WSU Extension says Forest Youth Success kept local trails and jobs running despite funding uncertainty

Hannah Broutsley, Washington State University Extension director for Skamania County, told commissioners on Jan. 28 that the county’s Forest Youth Success program continued to produce measurable conservation and youth-employment outcomes in 2024 even as funding remained uncertain.

Broutsley said the program is a workforce-development effort that introduces young people to forestry and natural-resources careers and that WSU and local partners are actively seeking grant funding to sustain the seasonal crews.

The nut graf: County leaders and WSU Extension staff emphasized that Forest Youth Success serves both environmental and economic goals locally — maintaining trails and working on acutely-needed noxious-weed removal while providing paid summer jobs — but that the program’s continuation depends on a mix of federal and partner funding that is not guaranteed.

Broutsley and Summer Mead, the program’s 4‑H and Forest Youth Success coordinator, described 2024 as a high‑interest year. Mead said nearly 60 applicants sought roughly 18 slots; the program had funding to hire 25 people and ultimately created 31 job placements across the season. "The total program costs with the larger program ended up being around $167,000," Mead said.

Mead outlined outputs: crews maintained roughly 9 miles of trail, collected native seed for replanting, and removed an estimated 6,120 gallons of noxious weeds (measured by the gallon bags used in fieldwork). The crews also partnered with Wind River Trust on grounds work and met with a local arborist for hands‑on training.

Broutsley and Mead told commissioners they continue to pursue several funding avenues. Mead wrote two Forest Service grant applications: a Recreation Trails Program education grant for $16,000 and a Recreation Trails Program maintenance grant for $141,000; decisions were still pending at the meeting. Broutsley said she and Mead had met with Representative Waters’ office and planned to meet with the congresswoman’s staff to press for support. They also reported a written commitment of $100,000 from the South Gifford Pinchot Resource Advisory Committee (RAC) for the upcoming summer season, subject to receipt of the paperwork.

Commissioners and staff discussed how the program typically relies on Title II (Secure Rural Schools) and RAC allocations, both of which have been uncertain in recent years. Broutsley said the program has historically used Title II and RAC funds and that the shifting federal funding landscape makes multi‑year planning difficult. She urged continued local advocacy and partnership to keep the program viable.

Mead emphasized the program’s added benefits beyond trail maintenance: seasonal crews collected native seeds, completed noxious weed removal and supported partner agencies that lack capacity. She noted that some crew members were as young as 14 — a hiring age advantage the program uses to provide early job experience.

Commissioners asked whether program size would be cut if only the $100,000 RAC allocation is available; Broutsley and Mead said they expect to run a leaner three‑crew program rather than the four crews they staffed in 2024 if that is the funding level. They also described efforts to diversify revenue through partner fees (for example, from Army Corps of Engineers work), smaller targeted grants (for food for crews), and private donations.

The presentation included an invitation to a February 27 invasive‑species workshop at the Hagewald Center and an offer from WSU Extension to provide monthly updates or deeper dives into specific programs on future agendas.

Looking ahead, Broutsley said the program will continue to apply for federal and Forest Service grants and to press for stable funding while seeking local partner support to keep crews working on backlog stewardship projects in the county.

Ending: Commissioners did not take formal action on the presentation at the Jan. 28 meeting but asked that WSU Extension continue monthly reporting and advocacy as funding decisions develop.