Impact Story: Job Corps students receive top-notch wildland firefighting training

Submitted by Alicia Bennett, Public Affairs Officer, U. S. Forest Service Job Corps

Job Corps Civilian Conservation Center (CCCs) Assistant Fire Management Officers (AFMOs) ensure that students enrolled in CCC wildland firefighting programs receive top-notch training. But what elevates the students’ training are their experiential work-based learning  opportunities on national forests and grasslands, made possible through the professional networks forged by Job Corps AFMOs.   

 

Four Great Onyx and three Pine Knot Job Corps CCC students recently completed three month paid internships on the Umpqua National Forest working on two Type 4 engines on the North Umpqua Ranger District and on a 20-person Type 2 Initial Attack Hand Crew on the Diamond Lake Ranger District. USDA Forest Service photo by Fhurer Orejuela. North Umpqua Ranger District Engine staff Adam Borich, Brady Sahm, Jeremiah Coke, Dwayne Smith (Great Onyx CCC student) and Corbyn Kangiser.

 

Four Great Onyx and three Pine Knot CCC students recently completed three-month paid apprenticeships on the Umpqua National Forest. Great Onyx students Albert Kemp, Ernesto Serrano, Dwayne Smith and Amand White, all enrolled in the welding trade, staffed two Type 4 engines on the North Umpqua Ranger District for North Zone Fire Management. Pine Knot students Angelina Soileau and Logan Adams, enrolled in Forestry Conservation and Firefighting, and Aljay Williams, enrolled in welding, helped complete a 20-person Type 2 Initial Attack Hand Crew on the Diamond Lake Ranger District. 

 

Four Great Onyx and three Pine Knot Job Corps CCC students recently completed three month paid internships on the Umpqua National Forest working on two Type 4 engines on the North Umpqua Ranger District and on a 20-person Type 2 Initial Attack Hand Crew on the Diamond Lake Ranger District. North Umpqua Ranger District Engine staff Albert Kemp (Great Onyx CCC student), Ernesto Serrano (Great Onyx CCC student), Vicente Iranzo, Hailey Alandt, and Armand White (Great Onyx CCC student). USDA Forest Service photo by Fhurer Orejuela.

 

Conversations with Thomlinson’s students reveal just how important internship opportunities are to the career development of Job Corps wildland firefighting students. “I learned a lot more about the fire world,” says student Logan Adams. “It felt like a better learning experience because it was less ‘check off the boxes’ and more ‘get the job done’—there was less handholding and more just figure it out.” Unlike many students who enroll in a Forest Service Job Corps center, Adams enrolled with the intent to become a wildland firefighter.  

Angelina Soileau echoes Adam’s sentiments. “They [Umpqua National Forest Diamond Lake Type 2 Initial Attack Hand Crew] treated us as equals, both physically, mentally, and workwise. We just did the same work they did.” 

 

Job Corps CCC student Angelina Soileau

 

The Umpqua National Forest has traditionally hired students from Western CCCs to beef up their fire modules. In 2023, Daniel Boone National Forest AFMO Kevin Thomlinson, who oversees the Kentucky CCC wildland firefighting programs, leaned into his professional network and reached out to North Umpqua Ranger District Forestry Technician Fhurer Orejuela to expand paid work-based learning (WBL) opportunities for his wildland firefighting students. 

Workdays for Soileau and Adams varied but most days were spent patrolling and chasing lightning strikes. “There is a culture in each area you work in,” says Adams. “I enjoyed learning the difference from working on the Umpqua versus what I  did on assignment on Yosemite National Park–from the work ethic to the way fires are treated is very different and it was cool to learn.” 

Work-based learning partnerships between national forests and grasslands and Job Corps CCCs have many mutual benefits and strengthen the agency’s firefighting workforce. Host forests get much-needed assistance and exposures employees to the Job Corps program. Apprenticeships train students for good jobs and allow them to earn while they learn. They gain valuable wildland fire experience working in a variety of fuel types and conditions. Students work with and observe seasoned wildland firefighters and have the opportunity to network and gain references that are helpful as they pursue career positions. Finally, the money students earn and save can be life changing, helping ease their transition to independent living after graduation.   

“It was one of the greatest experiences I’ve had with Job Corps,” says Adams who wants the opportunity extended to him is made available to other students. “I really do hope that other students are able to have this experience because it was amazing.”  

 

Job Corps CCC student Logan Adams

 

“We saw a lot of potential in all of them,” says Orejuela, who encouraged all of the students to apply for 1039 positions. The Umpqua National Forest aimed for a 1:1 ratio of students to staff and mentoring was a big part of the students’ WBL experience. Umpqua staff set aside time at the end of the season to assist students with career guidance, navigating USA jobs, and providing tips and pointers on the interviewing process “We offer them a glimpse of what fire is like,” says Orejuela. If they are set on a different career path, we encourage them to do what they think is right–there is always next year.” 

