Alder Creek Community Forest (ACCF) offers two consultant (independent contractor) positions for 2026, in order to establish a successful foundation for our new, collaborative initiative in fire resilience education and workforce development in southern Douglas County, Oregon.

See bit.ly/accf2026 for full position and initiative details. 

One consultant position targets capacity building to build and better connect ACCF with the community and participating partners; the other targets fire resilience education to pilot educational programming to the community, K-12 students, and workforce trainees. 

Each position offers $5000 to develop, implement, and assess related events during calendar year 2026, following a payment schedule to be mutually agreed on by the consultant and ACCF board.

We hope to offer one successful consultant a staff (executive director) position following 2026, for which funding will need to be secured. There is thus the potential for a longer-term professional association with ACCF. 

Overview

Alder Creek Community Forest (ACCF) offers two consultant (independent contractor) positions for 2026, in order to establish a successful foundation for our new, collaborative initiative in fire resilience education and workforce development in southern Douglas County, Oregon. See Appendix at bottom for full details.

One consultant position targets capacity building to build and better connect ACCF with the community and participating partners; the other targets fire resilience education to pilot educational programming to the community, K-12 students, and workforce trainees. 

Each position offers $5000 to develop, implement, and assess related events during calendar year 2026, following a payment schedule to be mutually agreed on by the consultant and ACCF board.

We hope to offer one successful consultant a staff (executive director) position following 2026, for which funding will need to be secured. There is thus the potential for a longer-term professional association with ACCF. 

Applications should be submitted no later than the end of January 31, 2026 to Jim Proctor (jim.proctor@gmail.com), ACCF board president. Please include:

• A current resume, including contact information, work experience, and related background/skills.
• A brief application letter, including the consultant position(s) you are interested in and why; a summary of qualifications; and a preliminary proposal for how you might achieve ACCF’s initiative goals.
• A list, with contact information, of three personal, school, and/or work references. 

If questions, feel free to contact Jim or any ACCF board member.

Capacity Building Consultant 

The capacity building consultant will help better connect ACCF with the community and a wide range of participating partners (see initiative partner list below). The position ideally begins in February, with target events launching as early as April through the remainder of the year.

We envision one or more events bringing together partners to discuss, and plan next steps for, the initiative; and one or more community events on the ACCF site to galvanize awareness, interest, and input. The consultant would work closely with partners and the community, with fire resilience-related content providers, and with food and related vendors, in close communication with the ACCF board. The consultant would also coordinate publicity and news/media coverage of all events in conjunction with partners, plan and implement means to make participants feel fully included and welcome, and direct and manage all aspects of each event. Finally, the consultant would design, implement, and analyze assessment to gauge event success and suggest next steps.

Desirable qualifications include related experience in group facilitation and event management; proficiency in community engagement; and strong communication, organization, and problem-solving skills. Non-profit experience, related background in forests and/or fire resilience, and familiarity with the area are a plus as well. 

Fire Resilience Education Consultant

The fire resilience education consultant will pilot educational programming to three target groups: the community, K-12 students, and workforce trainees. The position ideally begins in February, with target events launching as early as April through the remainder of the year, though fire season may affect summer events.

We envision one or more events focusing on K-12 and community fire resilience education (possibly via weekend or summer family events), and one or more training events, held primarily on the ACCF site, focusing on high school and community college fire resilience workforce development. All events will be developed and implemented in collaboration with our community, education, and technical partners. The consultant would plan and manage all details of the events, in close communication with the ACCF board and partners, to ensure they are safe, enjoyable, and worthwhile. The consultant would also coordinate publicity and news/media coverage of all events; and design, implement, and analyze assessment to gauge event success and suggest next steps.

Desirable qualifications include a strong background in forest and fire resilience management and/or education; related educational experience working with diverse age groups; work crew supervision; and communication, organization, and problem-solving skills. Non-profit experience and familiarity with the area are a plus as well.

Appendix: Initiative Proposal

This extract is from our successful initiative proposal to the Oregon Community Foundation. The details may be revised as deemed realistic and optimal by the ACCF board, following discussion and planning with consultants.

