A state project for 2024- 2025 was proposed by incoming State Society President Julien Bancroft-Connors.
Rake Force is a veteran owned social purpose corporation providing jobs to veterans and others. Their mission is to prevent forest fires by raking and clearing forest undergrowth and using goats to do the same. Veterans are often empowered by this organization by providing them with purpose and a means to continue to give back to their communities.
State Society President Julien Bancroft-Connors will fundraise for the state project by speaking in person to C.A.R. societies, and DAR and SAR chapters, and will also shoot a 10- minute program so that he can spread the word about this project to a greater variety of audiences. This would enable other C.A.R. members to be able to use the video to promote the project as well.
Contrary to their name, the U.S. Rake Force doesn’t often use rakes when it clears excess fuel out of over-grown forests to reduce the threat of wildfire.
Instead, they deploy goats. The 26-goat herd often goes in as the “first strike,” eating its way through ex-cess biomass on the forest floor so veteran and civilian volunteers can follow behind and do whatever trim-ming and clearing work is necessary to clear dangerous debris and return the forest to peak health.
It’s this process of “raking the forest” that gives the U.S. Rake Force, founded several years ago by Toledo residents Jake Dailey and Brian Dennis, its name.
“We hadn't called ourselves ‘Rake Force’ until the former president was standing in a burnt forest in Northern California, and he said, ‘rake the forests,’ and we were like ‘What the heck did he just say?’” Dailey recalled.
Many were baffled by the former president’s comment in 2018 claiming Finland “rakes” its forest floors to prevent wildfire, but Dailey and Dennis understood what forest management processes he was referring to.
“We know what he meant. And this is what he meant, right? What we're doing is what he meant,” Dailey
Donations for the State Project, payable to "Washington State C.A.R.", can be sent to John Berg, Senior State Treasurer, 1522 S 31st St, Louisville KY 40211-1804. (Yes, that is a Kentucky address.) Donations can also be made through Zelle to CAR@jb70.net with an accompanying email to the same address.
Copyright © 2022-2024 Washington State Society Children of the American Revolution - All Rights Reserved. Latest revision 19 Sep 2024.
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