These partnerships with Job Corps Centers—the biggest one being the availability of meals and housing for the students. The lack of housing and meals has often prevented placement of  Job Corps students on forests that requested placements. Fortunately for the Umpqua, Wolf Creek Job Corps’ culinary arts instructor Nicole Kuhn stepped up to deliver the student’s meals. The student bunked down with Umpqua employees in typical staff housing.  

The efforts of the Job Corps Fire Program directly support the agency’s strategic goal of sustaining our nation’s forests and grasslands and delivering benefits to the public. If your forest or region are interested in hosting wildland firefighting interns from the Frenchburg, Great Onyx, or Pine Knot Job Corps CCCs, contact Daniel Boone National Forest Assistant Fire Management Officer Kevin Thomlinson at 606-768-7023 or kevin.tomlinson@usda.gov. 

Update from The Corps Network’s Government Relations Team – May 8, 2023

By Meghan Castellano & Danielle Owen

Read this blog from The Corps Network’s Government Relations Team about recent updates from Washington and what they mean for the Service and Conservation Corps community.

 

President Biden’s Fiscal Year 2024 Budget Request

 

Civilian Climate Corps

In early March, President Biden released his Fiscal Year 2024 budget request. Of note, there are funding requests for the Civilian Climate Corps (CCC) at AmeriCorps, the Department of Agriculture (USDA), and the Department of Labor (DOL). All three received similar requests in the Fiscal Year 2023 funding cycle.

    • AmeriCorps: Under Salaries and Expenses, there is a $20 million request for AmeriCorps to staff up for a CCC.
    • Department of Agriculture: At USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), there is a $6 million request for APHIS to lead coordination between federal agencies and the CCC on issues related to invasive species control and climate change.
    • Department of Labor: Under Training and Employment Services, there is a request for $15 million for a CCC program. The DOL budget includes $15 million in dedicated funding for, “high-quality employment opportunities in industry sectors or occupations related to climate resilience or mitigation” with a specific mention of coordination with other federal agencies. The budget says this is part of a, “multi-Departmental initiative to mobilize the next generation of conservation and resilience workers and maximize the creation of accessible training opportunities and good jobs.”

AmeriCorps

Besides the $20 million in AmeriCorps Salaries and Expenses for CCC, their budget request includes the following:

    • Improve the experience of AmeriCorps members by providing increases to the member living allowance to the equivalent of $13 per hour.

USDA and the Department of the Interior (DOI)

At USDA and DOI, there appears to be similar funding amounts for Corps programs that we saw in the Fiscal Year 2023 budget request. This year they are rebranding these funds as being used for “youth corps programs.” Below is funding for youth Corps by agency.

    • U.S. Forest Service: There is a language that “…up to $5,000,000 shall be available for priority projects within the scope of the approved budget, which shall be carried out by the Youth Conservation Corps and shall be carried out under the authority of the Public Lands Corps Act of 1993 (16 U.S.C. 1721 et seq.).”
    • Bureau of Indian Affairs: There is a call out for $7.8 million for Tribal Youth Corps programs.
    • Bureau of Land Management: There is a combined call out for $12 million to work with “youth corps programs.”
    • Department of Interior-Wide: There is a request for funding for a DOI-Wide Youth Coordinator and also proposed appropriations language to allow cost-sharing waivers to expand the use of Corps partnerships in resource conservation and restoration work.
    • Fish and Wildlife Services: There is a combined call out for $10 million to work with “youth corps programs.”
    • National Park Service: There is $31 million for “youth corps programs.”

Department of Labor

Besides the CCC funding request, the DOL budget request includes:

    • Apprenticeships: The budget again proposes an increase in funding for apprenticeships, to $335 million. DOL’s Budget in Brief calls out youth apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship as priorities, but the proposed appropriations language does not mention this.
    • Job Corps: The budget requests an increase of $75 million (4.2%), to $1.84 billion, with the bulk of the proposed increase going to the Construction, Rehabilitation, and Acquisition line item.
    • Reentry Employment Opportunities: The budget requests an increase of $55 million, to $170 million. It recommends $30 million specifically for young people (the same as Congress appropriated last year, and more than the $25 million in the Fiscal Year 2023 president’s budget requested). 
    • YouthBuild: The budget requests an increase of $40 million, to $145 million.
    • WIOA Youth Activities: The budget requests an increase of $15.7 million (1.6%), to $963,837,000.

 

  • Please note that the President’s Budget Request is only a request. Congress now knows the Biden Administration’s funding priorities. The House and Senate Appropriations Committees are expected to begin marking up appropriations bills in mid to late May.
  • The federal government is fully funded for Fiscal Year 2023 (ends on September 30, 2023). One of the promises that House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) made to become Speaker was to set Fiscal Year 2024 funding levels at Fiscal Year 2022 levels. House Appropriations Chairwoman Kay Granger (R-TX) has instructed her Subcommittee Chairs to look closely for areas to cut funding and the House Appropriations Committee is expected to draft their appropriations bills at Fiscal Year 2022 funding levels.

