US Department of Labor awards $2.9M to assist clean-up, recovery after northern California’s 2021 wildfires

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today announced an initial award of $2,968,350 to support disaster-relief employment for individuals to assist with cleanup and recovery efforts, and to provide employment and training services in northern California after devastating wildfires between July and October 2021, which burned extensively throughout the national forests there.

Administered by the department’s Employment and Training Administration, the National Dislocated Worker Grant award of up to $8,905,050 allows the California Employment Development Department to provide for temporary employment of individuals to clear downed trees, perform forest restoration activities and provide employment and training services for eligible individuals in Lassen, Nevada, Placer, Plumas, Tehama and Trinity counties.

The wildfires devastated Lassen National Forest, Lassen National Park, Plumas National Forest and Trinity National Forest, as well as the northern California’s lumber industry. Fire damage worsened ongoing national lumber shortages which, in turn, made it harder for affected communities to rebuild. The Federal Emergency Management Agency issued a major disaster declaration in August 2021, enabling California to request this funding.

Supported by the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act of 2014, Dislocated Worker Grants temporarily expand the service capacity of dislocated worker programs at the state and local levels by providing funding assistance in response to large, unexpected economic events that cause significant job losses.