CONSERVATION LE GACY CONSERVATION CORPS NORTH CAROLINA USFS SOUTHERN REGION

CROATAN NATIONAL FOREST Womens+ Advanced Saw Crew

The Womens+ crew was made up of seven members. In total, they felled 310 trees, improved eight acres of land, and maintained six miles of trail. This crew helped to improve and reopen areas of public land access in the Croatan National Forest. The crew removed hazard trees throughout their season to return access to trails including the Flanner’s Beach Bike Trail, the Tidelands Trail, and the Neusiok Trail to the public. A reroute of the Flanner’s Beach Bike Trail allowed for that trail to be reopened after being closed previously. The crew also worked to remove dead Water Tupelo trees from a section of Flanner’s Beach as a step toward making the section safe to use in the future. The crew had a signifi cant hand in returning access to these public lands to the community.

Crew Experience

Winter on the Coast

Imagine waking up at 4:45 am in the dead of winter, gazing at the vivid sunrise on the ocean with a sharp sea breeze whipping across your face. Though harsh, the wind o ers a sweet but fl eeting reprieve from the unrelenting mosquito swarms that dominate this small barrier island. Welcome to Portsmouth Village, part of Cape Lookout National Seashore!

The crew also received training in advanced chainsaw work and each member ended their season with a B sawyer skill set. Through the US Forest Service, they were red-carded and assisted with prescribed burns. At the end of their season, each member of the Womens+ crew had secured either a corps leadership or sta position or a seasonal job with the US Forest Service.

Working on public land allows for there to be a big impact on the community. Removing snags and dead trees with the potential to fall on the trail ensures anyone on the trail will be safe. They also reopened and rerouted trails, which allows for a better user experience, so individuals can enjoy a longer trail. Overall, their work helped improve and restore our inner coastal shorelines. The crew’s work is the fi rst step toward preserving North Carolina coastlines through erosion control, which will allow people to enjoy the coastline for many years to come.

Aside from their work accomplishments, this crew impacted the community di erently. Every member of this crew was part of the LGBTQ+ community. This crew was intended to create a community where they all were comfortable being their full selves. The outdoor industry is not always an easy place for individuals who are gender non-conforming. The success of this crew will empower people not only in the Croatan community but across the country, to do what they love and not let stigma stop them.

Crew member Erin Waldman stated “I really enjoyed getting to see the prescribed burn process in the Croatan Forest. I loved learning how the Forest Service uses regular burning to restore the land closer to how it was before European colonization, with more spacious longleaf pine areas and habitat for endangered red-cockaded woodpeckers. It’s cool to learn the ecology behind the work!”

As an eight-person crew, we spent the winter months working on public lands along the coast. We had the opportunity to work directly on the beach, in salt marshes, pine forests, cypress groves, and were even ferried via boat to an island. The main scope of the project work was clearing hurricane-damaged areas, including snags and salt-killed trees.

At the beginning of the season, the crew leaders focused on bringing everyone up to a higher cutting level to safely cut dead and complicated trees. In this learning-focused environment, the crew could target specifi c skills they wanted to work on, like taking a tree o a back lean, completing a double cut, or assessing heart rot and hinge wood integrity. Crew member Erin Murr credits the crew dynamic as a big part of doing more di cult work. “Being on this crew has meant a lot to me. It’s given me the space to grow my technical felling skills.” The crew also assisted and observed prescribed burning operations.

“Each member of this crew ended their season with a B sawyer certifi cation. Gaining a solid footing in the disciplines of felling, bucking, and rigging has provided us with a competitive edge for the more sought-after positions of conservation and federal service. I do believe that this crew is a career-maker for women and non-binary individuals,” refl ected crew member Lela Waite.