 

House GOP Debit Ceiling Bill

  • The House GOP introduced their debt ceiling bill known as the “Limit, Save, Grow Act.” The bill would suspend the debt ceiling through either March 31, 2024, or give a $1.5 trillion increase from the current $31.4 trillion ceiling – whichever comes first. This bill would:
    • Return total discretionary spending to the Fiscal Year 2022 level in Fiscal Year 2024
    • Rescind unspent COVID relief funds
    • Repeal most of the Inflation Reduction Act’s (IRA) energy and climate tax credit expansions
    • Rescind the IRA’s increased Internal Revenue Service (IRS) funding
    • Make changes to energy, regulatory, and permitting policies
    • Impose or expand work requirements in several federal safety net programs including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
    • Prevent the implementation of President Biden’s student debt cancellation
  • Ultimately, the bill passed the House by a vote of 217-215, which largely fell along party lines with four Republican defections. This bill will not go anywhere in the Democrat controlled Senate as they do not support many of the bill’s provisions. Specifically, Democrats are against capping spending levels at Fiscal Year 2022 levels.

 

Appropriations vs. Debt Ceiling

  • Failure to raise the debt ceiling is not the same as passing Fiscal Year 2024 Appropriations bills. The debt ceiling is a limit, set by Congress, on the amount of borrowing the Treasury can do. Regarding appropriations, there are 12 annual appropriation bills. When Congress does not pass these bills, then federal agencies must stop all non-essential functions until Congress acts. This is known as a government shutdown.
  • The “Limit, Save, Grow Act” that has passed the House connects the debt ceiling to fiscal spending cuts. This bill aims to bring Fiscal Year 2024 funding back to Fiscal Year 2022 levels in order for the House GOP to agree to raise the debt ceiling. The White House, so far, has said raising the debt ceiling is not something they should be negotiating. It should be noted that the United States defaulting on its debt is unprecedented. On May 1, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen notified Congress that the U.S. could default on its debt as early as June 1, if legislators do not raise or suspend the debt ceiling. After this warning, President Biden invited Speaker McCarthy, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), House Minority Leader Hakeem Jefferies (D-NY) and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) to a meeting at the White House on May 9 to discuss the importance of preventing a default.

 

U.S. Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry Notice of Funding Opportunity

As a reminder, the U.S. Forest Service’s Urban and Community Forestry Program received $1.5 billion in the Inflation Reduction Act. The Notice of Funding Opportunity can be found here. Recordings of two webinars the White House held on this program can be found here. The deadline to apply is June 1, 2023 by 11:59 p.m. EST.

 

The Corps Network’s Annual National Conference

In early March, The Corps Network’s held its annual National Conference as a place to connect with people across the country who seek to build stronger communities and create a sustainable future. This year Interior Secretary Deb Haaland accepted an award on behalf of the Department of the Interior, and she gave remarks about the Department’s commitment to partnering with Corps. Will Shafroth, CEO of the National Park Foundation also accepted an award on behalf of the National Park Foundation. We also honored Rep. Frederica Wilson (D-FL) as a Congressional Champion. The Corps Network is incredibly appreciative that so many of our federal partners were able to participate in workshops and a plenary session during our 2023 Conference.

 

118th Congressional Outreach

As we are still in the first few months of this Congress, The Corps Network would like to re-flag our Action Alert sent out earlier in the year. It contains a template letter for Corps to use to either introduce or reintroduce their organization to their Member of Congress and Senators. It also contains a spreadsheet with Congressional staff contact information to use for this outreach. “Freshman” offices are highlighted in yellow. This is a living document and contact information is as up to date as possible. We will continue to update it as more contact information becomes available. Inviting your Member of Congress, Senators, and their staff to visit you is a wonderful way to encourage their support and educate them on what you are bringing to your shared community.

Impact Story: Planting and fertilizing hybrid poplar trees with Northwest Youth Corps

By: Edward Kim

This Earth Month, let’s celebrate some of the amazing environmental work Corps have accomplished. In the Pacific Northwest, specifically Eugene, OR, Northwest Youth Corps (NYC) is getting its hands green on an ongoing tree-planting project that’s reducing waste by recycling organic nutrients.

Trees are a vital component of the Earth’s ecosystems. Described as the lungs of our planet, trees and forests do much more than produce clean air for us to breathe. They also regulate the climate, provide homes for wildlife, prevent soil erosion, conserve water, and produce various products for human consumption and usage. That’s why it’s critical for conservation organizations and determined individuals to value and prioritize having healthy trees. Fortunately for us, that’s exactly what NYC has been doing for the last few years. 

 

Kerrek Pegg, with Northwest Youth Corps, plants a poplar at the Metropolitan Wastewater Management Commission’s Biocycle Farm near Eugene March, 1, 2023. Photo from Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard

 

NYC’s tree planting project is growing its roots in Metropolitan Wastewater Management Commission’s (MWMC) Biosolids Farm, a roughly 400-acre plantation that uses biosolids to fertilize trees. Biosolids are nutrient-rich organic materials derived from chemically and physically treated wastewater that comes from bathrooms, kitchens, laundry rooms, and more. Often used to improve soil health, similar to how animal manure is utilized agriculturally, biosolids can provide various benefits as they’re able to provide nutrients essential for plant growth. They can also improve soil structure and water-retaining properties. 

