Nearly 70 people have benefited from a hiring wave at the U.S. Forest Service brought on through funding from the stimulus package.

This summer the Huron-Manistee National Forest received $3.8 million in funding for the next two years. That allowed them to hire dozens of part-time workers to take on a serious backlog of projects.

Workers began at the forest service in Mio beginning in July. They'll work until December and take nearly four months before returning in March 2010.

"This for me was the opportunity of a lifetime," says Nick Hauck, a Mio resident who brought years of experience in a volunteer fire department.

All of the workers are described as unemployed or underemployed.

Donna Schrader spent years trying to land a job with the forest service. She's been on the job since the summer and hopes to continue in this line of work even when her current position ends.

"You go home at night and you know did a good day's work," says Schrader. "Then you can't wait to get back in the next day."

Projects with the stimulus workers will take place in areas surrounding Mio, Cadillac and Baldwin.

9&10's Michael Kasiborski and photojournalist Jordan Nagel have more in this report.