Who Are the People in Your Forests? Resource Assistant to Tribal Relations

Note: This series will check-in with resource assistants, to share how they found their way to the Forest Service and their continued work to serve the public here in the Pacific Southwest. Check out Part 1 and Monique Rea’s journey to the Shasta-Trinity National Forest.

With so many people working on our national forests, you have to wonder how they found their way to the USDA Forest Service. That’s why we’re uncovering an often-hidden position — resource assistant — that has led many to finding “the best job in the Forest Service.” As a paid internship, the Resource Assistants Program provides a jumping off point for many employees to discover where they want to grow with the Forest Service and how they can best serve the public.

Meet Rosa-Lee Jimenez, Region 5 Tribal Relations

Rosa-Lee Jimenez grew up in the heart of the Central Valley in Tulare, California, near where her tribal ancestors, the Wukchumni people, also called home. (The Yokuts were historically very large and took up most of the San Joaquin Valley, but eventually the Tribe was broken up into about 50+ sub-tribes.) For her bachelor’s degrees in Political Science and Public Administration, Rosa-Lee headed north to Chico State University where she graduated in 2019.

After that, she found her way to Community Action Volunteers in Education (CAVE) and worked her way up from the front desk to two different director positions. Soon she decided to make her leap to the Forest Service via MobilizeGreen. She first started as summer intern with the Tribal Relations Program. Then MobilizeGreen helped place her on the Sierra and Sequoia National Forests as a Sub Regional Volunteer Coordinator Resource Assistant.

After that, another steppingstone as a Tribal Relations Resource Assistant led to her current, inaugural position as Tribal Relations Program Specialist since spring 2023.

Rosa-Lee shared more of her background, to help explain what a resource assistant does and how that opportunity is helping her build a career with the Forest Service and elevate tribal voices. Lightly edited for clarity and length.

What important lesson have you learned as a resource assistant?

That Tribal Relations touches all aspects of the Forest Service.

What project do you feel has the biggest impact?

Everything I do has a big impact to m e— I'm indigenous myself, so it’s an honor to advocate and support California Tribes. I've been completely immersed in tribal engagement, climate change, policy review, and natural resource management. Every project that has to do with tribal ancestral lands and making sure the Tribes have access to their land and resources is always important to me. The importance of place has much value to Tribes and indigenous communities.

Why did you want to join the Forest Service Resource Assistant Program?

I have always loved working with nonprofits and my indigenous culture truly cultivates my love for the environment as well. So when I graduated, I wanted to remain in the environmental protection and nonprofit realms. When searching for environmental jobs with nonprofits, I found MobilizeGreen and their Tribal Relations Summer Internship. The position was a good fit and next step for me. You know, when you're in high school, you don't fathom that you could be a Tribal Relations Resource Assistant and get to serve your local Tribes here in the state of California.

What was a memorable project during your time as a resource assistant?

I was on the panel for the California Indian Basket Weavers Association. They had a rekindling fire event to reframe thoughts on wildfires. Indigenous populations aren’t afraid of fire; it’s always been a tool for them. They want to change that narrative of scary fire to a management tool.

So, I represented the Forest Service with the Cleveland National Forest, and we got to review the gathering policy. It was nice to show the Tribes the Forest Service wants to move forward with something like cultural burning. We understand how important it is for them to be involved in this planning process.

What is something you loved about working on your host forests?

I started learning more about my heritage around middle school. So it's nice to see my understanding of my heritage and my culture is a value to my work. My ancestry and lineage are important to understanding why Tribes distrust government and how we can rebuild it.

I bring a different perspective to the Forest Service, and I'm not afraid to stand up for what's right. I think it's an honor to advocate for the Tribes here in California and be a voice for them in the Forest Service. And I really love the community — the Tribes, tribal community, and partners who want to work with Tribes. It’s all the love and support I've got from my fellow colleagues that makes me want to keep doing the work that I do.

And I really think it's an honorable thing to do for my ancestors. After all they've been through, it's the least I could do.

How did you grow through the program?

My current mentor, Region 5 Tribal Relations Specialist Rowena Yeahquo, really lets me explore our passions for our program. She's been having me go to high schools to teach them about tribal relations and positions in the Forest Service. And she wants me to go to conferences and have a presence as an indigenous Forest Service employee, to show our future generations that yes — indigenous folks do work at the Forest Service, and this is what we look like! A lot of people say if they see it, they can be it.

Before Rowena, my mentor Jeremy Camara wasn't afraid to check in with me, to ask if I needed help or if I felt lost. Now I have my own resource assistant, and I engage like Jeremy did — it is not about the work or the task, but the people first. He truly taught me how to make strong and mindful individuals for my team!

How did your time as a resource assistant lead you to your current position?

In the summer of 2020, I worked through MobilizeGreen as a Tribal Relations Intern and met Rowena. She was just starting in her position, and I helped her draft a database for all the tribal contacts in the region. She was working with 109+ tribes and 53+ non-federally recognized Tribes by herself. That’s a lot of contacts to track and manage! So I was hired to help.

I also started working on the assessment for the Tribal Relations Strategic Plan, which the final version just came out this year. So that's super awesome. It was fulfilling to see that work through, start to finish.

Overall, I'm really excited about how my journey progressed from 2020 to now. I am officially the first Tribal Relations Program Specialist for Region 5!

Want to become a resource assistant? The Resource Assistants Program offers an immersive, paid internship for current students, recent graduates, and underrepresented populations. Explore natural and cultural resources management with land management agencies like the U.S. Forest Service. The program includes mentor and network opportunities, a weekly stipend to help with other expenses, and eligibility for direct hire up to two years after completing the program.