 

Poplar trees grow at the Metropolitan Wastewater Management Commission’s Biocycle Farm near Eugene March, 1, 2023. Photo from Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard

 

“Biosolids are nutrient-rich organic materials derived from chemically and physically treated wastewater”

 

In 2018, NYC planted 28,000 hybrid poplar trees in one of the Biosolids Farm’s units and returned in 2019 and 2020 to conduct manual weed control and prune/single each tree. NYC then completed a demonstration of a Biochar experiment at the farm in 2022. More recently, between January 28 to March 31 of 2023, NYC planted 10,000+ poplar trees and harvested 15,000+ tree cuttings. Over 1,600 AmeriCorps member hours have been used so far this year. 

 

between January 28 to March 31 of 2023, NYC planted 10,000+ poplar trees and harvested 15,000+ tree cuttings. Over 1,600 AmeriCorps member hours have been used so far this year

 

A Northwest Youth Corps crew plants poplar trees at the Metropolitan Wastewater Management Commission’s Biocycle Farm near Eugene March, 1, 2023. Photo from Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard

 

Hybrid poplar trees were specifically chosen for this project. A rapidly growing tree that’s often used for reforestation and environmental remediation purposes, poplars can withstand a wide range of environmental conditions. Ally Richert, an NYC Program Coordinator overseeing this project with MWMC, describes these poplars as “fast-growing with a high assimilation capacity for water, nutrients, and soil contaminants.” This means that these trees can be irrigated with recycled water or amended with treatment plant biosolids, which use waste that’s typically sent to landfills. 

 

Autumn Gratton digs a hole for a poplar tree at the Metropolitan Wastewater Management Commission’s Biocycle Farm near Eugene March, 1, 2023. Photo from Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard

 

This project produces commercial and economic benefits as well as environmental. According to MWMC, the poplars planted by NYC crews grow rapidly while consuming the nutrient-dense biosolids “making the Biocycle Farm a cost-effective method for recycling a byproduct of the wastewater treatment process.” There’s much to look forward to as “the trees are managed as an agricultural crop, with a growth period of up to 12 years, and then harvested and sold in the marketplace to offset operating costs for the farm as well as provide a renewable resource for our community.” The poplar trees planted by NYC will eventually be used for commercial use.

 

“a cost-effective method for recycling a byproduct of the wastewater treatment process”

 

As the poplar trees grow in soil supplemented with biosolids, so do the Corpsmembers’ knowledge and experience in impactful conservation careers. None of the participating Corpsmembers had previous poplar planting experiences, but they learned the ins and outs of the planting process, including harvesting, brush cutting, surveying, and then planting the tree itself. They also have the opportunity to tour the Biosolids plant while gaining useful knowledge on wastewater management and the biocycle process. NYC crews displayed noticeable improvement from when they first began the project as well.

 

A worker with Northwest Youth Corps plants a poplar tree at the Metropolitan Wastewater Management Commission’s Biocycle Farm near Eugene March, 1, 2023. Photo from Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard

 

“The Crew Members have really sped up the planting and harvesting process since their first week. They started with being able to plant SIX rows of trees a day to 27!” said Richert. “They have also been a steward to the wildlife in the area, helping preserve the wetland habitat that the trees grow in. In particular, they have been preserving the habitat and nests of killdeer, a native plover that makes nests on the ground.”

 

According to The Register-Guard, other wildlife, including “voles, deer, coyotes, eagles, hawks, and more”, have also been able to find a home in the farm’s units.

 

Poplar trees grow at the Metropolitan Wastewater Management Commission’s Biocycle Farm near Eugene. Photo from Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard

 

As NYC continues to collaborate with MWMC, other Corps and conservation organizations can learn much from this resourceful tree-planting project that helps curb climate change while also producing commercial and environmental benefits to surrounding communities.

 

“There was no manual for this project, and the crew is now a wonderful blueprint for poplar planting at this farm in the future.” said Richert.

 

Autumn Gratton, with Northwest Youth Corps, plants a poplar at the Metropolitan Wastewater Management Commission’s Biocycle Farm near Eugene March, 1, 2023. Photo from Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard

Impact Story: Seizing the opportunity to enhance Job Corps

Submitted by Alicia Bennett, Public Affairs Officer, U. S. Forest Service Job Corps

Held in Washington, D.C., the Job Corps 2.0 Leadership Summit: Students Today. Leaders Tomorrow  was a perfect breeding ground for new thoughts, ideas, and solutions to make Job Corps better. I, along with more than 100 students from Job Crops programs throughout the country, discussed the issues important to us as leaders. We focused on communication problems since time was limited.  

 

Marcus R. Jackson, second from left, participates in a Round Table discussion at the Job Corps 2.0 Leadership Summit: Students Today. Leaders Tomorrow in Washington, D.C. Courtesy photo by Marcus R. Jackson.

