Hands on the Land is a collaborative effort
We work in partnership to support a safe, productive, and durable forestry and wildland fire workforce in the Pacific Northwest.
Hands on the Land envisions a workforce that fosters healthy forests and farmlands through:
- Safe working conditions
- Well-paying jobs
- Business capacity
- Increased representation of individuals with real world expertise in decision making
- Coordination across all segments of the workforce
To date, we have published research, created place-based relationships, and developed trainings and resources through the following funding:
- Advancing Rural Prosperity, United States Department of Agriculture, Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (Grant #2021-68006-34030)
- Hands on the Land, United States Department of Agriculture, Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (Grant #2025-68012-44234)
- Renewable Resource Extension Act funding provided through the Oregon State University Forestry and Natural Resources Extension Program
- Funding from the Urban and Community Forestry Program at the Oregon Department of Forestry.
What We Do
Entrepreneurial Capacity Building
In partnership with Lomakatsi Restoration Project and Rural Development Initiatives, we hold Opportunities in the Woods, an entrepreneurship training course that paves the way for workers and entrepreneurs to become more invested in the labor-intensive forestry and wildland fire economy by providing training in forestry-specific business skills and government contracting opportunities.
The course is followed by a series of experiential workshops for new and existing businesses to expand seasonality and service capacity in stand improvement, prescribed fire implementation, urban forestry, agroforestry, home hardening, biochar generation, chainsaw use and safety, and other topics offered by local practitioners. To reduce barriers to entry, we provide participant support stipends, complimentary consultations with subject matter experts, and individualized technical assistance.
In addition to Opportunities in the Woods and the experiential workshops, OSU, ODF, and The Watershed Research and Training Center will implement bilingual (English and Spanish) Certified Burn Manager courses to provide training and liability protection for prescribed fire.
Workforce Outreach
Supported by Lomakatsi Restoration Project and Unite Oregon, a program manager and three outreach specialists reach over a thousand workers each year with safety materials, programming, and connections to business development and safety trainings.
In partnership with the University of Washington Pacific Northwest Agricultural Safety and Health Center, we are also developing a web app offering access to updated safety regulations, training materials, and operational checklists to support a mobile workforce both online and in the woods.
Fire Education
The Hands on the Land project supports two existing wildland fire education programs led by the Southern Oregon Forest Restoration Collaborative: FireBright, a Career and Technical Education program for grades 9-12, and Southern Oregon Fire Ecology Education, a wildfire ecology and preparedness program for grades K-12. Graduates of FireBright are invited to attend the experiential workshops that accompany Opportunities in the Woods.
We are also developing an online, self-paced course covering fuels reduction techniques and how to best protect timber and agricultural land near communities for natural resource and agriculture Extension practitioners at universities in Oregon, Washington, and Hawaii.
Workforce Research
Qualitative
Researchers at OSU and the University of Oregon Ecosystem Workforce Program are conducting interviews with different individuals involved in the forestry and fire workforce – workers, business owners, land and fire managers, service providers, and community leaders – to understand how the workforce is organized, how it has changed over time, and to anticipate future workforce needs under changing management priorities and approaches.
Quantitative
Researchers at Portland State University, Montana State University, and the University of Oregon Ecosystem Workforce Program are analyzing 15 years of federal contracting data to understand trends in forest service contracting and employment. We then create models based on these findings to quantify the economic impacts of wildfire and forest restoration work, and to predict outcomes under potential future scenarios, such as increased worker training or more frequent wildfires. We will synthesize research findings and develop implications at local, regional, and national scales.
Whose hands are on the land?
Understanding the forest and fire stewardship economy in the Northwest
We aim to support good jobs across all segments of the forestry and fire workforce and a healthy economy that ensures that forests and agriculture are resilient to wildfire.
Labor-intensive activities that improve forest resiliency and reduce wildfire risk can include:
- Cutting trees
- Clearing brush
- Tree planting
- Removing noxious weeds
- Implementing prescribed fire
- Responding to wildfire incidents
This workforce is comprised of many different public and private sector workers including:
- Private contractors
- Public (state/federal) employees
- Local residents
- Tribal members
- Volunteers
- Incarcerated individuals
Although state and federal agencies depend on this workforce, workers can face:
- Unsafe working conditions
- Limited opportunity for business advancement
- Lack of recognition in decision-making
These workers’ hands are on the land — while policymakers, funders, and researchers act far from the woods. Hands on the Land supports and informs engagement between workers, practitioners and researchers to ensure that individuals with real world expertise contribute to the governance, evaluation, and the refinement of management strategies that protect communities, restore productive agriculture on fire‑prone fallow lands, and strengthen the productivity and resilience of working forests and farms.
Funded by The United States Department of Agriculture, Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (Grant #2025-68012-44234)