Baker Resources Coalition

2026 Summer Stewards Program

Building skills, protecting communities, and creating the next generation of natural resource stewards.

The 2026 Summer Stewards Program concluded on August 14, 2026. Throughout the summer, young Stewards gained hands-on experience in wildfire mitigation, forest management, watershed restoration, monitoring, teamwork, and natural resource management. Working alongside community partners and landowners, the team completed projects across Eastern Oregon while gaining valuable professional, technical, and life skills.

8 Properties Mitigated 4,838.63 Cubic Yards of Material Mitigated 169 Slash Piles 6 College Credits Earned

Made Possible by Our Funders

On behalf of the Baker Resources Coalition, we extend our deepest appreciation to the organizations and communities whose financial support made the 2026 Summer Stewards Program possible. The Oregon Fund of the Oregon Community Foundation $12,000 Carl and Virginia Kostol Fund $7,000 Roundhouse Foundation $15,000 Gray Family Foundation $8,400 Spring Creek Firewise Community $9,400 In addition, contracted services provided to the Powder Basin Watershed Council and Wallowa Resources helped cover team salaries during portions of the program.

Wildfire Mitigation & Forest Management

Baker Resources Coalition partnered with the Spring Creek Firewise Community to identify high-risk properties and prioritize wildfire mitigation efforts. The team used a combination of hand mitigation techniques and forest management activities to reduce wildfire risk on eight rural properties. Defensible spaces were established around homes and outbuildings, while forest management services extended beyond those areas to provide additional protection.

Date	Property	Team Size	Action	# Slash Piles	Mitigated Material (YD³)
June 15-19	Strommer	8	Forest Management	39	1,120.79
June 22-26	Bowers	4	Mitigation & Forest Management	15	464.93
June 29-July 3	Ewing	4	Mitigation & Forest Management	25	163.81
July 6-9	Combs	8	Forest Management	23	715.00
July 9-10	Brougham	4	Forest Management	7	191.65
July 13-17	Nelson	8	Forest Management	22	932.42
July 20-24	Sullivan	8	Mitigation & Forest Management	14	500.74
July 27-31	Baker	8	Forest Management	24	749.29
TOTAL				169	4,838.63

Expanding Natural Resource Experience

In addition to wildfire mitigation and forest management, Summer Stewards worked with regional partners on watershed restoration and monitoring projects.

Powder Basin Watershed Council

$6,000 Contract Two split teams, each consisting of one crew lead and three Stewards, worked with the Powder Basin Watershed Council on three projects:

Alder Meadow Riparian Fence Rebuild – funded by the Forest Service and Roundhouse Foundation.
Long-Term Status and Trend Water Quality Monitoring – funded by the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board.
Powder Basin Project Effectiveness Monitoring – funded by the Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board.

The $6,000 contract helped cover team salaries.

Wallowa Resources

$11,256 Contract During the final two weeks of the program, the team recorded data on 85 monitoring plots in the Whitman District of the Wallowa-Whitman National Forest. This work was completed under a contract with Wallowa Resources and provided valuable field experience in natural resource monitoring while covering the team’s salaries for the final two weeks.

More Than a Summer Job

The Summer Stewards Program combines paid work, hands-on natural resource experience, education, and personal development.

Work Experience

Crew Leads worked 8 hours per day, five days per week.
Crew Leads earned $20.00 per hour.
Stewards earned $16.50 per hour.
Participants gained hands-on experience in mitigation, forest management, watershed work, and natural resource monitoring.

College Credit

Stewards earned six college credits each through Treasure Valley Community College.
Students enrolled in NATR 101: Natural Resource Management Experience.
BRC paid tuition and registration costs so Stewards could participate.
Students attending Baker High School in the fall can use their TVCC transcript toward additional graduation credits.

Skills That Last a Lifetime

While the technical skills gained through the program are important, perhaps the greatest achievement was the personal growth of the young people who participated. Throughout the summer, Stewards developed confidence, responsibility, resilience, and a deeper understanding of the communities and environments in which they worked. Learning how to confidently greet and communicate with property hosts for the first time. Developing self-discipline and responsibility in their work. Learning to overcome adversity, including working through 85+ degree temperatures and smoky conditions. Taking pride in the quality and impact of their work. Building teamwork and collaboration skills. Developing a greater understanding of the environments in which they worked. Understanding how their work directly helped property owners reduce wildfire risk. Building confidence through real-world responsibility and community service.

6 College Credits

Connecting Work Experience With Education

Through Treasure Valley Community College’s NATR 101 course, Summer Stewards were able to turn their hands-on natural resource experience into college credit. BRC covered tuition and registration costs, helping make the educational opportunity accessible to participants.

Looking Toward the Future

BRC has recently connected with the High Desert Partnership and is working to establish a relationship with the Wallowa Resources Youth Program Supervisor. Both organizations operate youth-based work programs in Eastern Oregon. Baker Resources Coalition High Desert Partnership Wallowa Resources The goal is to encourage collaboration among these organizations and amplify their collective voice, particularly when it comes to influencing state-level legislative processes that affect youth-based work programs. By working together, these organizations can help expand opportunities for young people to gain meaningful employment, education, and hands-on experience in natural resource management.

Growing the Next Generation of Stewards

The 2026 Summer Stewards Program demonstrated what is possible when young people are given meaningful work, educational opportunities, supportive mentors, and the chance to contribute to their communities. From reducing wildfire risk on rural properties to restoring watersheds and monitoring public lands, these Stewards made a tangible difference across Eastern Oregon – while building skills that will stay with them long after the summer ended. Thank you to our funders, partners, landowners, mentors, and community supporters for helping make the 2026 Summer Stewards Program possible.