In the wake of the wildfires that have devastated communities throughout Oregon, Washington and California in recent years, one idea has emerged: Preventing a wildfire before it begins is easier than putting one out.
Young people have perspectives to share from working with Northwest Youth Corps on the front lines of that prevention effort. They were given the opportunity to share their opinions during a visit with U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden last week.
“Prior preparation prevents poor performance,” crew lead Jordan Fernandez quipped, during a break from clearing woody debris from a residential hillside off Willamette Street in Eugene’s south hills.
“Put him in charge of the federal government,” joked Wyden in response, as the crew of 20 workers nodded approval.