Founder’s desk

As the new administration takes office in 2025, fire and forestry work faces both challenges and opportunities. In recent years, the twin crises of escalating wildfire impacts and workforce retention have exposed critical gaps in our nation’s wildfire mitigation and land management systems. To meet these challenges, a bold policy agenda must prioritize system-wide workforce expansion, cross-training, and modernization. The Trump-Vance administration must democratize access to whole-person development, lifelong learning, and career mobility with more opportunities for upskilling and pathways for non-degree credentials. This revitalization of the fire and forestry workforce system must be implemented through private and non-profit partnerships already leading the way in ensuring that fire and forestry careers are dignified, sustainable, and capable of securing a future for all American workers.