May 27, 2006
Does Immigration Debate Put Forests at Risk?
The NY Times (registration req.) reports how the immigration debate may affect the Forest Service ability to fight wildfires this summer. I don't buy it. I think the NewYork Times is wrong. If someone is dropped from a blue card crew because of improper documentation the operators of the crew will have NO trouble filling the spot.
The NY Times article reports how private contract crews might be affected by new hiring requirements. Requirements include verifying legal status and hiring workers that understand enough English to pass a fire-terminology proficiency test. I don't have a problem with some crew members not understanding English but they must be trained adequately and the crew leaders must speak English for safety's sake.
I found nothing in the article that made me feel for any of the private contractors profiled. As I noted earlier all they have to do is place a simple ad in the newspaper or CraigsList and they would get more applications than they need.
As an extension of the discussion I believe this is one area where a guest worker program could pay dividends all around. Foreign crews could be strategically staged in the Western U.S. for quick deployment. Many crew members from Native American tribes, namely the Navajo make enough money during the fire season to support themselves and their families until the next season. It could be reasoned crews from Mexico or points further south in Central America could supply dozens of qualified crews.
Imagine 3 crews of 20 from a small city in Honduras, each crew member making $6,000 U.S after taxes. $360,000 going back to the community where they came from could boost their local economy and undoubtedly keep some young people in the town from making the journey North.
Photo attribution: SignOnSanDiego.com
Categories; immigration, firefighting
