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[patriotic sounding music]
Arlen Cravens: The jobs partnership and community
wildfire protection project focus is on creating jobs in the
local communities with private contractors and area youth.
Tom Wesley: My name is Tom Wesley, owner
and superintendant for the Mountaineers fire crew.
We're a national Type II IA (Initial Attack) fire crew.
We've been unemployed since the end of September of 2008.
When we got this ARRA work, we were
basically out of work for darn near seven months,
and with this, we'll put a lot of people to work.
Larry Eckelman: I haven't worked since last October...
fighting fire... and this came just in time,
gave me a good job over the winter...
helped me and my family out a lot.
Kathleen Heminway: Well, in terms of affecting the
community, there's been a huge ripple effect. My boss
buys $200 worth of fuel a day when we're out on the project.
In addition to chain saw fuel and oil,
he's purchased nine chainsaws...
a lot of other capitol investments as well.
We also buy supplies for the crew because we are
self-contained and have to be fire ready all the time.
So the economic impact of this doesn't just touch
the Mountaineers, it touches all the
communities in which we work.
Ray Nielson: I feel like what the Mountaineers has
done for the community is maybe brought back a
little faith that we'll be out doing something for them.
You know, because last years fire season was... you
know, from looking at it from an untrained eye, was pretty scary.
Steven Heminway: We started hearing wind of
this act and are just really happy to be back out...
love the work.
Marty Vineyard: Thanks to the American Recovery and
Reinvestment Act, funds have been available for
the C's and other crews to come out here and
rehabilitate our trails and remove some hazardous
fuels and trees, open up access roads and trails
and hiking trails and make it a safer environment.
[sound of a chain saw, then a tree falling]
Shane Irwin: Typical day out here for the crew is, in the
miserable heat... real dry, dirty, ya got dust flying,
we're chipping... flying everywhere, getting in your
eyes... even if you have your safety glasses on, it's
pretty miserable, but we're all out here enjoying it.
Crystal Johnson: I am really proud of myself that
I can come out here with, you know, 10 other guys and...
I might not be able to cut trees just like they do, but
I'm pulling them [laughs]... so it's rewarding for me.
Ray Nielson: We went to Silverthorn and had maybe
a week or two of work out there and we cut a
handline around a whole community and after that
fire season, to get them out there and see us
there, you know, they're bringing out cookies, food...
they're just so happy to actually be there and not
be there when a tragedy is taking place is something
special to me. I think it's real cool.
[sound of a chain saw]
Gabriela Gurule: I like to work outdoors, so
this was like a good opportunity for me.
Lashondra Johnson: It's rewarding. I like it...
'cause I'm telling you, I never did anything like
this, so for me to give back, you know,
come out here and do this type of stuff is different
for me... it really is... is different.
Ryan Romero: A program like this is needed... good program...
turns out a lot of good Corps members... a lot of good
people, and it's been the best time of my life, so far.
Shawn Croft: You get to work around in the
environment and help out honestly with the future...
I mean we help do it...
plant trees, kill invasive species,
so we're looking out for the future and also it
gives you a lot of job skills that you may not
exactly pick up just in a corporate or retail job.
Steve Graves: It is nice to be able to put people
to work and give them something that actually
meets a target and has an objective to it.
Jason Harsin: So the stimulus bill helped the
Mountaineers a lot and myself included.
Tom Wesley: It's been excellent.
Everybody's had a very positive attitude, everybody's
happy, everybody's going out of here giving it
there 101+% and they're just happy to be working.
Tyler Pena: I feel that at the end of the day, that
I've done something great and that's a rewarding experience.
[sound of a truck door closing followed by rock
[music]