By Marie Kennedy The Mountain Times
On a cold, rainy April morning, the forest along Barlow Trail Road was buzzing with activity. Portland General Electric (PGE) forestry crews teamed up with AntFarm, a local youth workforce development organization, to tackle an important job: wildfire prevention.
Their mission? Remove three large cottonwood trees growing too close to high-voltage power lines – posing a serious fire risk – and give young workers a front-row view of what it takes to manage vegetation safely and effectively.
As part of AntFarm’s Community Wildfire Defense Program, local youth not only get real-world experience but also contribute directly to fire risk reduction in their own communities. The program has already treated over 100 at-risk properties, performed more than 200 Home Ignition Zone assessments, and employed over two dozen youth participants.
“It is a great opportunity for our crews to be able to see how utility arborists work to keep infrastructure up and running and mitigate the risk of wildfire,” said Logan Hancock, AntFarm wildfire mitigation manager.
On this day, youth participants watched as certified utility arborists trimmed and cleared trees above the power lines. Once the area was safe, AntFarm crews geared up to finish removing the felled trees and haul away the debris, adding a valuable skillset to their growing forestry experience.
For PGE forester Patrick Donovan, the work goes beyond routine maintenance. “This is the first time we’ve partnered with AntFarm to show how we trim trees near power lines,” said Donovan. “This work is helping to remove hazard trees and promote wildfire safety in the area.”
Vegetation management in Brightwood is a year-round job. PGE’s crews routinely inspect and maintain trees near power lines and remove potentially hazardous vegetation in the utility’s right-of-way – crucial steps in preventing wildfire ignitions.
“Wildfire prevention is something I’m very passionate about,” Donovan added. “This work to maintain the forest and the beautiful place we live has a very real effect on the community’s livability.”
In 2024 alone, nearly 2,000 wildfires have burned close to two million acres across Oregon, a staggering 300% increase over the state’s 10-year average. That reality hits home for Brightwood resident Carolyn MacDonald.
After watching wildfires sweep across the West Coast, she grew increasingly concerned about her own neighborhood. Now an active member of her local Firewise board – a program that encourages neighbors to work together to prepare for wildfire – she said she’s encouraged by the work PGE and AntFarm are doing on the ground.
“It empowers us as a community. If PGE is willing to do the work, then we need to take responsibility in our own personal zones,” said MacDonald.
PGE’s wildfire prevention efforts go far beyond tree work. The utility is also replacing wood poles with fire-resistant metal ones, using AI cameras and early fault detection sensors, and activating Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS) when weather conditions become extreme.
“As a resident, I’m very grateful for all the work that PGE has done over the past year,” said MacDonald. “You can see the changes PGE is doing and our neighborhood recognizes that.”
As summer brings more visitors and drier conditions to the mountain, the lessons from that rainy morning linger. The skills that the AntFarm youth are gaining aren’t just about forestry – they’re lessons for life. Wildfire safety is a shared responsibility, one that unites neighbors, young people, utility crews, and public agencies to protect what matters most. And in this community, people know what it means to show up for each other.
For more information, or to support the AntFarm, visit www.antfarmyouthservices.com.