 

We shared concerns on distressing issues that included center extracurricular activities that were not publicized, wandering my Center to find students, instructors’ calls going unanswered due to teaching (not clear what you’re trying to say), meetings cancelled without notice, tests and/or appointments scheduled without notice, and students being notified of appointments with little time to prepare. With these communication issues being the most notable, it’s easy to see things need to change, so we quickly moved on to solutions that would work for our centers and/or could be implemented across the entirety of Job Corps. 

 

l to r: Blackwell Job Corps CCC student representative Marcus R. Jackson happily grabs a photo with Marty Walsh, Secretary, U.S. Department of Labor at the Job Corps 2.0 Leadership Summit. Courtesy photo by Marcus R. Jackson.

 

Some solutions that were brought to the table focused on physical objects–things Job Corps students could see and interact with to help them become a part of their daily routine. These include items such as a large noticeboard or whiteboard calendar. Whiteboard calendars allow notes to be added or taken away with an awareness of other events happening that day or week. If a corkboard was added to the side, students could put up polls for different extracurricular activities and make lists of movies to watch. Having something physical that students could interact with daily would help us not forget about important events.  

 

Blackwell Job Corps CCC student representative Marcus R. Jackson. Courtesy photo by Marcus R. Jackson.

Now, what about using elements we already have? Email, Google classroom/calendar, and the Job Corps site are tools we already have but don’t use properly. If the Google Classroom/calendar was used to its full extent, everyone on-center would have a calendar app where they could see major events or even small matters dealing with their trade. Administration could upload appointments on the app and only specific students would get a notification, without disrupting other events on the calendar. 

 

(l-r) Job Corps National Director Rachel Torres and Blackwell Job Corps CCC student representative Marcus R. Jackson at the Job Corps 2.0 Leadership Summit. Courtesy photo by Marcus R. Jackson.

 

Alternatively, a solution that would take longer but be tailored to Job Corps’ needs is to develop a Job Corps app. The app could have possible functions such as a general calendar, personal calendar, list of administration/instructor names and ways to contact them or poles for extracurricular activities. Most importantly, the app could have personal schedules that work similarly to a work schedule app. Job Corps Administration could pre-program the schedule for that week. Students would have the ability to check their phones or Chromebooks before the school day starts so we’d know where we’re going, what food is available in the cafeteria that day, and any homework that needs to be turned in that day. I am looking forward to the idea of a Job Corps app in the far future, as it seems to be the most streamlined and tailored solution.

-Marcus Jackson 

 

 

Corps + Trees Giving Back To Their Communities

By: Edward Kim

 

This Earth Month and in celebration of Arbor Day, The Corps Network is highlighting Corps service involving trees. From tree pruning to planting, Corps across the country are working closely to ensure that both rural and urban communities can enjoy the countless benefits of trees.

In the last five years, from 2017 to 2022, Corps planted nearly 5 million trees across the country – an exact total of 4,928,237 trees. Based on recent congressional funding geared towards Corps and increased public interest in the need for trees and forests, we hope to see that number grow in the coming years. 

 

Earth Corps

 

From 2017 to 2022, Corps planted nearly 5 million trees

 

Whether it’s clearing harmful invasive species, volunteering to plant trees, donating to tree planting organizations, or caring for a tree in your backyard, we can all take part in embracing trees and their environmental impact. There may even be a Corps near you that works directly with trees that could use your help.

 

Los Angeles Conservation Corps

 

Now, none of us aren’t strangers to how trees can improve our lives. Hopefully most of us have sat underneath a tree’s welcoming shade on a hot, sunny day and breathed in fresh air. All of us have used something made of wood. Most of us enjoy the vast amounts of wildlife that thrive amongst the trees, as well as the various foods that trees produce.

 

There may even be a Corps near you that works directly with trees that could use your help

 

Student Conservation Association

 

Chances are that you’ve also probably read or come across The Giving Tree, a widely known American children’s book created by Shel Silverstein that tells a simple tale centered on humankind’s relationship with nature.

 

The story follows a young boy’s lifelong friendship with an apple tree. Equally selfless and generous, the tree sacrifices a part of itself in every chapter of the boy’s life until he’s an elderly man. When the boy was a young child, he used the tree’s branches and shade to swing and play; as a young adult, he sold the tree’s apple for profit; when he wished to build a boat and a house, he sawed down the tree for its wood. Finally, when the boy was only capable of being able to sit and rest due to his old age, the tree happily offers itself as a place for its lifelong friend to sit.

 

(*Ah, GIVING tree, I get it now*)

Conservation Corps North Bay

 

Although this story is presented as a children’s picture book and is usually read in elementary schools, this tale has been heavily dissected and scrutinized. Some interpret the boy’s relationship with the tree as a depiction of greed or parenthood, whereas others may decipher the story’s message as a reflection of humankind’s exploitative nature of the environment. Some view the book as a simple story for kids and nothing more.

