Across vast tracts of rugged ground from Maine to California, Latinos do the dirty work in America's woods. They plant trees by the millions, thin out snarls of vegetation that stunt the growth of commercial timber and slash away the dense mats of brush and spindly trees that stoke forest fires.
They are pineros, the men who work in the pines. They are the major source of manual labor in America's forest industry, the muscle behind the Healthy Forest Initiative - often paid in tax dollars to work on public lands. And they are being misused and abused under the noses of government officials.
Even frequent visitors to America's forests may never see them. They live in motels and campgrounds on the fringes of society, traveling through resort towns long before dawn on their hours'-long commutes to deep backwoods areas.
In this three-part investigation, The Bee takes you inside the hidden lives of the pineros.
On to Part 1 »Friday, August 11, 2006 Bee's Pineros series wins awards
Saturday, May 27, 2006 Protections for pineros inserted into immigration reform bill
Friday, May 26, 2006 'Pineros' report wins photojournalism award
Friday, May 19, 2006 Forest guest workers tell of abuses
Sunday, May 7, 2006 Untrained migrants fight fires
Friday, May 5, 2006 Special presentation: Fallen pineros come home
Thursday, May 4, 2006 Bee's 'Pineros: Men of the Pines' series honored with fairness prize
Tuesday, April 18, 2006 Pineros series honored
Thursday, March 16, 2006 Editorial: All talk
Tuesday, March 14, 2006 Bee's 'Pineros' series captures reporting award
Thursday, March 9, 2006 Firm fined in van crash is OK'd to hire pineros
Thursday, March 2, 2006 Senators get earful on forest labor abuse
Wednesday, March 1, 2006 Contractors rip rivals for pineros' plight
Thursday, February 23, 2006 Forest firms in state face probes
Saturday, February 11, 2006 Senate panel to hear plight of pineros
Wednesday, February 8, 2006 Congress looks into forest worker issues
Sunday, January 29, 2006 Village weeps for lost sons
Sunday, January 8, 2006 U.S. adds regulatory clout to help pineros
Tuesday, January 3, 2006 Another view: Pineros left without legal help
Saturday, December 31, 2005 New call for forest labor review
Tuesday, December 27, 2005 Editorial: A Forest Service duty
Sunday, December 25, 2005 Anguish grips forest workers after crash
Thursday, December 22, 2005 Tragedy is echoed as crash kills forest worker
Sunday, December 4, 2005 Editorial: Protecting pineros
Saturday, December 3, 2005 Pineros' plight to get review in D.C.
Thursday, December 1, 2005 Help for pineros vowed
Wednesday, November 23, 2005 Pinero's family to get benefit
Saturday, November 19, 2005 Forest worker review sought