Veterans Fire Crew Completes Season at New River Gorge

Work completed by the AmeriCorps/Conservation Legacy Veterans Fire Crew included a fuel reduction project around park historic structures. NPS

In mid-April 2022, the AmeriCorps/Conservation Legacy Veterans Fire Crew concluded their season at the New River Gorge National Park and Preserve (NERI). The crew completed a four-month training/work program that provided five individuals with various experience involving typical work projects carried out by wildland firefighters. The crew completed mechanical treatments around some of the most historical structures in the park, including the once prominent coalmining communities of Nuttallburg and Thurmond. They also maintained a long-term fire oak regeneration/ fire ecology project involving checking and repairing deer exclosures throughout their season. This story map provides more details about the veterans fire crew work.

The AmeriCorps/Conservation Legacy Veterans Fire Crew treated invasive species and planted native seeds around the Sandstone Visitor Center. NPS

In Ohio, at the Cuyahoga Valley National Park (CUVA), the crew completed work on three different prescribed burn units using power saws, hand tools, and leaf blowers to create control lines in preparation of burning. In addition, the crew also prepared a control line for a prescribed fire at Carper Field in NERI that was carried out in April. The crew worked alongside the natural resources team at NERI, treating invasive species and planting native grassland seeds at the Sandstone Visitor Center and Meadow Creek Campground. The crew attended a Stress First Aid session conducted by a representative from the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC). Following the training, the NIFC and regional fire management representatives answered questions about employment, networking, and employee benefits.

The AmeriCorps/Conservation Legacy Veterans Fire Crew created control lines for upcoming prescribed fires. NPS

By the end of the season, all five crewmembers were issued incident qualification, or red, cards through the National Wildfire Coordinating Group. Four out of five crew members also were able to obtain employment with various federal land management agencies including the Bureau of Land Management, US Forest Service, National Park Service, and the Appalachian Conservation Crew, most as seasonal full-time wildland firefighters.

The success of the program for both parks was evident. NERI, CUVA, and now the other fortunate agencies that will be gaining these strong assets as employees, have all benefited from this extraordinary opportunity. Fire leadership at NERI hopes to make this program part of routine operations in the coming years.

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• New River Gorge National Park & Preserve

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