 

Although none of these interpretations are incorrect, I can’t help but dwell on this book from an ecological viewpoint–specifically on the various positive and crucial qualities trees provide in our everyday lives that are tastefully outlined in each chapter and briefly listed in this blog. More pressing in my mind, however, is how trees are inextricably intertwined with humanity’s fight against climate change.

 

Like The Giving Tree, you’ve probably heard of photosynthesis (most likely in the same school you first read The Giving Tree­). It’s worth pointing out that this carbon-capturing process allows for trees and forests to be one of the most effective tools in combatting the climate crisis. Humans have yet to invent a system that can effectively and quickly eliminate harmful gases in the atmosphere as well as trees, which critically capture and store carbon in their trunks, branches, leaves, and roots.

 

Onondaga Earth Corps

 

Trees are inextricably intertwined with humanity’s fight against climate change

 

With conservationists and scientists desperately calling for drastic reductions of greenhouse gas emissions and the removal of carbon from our atmosphere, trees’ CO2-capturing qualities are needed now more than ever to curb the rapid rise in global temperature. Deforestation and more frequent wildfires directly are targeting trees around the globe at alarming rates, but hope is not lost in the Corps world. You could even argue that Corpsmembers are doing the exact opposite of what the boy did in The Giving Tree; thousands of Corpsmembers each year actively work to increase the number of healthy trees in nearly every state in America.

 

Montana Conservation Corps

 

Stay tuned for more content that highlights Corps’ crucial work with trees, and whenever you next come across a tree or forest, maybe think of a way that YOU can give back to trees.

 

Conservation Corps of Long Beach

Recognizing the 90th Anniversary of the Civilian Conservation Corps

Read more

Impact Story: HistoriCorps and Boxelder Job Corps Civilian Conservation Center students help restore historic Forest Service fire lookout structure

Submitted by Alicia Bennett, Public Affairs Officer, U. S. Forest Service Job Corps

Custer Peak is a rocky, conical peak 6,804 ft. above sea level on the Black Hills National Forest. Custer Peak has played host to several Forest Service fire lookouts since 1911, when a wooden platform with a cabin on top of it was constructed. The Civilian Conservation Corps constructed the current wood and stone lookout in 1941 and it has been used as a fire lookout ever since. Over a span of six weeks in early fall,  HistoriCorps, Boxelder Job Corps Civilian Conservation Center students, and personnel from the Black Hills National Forest worked to repair the tower’s catwalk, catwalk railing, stairs, and cab structure support based on the recommendations from a 2021 engineering structural evaluation. Thanks to these restoration efforts, this historic structure will provide a vantage point where Forest Service fire lookouts will spot smoke, track lighting strikes, and report weather changes for years to come.  

 

Boxelder Job Corps carpentry student Abdibaset Adiwahab gazes at the horizon from the Custer Peak Lookout on the Black Hills National Forest. USDA Forest Service photo by Scott Jacobson.

 

Eighteen-year-old Joseph K. Looks Twice, who is working towards his carpentry certification, appreciated the opportunity to refine his skills. “I did not know how to use hand tools before this project. This project helped me learn and refine those skills.” The historical significance of the Custer Peak Lookout and restoration work completed with the assistance of Boxelder Job Corps students Looks Twice, Abdibaset Adiwahab, Seth Ruff, Jaden Hackworth, and Wallace Cook are captured here.   

Like many enrolled in Job Corps, Looks Twice enrolled in Job Corps to earn the high school diploma which he knew would be vital to his success in life. “Job Corps gave me a second chance,” he says. “I was a dropout with no job, no future, and without those I was going to fail in what I came into this world to do—which is to help people.” He recommends the program to other young people. “I hope they will take the chance like I did to better themselves and have a better future.” 

 

Boxelder Job Corps carpentry student constructs new stairs for the Custer Peak Lookout on the Black Hills National Forest. USDA Forest Service photo by Boxelder Job Corps helps restore historic lookout on Black Hills National Forest. USDA Forest Service photo by Scott Jacobson.

 

The Forest Service Job Corps program has a thriving partnership with HistoriCorps to improve historical and recreational sites on national forests and grasslands through hands-on preservation training supervised by HistoriCorps professionals. Students across a variety of trades, including facilities maintenance, painting, cement and brick masonry, welding and carpentry, learn conservation techniques using traditional hand tools through hands-one learning.  

 

Custer Peak Lookout on the Black Hills National Forest. USDA Forest Service photo by Scott Jacobson.

 

These historic preservation projects are another example of how Forest Service Job Corps students support and conduct work that enhances the nation’s public lands while providing training and pathways to prosperity for underserved youth. The work of Civilian Conservation Centers directly supports Forest Service out-come oriented goals of delivering benefits to the public and excelling as a high-performing agency while sustaining our nation’s forests and grasslands. 

 

Beckett Hunecke admires repair efforts on the catwalk of Custer Peak Lookout on the Black Hills National Forest. USDA Forest Service photo by Scott Jacobson.

