Haaland:

We write to strongly urge you to provide additional programming and support for Job Corps Civilian Conservation Centers (CCCs) to meet our wildland firefighter and wood products workforce development, recruitment, and retention challenges to better position this critical workforce for the future.

The Job Corps Civilian Conservation Centers (CCCs) serve as critical resources for forestry work – both through the hundreds of thousands of hours Job Corps CCC enrollees contribute to conservation and wildland firefighting and as a pipeline for the recruitment, training, and hiring of firefighters. We were pleased to learn that your Departments recently approved an expansion of the conservation and firefighting trades offered at several campuses. These additional forestry conservation and firefighting trades will allow the Job Corps CCCs to prepare more young Americans to be a part of this vital workforce.

All signs point to yet another dangerous wildfire season, given severe to exceptional drought conditions as well as fuel levels that the Forest Service labels as being at “crisis proportions.” Given that the Job Corps CCCs serve as one of the principal federal academies for developing the workforce needed to tackle this challenge, we are writing to inquire about your Departments’ efforts and plans to expand the reach and scale of these critical workforce development programs called for by the President and Congress.

What are your Departments doing to specifically increase enrollment at Job Corps CCCs? Do your Departments fund and conduct marketing specifically focused on recruiting for Job Corps forestry conservation and firefighting trades? Will your Departments commit to expanding investments in such marketing to align with the Administration’s efforts on developing this workforce? What steps will your Departments be taking to expand the number of Job Corps CCCs, both on federal lands and not, offering wildfire and forestry curriculum to support the Administration’s efforts to develop this workforce?

Work-based learning on federal lands is a core part of all Job Corps CCC enrollees’ learning experience, regardless of trade. What would be necessary to expand the amount of paid work-based learning opportunities with all federal land management agencies available to Job Corps enrollees, whether enrollees are at Job Corps CCCs or other campuses? Are there additional authorities you need from Congress that could improve or enhance this pipeline?

In 2012, the Department of Labor reduced the student capacity at all Job Corps campuses, including the Job Corps CCCs, because of a budget shortfall, and capacity has not grown significantly since. How much capability exists at Job Corps CCCs to host additional students?  How much would it cost to fill all available spots at Job Corps CCCs? How could the current shared operational structure between USDA and DOL be improved to enhance curriculum, recruiting, and planning for Job Corps CCC?

Given the urgency of expanding our firefighting workforce, we appreciate your timely consideration and response to these questions.

Sincerely,