Columbia Gorge TREX 2026
May 11-22, 2026 in Klickitat County, Washington
Dates: May 11th-22nd, 2026
Location: Ekone Ranch (Goldendale, Klickitat County, WA)
Link to application: https://bit.ly/CG-TREX-2026 (closes February 22, 2026)
What is CGTREX? CGTREX is a two-week training event intended to 1) build prescribed fire skills & knowledge through experiential training and 2) provide a boost to local capacity to accomplish burns across land ownerships in the Columbia Gorge region. TREX emphasizes immersive learning on a variety of topics including fire management, ecology, outreach, monitoring, and operational dimensions of planning and implementing prescribed fire. In addition to cooperative burning, the event will include hands-on training sessions, guest speakers, field trips and more.
Questions? Please contact Mt. Adams Resource Stewards Prescribed Fire Coordinator Emery Cowan at: Emery@mtadamsstewards.org.
Accommodations: All meals and lodging will be provided for full-time participants for the duration of TREX. Participants can stay in group bunkhouses at Ekone Ranch or are welcome to bring their own camping gear/vehicle and camp onsite.
What you'll do: During CGTREX, participants will learn, practice, and share knowledge, skills, and experience in a hands-on training environment. Topics covered include fire management, ecology, outreach, monitoring, and operational dimensions of planning and implementing prescribed fire. Participants will serve in qualified and trainee positions on a burn team that will support burns on private, state, tribal, and/or federal lands. Participants should expect to have trainee opportunities, and be asked to be in a role of trainer, based on experience.
Prerequisites: TREX will be open to participants who are “NWCG qualified” or have obtained at least the Firefighter Type 2 (FFT2) qualification in the National Wildfire Coordinating Group (NWCG) system. This level of training provides participants with key foundational knowledge that we will build upon at TREX.
If you are not FFT2 qualified, you can obtain that qualification through this TREX! As a part of our event, we plan to offer a S-130 field day, RT-130, pack test, and shelter deployment test for those who need to satisfy those requirements for a FFT2 qualification or to maintain a current Red Card. Those will most likely be offered on Sunday, May 10th, the day before our official TREX start date. We will also provide guidance on the pre-event coursework required for those seeking their FFT2 qualification for the first time.
Position taskbook training opportunities will be available for NWCG-qualified participants (for more on position taskbooks, see this link: nwcg.gov/training/nwcg-position-task-books-catalog).
If your organization utilizes fire line qualifications, but doesn’t follow NWCG (CAL FIRE, BC Wildfire Service, etc.), we're happy to think through reciprocal arrangements. Please fill out the application and then reach out to TREX coordinator Emery Cowan (emery@mtadamsstewards.org) so we can better understand your circumstances.
The application closes EOD on Sunday, February 22nd.
Space and training roles are limited. Notifications to selected applicants will be made by early March. A $200 non-refundable registration fee will be required upon acceptance to TREX to help cover costs of food and lodging. We can offer a limited number of participant scholarships if the registration fee is a barrier to your attendance at TREX. The application includes a question to indicate if you would like to be considered for a scholarship.
This training is hosted, organized, and supported by Mt. Adams Resource Stewards, The Nature Conservancy, Washington Department of Natural Resources, the US Forest Service and Columbia Land Trust.
Note: This is an immersive training that emphasizes building team cohesion and involves complicated logistics. For this reason, participants are expected to attend the two-week training in its entirety. However, we do plan to offer opportunities to observe and/or participate in specific burns/burn days. If you cannot commit to the full two-week training but would like to be notified of single-day burn participation/observation opportunities or would like to discuss other exceptions, please contact Emery Cowan at emery@mtadamsstewards.org.
