Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest Hosts Job Corps Students for All-Female Assignment

By Joshua Boisvert
The US Department of Agriculture
April 15, 2024
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US East

For the second year in a row, the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forest in Georgia welcomed women from the Forest Service Job Corps Civilian Conservation Centers as they participated in an all-female fire assignment. The varied skill levels among the crew allowed everyone to learn from one another as the 10-person module conducted a prescribed fire assignment. “Having all women creates a different culture and environment that is really supportive,” said Rebecca Roller, lead firefighter of the Cabin Lake Wildland Fire Module, with the agency’s Pacific Northwest Region. “it was a very different experience that I will cherish and will be a very important experience in my career for the rest of my life.” Women in the Forest Service have a long and dedicated history of stewardship on public lands. Coupling them with students in the Forest Service Job Corps Civilian Conservation Centers encourages and trains women from diverse backgrounds to excel in the traditionally male-dominated field of wildland firefighting. 

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