Overview

Alder Creek Community Forest (ACCF) and community, natural resource, and education partners propose a wildfire resilience capacity-building initiative to boost our organization, advance a community and partner network, and pilot a youth forest workforce program, laying the groundwork for longer-term projects.…Funds will pay consultants to plan and supervise these events including refreshments, provide safety and educational equipment and stipends, and prepare and maintain the ACCF learning site.

Wildfire is a serious threat among many rural forested communities of the Pacific Northwest. The area served by ACCF has experienced among the highest levels of wildfire risk and recent fires, and the highest levels of toxic wildfire smoke, in Oregon. Yet in addition to structure hardening, a combination of Indigenous and contemporary practices can make forests much safer for wildfire.…This bridge initiative will raise community awareness and involvement, mobilize a network of local partners, and begin to train youth for employment in fire resilience forest management.   

This bridge initiative builds on collaborative input ACCF has gathered since 2022. ACCF has long provided K-12 outdoor education to Douglas County, but following a COVID-related downturn in programming we listened afresh to our community and partners. Now we wish to rebuild our organization to better serve these priority community needs and pilot initial steps. ACCF offers a wide range of partnerships, an 80-acre forest site featuring resilience-based management and interpretive trails, and twenty years of commitment to education.

Service Area

The project focuses on the 72-square mile Canyonville CWPP (Community Wildfire Protection Plan) area in southern Douglas County. The Canyonville area was for many generations inhabited by ancestors of the Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians. European settlers came to the Umpqua River Valley in the 19th century, and with its natural resource abundance they established farms, ranches, and eventually large-scale timber operations. But the Cow Creek Band of Umpqua was forever changed, and via unhonored mid-19th century treaties effectively lost their land—over 800 square miles. Yet at present the Cow Creeks are the most important economic entity in Douglas County, including a casino and resort in Canyonville. The Cow Creeks manage nearly one-quarter of the Canyonville CWPP land area, with significant forest holdings.

The CWPP includes roughly 5000 residents, with Canyonville in the middle. Private land comprises over one-half of the CWPP, and BLM forest is slightly over 10%. Additionally, about one-third of the CWPP is either industrial or non-industrial private forestland. Altogether, forested lands—tribal, BLM, and private industrial and non-industrial—comprise nearly two-thirds of the entire CWPP.

Like many rural communities of the forested U.S. West, forest-related employment has never recovered following economic and technological changes to the industry in the 1980s. Yet the health of the area’s forests, and the opportunity to find livelihoods in these forests, remain core to economic and cultural thriving in the Canyonville area. 

The recent spate of wildfire—the central motivation for this project—adds even more threat and uncertainty to the recent history of challenges. Conversely, there might be ways to rebuild greater hope and pride of place if the area can forge partnerships for wildfire resilience, and again manage the area’s forests and provide related jobs to the community. This is the longer-term beneficial impact we wish to support.

Partners

We include ten key community partners in this proposed initiative as evidence of our strong community relationships: 

• Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
• City of Canyonville (Canyonville)
• Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians (CCBUTI)
• Douglas Forest Protective Association (DFPA)
• Douglas Small Woodland Association (DSWA)
• Grayback Forestry (Grayback)
• South Umpqua High School (SUHS) & South Umpqua School District (SUSD)
• Oregon State University Extension (OSU Extension)
• Umpqua Community College (UCC)
• Umpqua Prescribed Burn Association (UPBA)

Community Participation: Canyonville offers direct community connections. CCBUTI is a major landholder and supportive ACCF site neighbor. The main school district in the area is the consolidated SUSD.

Fire Resilience Education: ACCF will collaborate with BLM’s fire prevention education program. CCBUTI will offer an educational resource via their longstanding fire resilience practices. DFPA is the primary agent charged with fire prevention on the Canyonville CWPP. DWSA & OSU Extension provide non-industrial forest education. ACCF has long partnered with the SUSD in K-12 and family forest education. UPBA will play an educational role alongside CCBUTI promoting intentional burning.

Fire Resilience Job Training: Job trainees will tour BLM and CCBUTI lands in the CWPP and observe their fire resilience practices. DFPA offers fire-related employment in the area. Grayback is an operator on the ACCF site and a local expert in fire prevention and resilience. SUHS students will participate in job training via dual credit with UCC. As a central partner, UCC’s Forestry and Natural Resources programs will help coordinate job training for their students. UPBA will provide prescribed burning opportunities to job trainees.