Watershed Research and Training Center and Sierra Business Council Release Wildfire Resilience Workforce & Career Development Roadmap

November 25, 2025 – The Watershed Research and Training Center and Sierra Business Council released Advancing Wildfire Resilience Workforce & Career Development, a nonprofit-led roadmap recommending how California can grow and sustain the skilled workforce needed to protect communities and restore healthy landscapes in the face of wildfire. Developed in coordination with the California Wildfire & Forest Resilience Task Force, this roadmap outlines how the state can strengthen its wildfire resilience efforts by investing in the people and organizations driving this critical work. Key recommendations in the roadmap include:

• Building education, training, and professional development pipelines.

• Supporting high-quality, well-paying jobs with clear career pathways.

• Pairing wildfire resilience investments with workforce capacity investments statewide, including urban, rural, and Tribal communities.

• Removing barriers to recruit, train, and retain a robust wildfire resilience workforce. 

By integrating solutions to two of California’s most pressing challenges—wildfire risk and economic opportunity—this roadmap charts a path toward both community safety and statewide prosperity.