Impact Story: Job Corps firefighter crews devote fall 2022 field season to support the Wayne National Forest

Submitted by Alicia Bennett, Public Affairs Officer, U. S. Forest Service Job Corps

The Flatwoods and Angell Job Corps Civilian Conservation Center fire programs have been working together successfully for over 4 years. The two programs coordinate vehicles and Job Corps Firefighters to support the Eastern (R9) and Southern (R8) Regions’ fall and spring wildland and prescribed fire seasons, producing eight person Job Corps suppression modules that deploy as the Lonesome Pine Crew. The crew has devoted the Fall 2022 field season to supporting the Wayne National Forest in Ohio, covering the Athens and Ironton Ranger Districts. 

 

Flatwoods Job Corps Civilian Conservation Center student Tristen Twomey conducts black line operations on the Department of Energy Office of Legacy Management’s Fernald Preserve in Hamilton Ohio in December 2022. USDA Forest Service photo by Casey Howard.

 

The Wayne National Forest recently initiated a collaboration with the Department of Energy, Office of Legacy Management at its Fernald Preserve (DOE) in Hamilton Ohio. The DOE asked the Wayne National Forest to conduct Rx burns on the preserve to help maintain a native prairie species and reduce non-native species on the landscape.   

In December 2022, with Wayne National Forest employees at the helm of the prescribed burn operation, the Lonesome Pine Crew had the good fortune to assist on this landmark project. It was an amazing opportunity for the four Job Corps students on the Lonesome Pine Crew. “This being my first prescribed fire and I was a bit nervous coming into it,” says Flatwoods Job Corps student Tristen Twomey “After seeing the confidence of the Firing Boss Trainee and the other overhead, it was easier to be more relaxed. Overall, this was a really good learning experience.”

 

Angell Job Corps Civilian Conservation Center student Jacob Allen utilizes a drip torch to construct a black line on a prescribed burn on the Department of Energy Office of Legacy Management’s Fernald Preserve in Hamilton Ohio in December 2022. USDA Forest Service photo by Casey Howard.

 

Wayne National Forest overhead were extremely supportive in giving  all of the Job Corps students every opportunity to participate in critical burn operation functions and tasks that surround safe prescribed fire operations. “I learned the difference between wildfire and prescribed fire and the difference is that you don’t just throw fire on the ground,” says Angell Job Corps student Jacob Allen. “You need to account for the weather, wind, fuel, and environment at all times and keep your head on a swivel.” 

 

Angell Job Corps Civilian Conservation Center student Marc Galindo (front left) extinguishes a creeping backing fire along the perimeter of the burn unit while Jacob Allen (back right) works on getting more depth for the control line using fire on a prescribed burn on the Department of Energy Office of Legacy Management’s Fernald Preserve in Hamilton Ohio in December 2022. USDA Forest Service photo by Casey Howard. 

The Job Corps students also learned about and used drip torches to implement firing operations, utilized UTV water pumps in mobile attack fashion to suppress the fires edge, and used handle tools and/or bladder bags. “I learned how to hold the fire by putting it out with my boots or tool and how to assemble the torch and hold it right and light by walking straight with it on your side,” says Angell Job Corps student Marc Galindo. 

 

Flatwoods Job Corps Civilian Conservation Center student Musa Omerambe establishes the initial black line on a prescribed burn on the Department of Energy Office of Legacy Management’s Fernald Preserve in Hamilton Ohio in December 2022. USDA Forest Service photo by Casey Howard.

 

For Musa Omerambe, who recently immigrated to the United States from the Democratic Republic of Congo, every aspect of the experience was eye opening. “It was exciting to be a part of this,” he says. “I gained new skills each time I worked with different crew members [Wayne National Forest employees and Job Corps overhead].”  

 

Lonesome Pine Module composed of wildland firefighters from the Angell and Flatwoods Job Corps Civilian Conservation Centers participated in a on a prescribed burn on the Department of Energy Office of Legacy Management’s Fernald Preserve in Hamilton Ohio in December 2022. L-r back row: Jason Amis, Henry DeArruda-Weaver, Carol Daviscourt, Mike Gatens. L-r front row: Jacob Allen, Musa Omerambe, Marc Galindo, and Tristen Twomey. USDA Forest Service photo by Casey Howard.

 

The efforts of the 24 Job Corps Civilian Conservation Centers directly supports our agency’s strategic goal of sustaining our nation’s forests and grasslands and delivering benefits to the public. If your Forest Service Region is interested in hosting a Job Corps fuels module, contact Acting Deputy Fire Program Coordinator Gabe Templeton at gabriel.templeton@usda.gov or Deputy Fire Program Coordinator Justin Abbey at justin.abbey@usda.gov.  

Celebrating Black History; Learning from History

From Mary Ellen Sprenkel, President & CEO of The Corps Network

Photo credit: Memphis Sanitation Workers Strike, by Richard L. Copley, 1968

 

Dear members and friends,

This week marks the start of Black History Month – a time to honor Black achievements and elevate underrecognized Black stories and voices from our past and present. It’s a reminder that now, and year-round, there is so much to celebrate and a great deal of history that many of us still must learn. As recent events have demonstrated yet again, it is critical that we learn from history.

My heart goes out to the friends and family of Tyre Nichols. My heart goes out to the Black citizens of Memphis and to all those who are grieving the senseless loss of yet another young Black man at the hands of the police. My heart goes out to the Asian American communities in Monterey Park and Half Moon Bay. There are many people across the country who are mourning right now. There are many who feel afraid and under attack. All of us should share in a collective feeling of anger, loss, frustration, and sadness. All of us have a responsibility to not look away from these events – we each have a role to play in helping prevent tragedies such as these.

As we know too well, these events are not isolated. With the context of our past, we can begin to work individually and collectively in undoing internalized racial oppression and understanding the role of systemic oppression. At The Corps Network, our staff – as well as Corps programs participating in our Moving Forward Initiative – have worked with The People’s Institute and Soul Focused Group to confront uncomfortable parts of our history. We have worked to learn how racism effects everyone and dehumanizes all of us. We have also learned how, as The People’s Institute states, racism was created, and it can be undone.

Every year, the Association for the Study of African American Life and History chooses a theme for Black History Month and the full year. For 2023, the theme is Black Resistance, exploring how “African Americans have resisted historic and ongoing oppression, in all forms…” and worked to “…advocate for a dignified self-determined life in a just democratic society.” This theme feels especially fitting now. We can and must resist the status quo when it comes to racism and gun violence and too many challenges that can be overcome, but have torn at our communities for generations.

The precursor to Black History Month was a week-long celebration first recognized nearly one hundred years ago. It was started by historian Carter G. Woodson and scheduled to coincide with the birthdays of both Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln. It was Woodson’s hope that one day there would be no need for a Black History Week or a Black History Month; people would realize the simple truth that Black history and the Black experience are American history. While this week is the start of Black History Month, we intend to follow Woodson’s vision and not confine our celebrations or our learning to just the month of February. Our resistance will not be confined either.

 

Educational Resources:

 

Impact Story: Job Corps Student Government Association President attends Job Corps 2.0 Leadership Summit in Washington, D.C.

Adapted story from Alicia Bennett, Public Affairs Officer, U. S. Forest Service Job Corps

This past December, student representatives and Center Directors from Job Corps Centers across the country were invited to the Job Corps 2.0 Leadership Summit: Students Today. Leaders Tomorrow in Washington, D.C. For two days, students from Job Corps centers all over the country participated in networking opportunities, interactive sessions, and conference lectures.

Known for his notable leadership skills and hard work in painting vocational trade, Malik Best was selected to represent the Lyndon B. Johnson Job Corps Civilian Conservation Center at the Job Corps 2.0 Leadership Summit. At LBJ Job Corps, Malik is enrolled in the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades painting program and serves as the Job Corps’ Student Government Association (SGA) President. He is also a leader in his dormitory and a dedicated member of the SGA. Malik credits his involvement in SGA as a valuable learning experience, as it taught him to be a better public speaker and how to be a leader. “My time on the SGA also taught me about accountability and taking responsibility for myself and others–whether good or bad,” says Malik. Motivated to further his trade skills and develop leadership skills, Malik knew that enrolling in Job Corps would give him the necessary opportunities and experiences in achieving his goals.

 

LBJ Job Corps CCC Student Government Association President Malik Best actively engaged administration leadership throughout the Job Corps 2.0 Leadership Summit, here posing the question, “What could we [students] do to improve the lifestyle on campus?” to Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh, Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, and Job Corps National Director Rachel Torres. Courtesy photo by Malik Best.

 

During the Job Corps 2.0 Leadership Summit, Malik had the opportunity to meet Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh, Job Corps National Director Rachel Torres, Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg, and other supporters of the Job Corps program. Not only was Malik able to meet administration leaders, but he also engaged with them by offering advice. “We, Job Corps students, were the focal point, and had the opportunity to advise Marty Walsh, Secretary, U.S. Department of Labor, on how the program is being run,” said Malik.

Meeting Secretary Walsh was a highlight for Malik, as he described Secretary Walsh as “a pleasure to meet.” Malik went on to say, “[Secretary Walsh] was engaging and respectful. He listened to everyone’s concerns and took them into consideration. His message was heartfelt, and he spoke about how we can make a change if we put our mind, spirit, and body into it.”

 

Eying a future political career, LBJ Job Corps CCC’s Student Government Association President Malik Best posed questions about some of America’s most pressing problems during Round Table discussions, including “How can we [students] impact homelessness.” Courtesy photo by Malik Best.

 

Engaging with administration leaders wasn’t the only highlight during the Leadership Summit, as Malik was able to be inspired by fellow Job Corps students and program alums as well. “The Job Corps 2.0 Leadership Summit was a fantastic experience, and it afforded me great opportunities. It was exciting to see students from across the Job Corps programs,” said Malik. “Students who’ve graduated from Job Corps also spoke. They gave us, current students, encouragement on finishing what we started and on not straying from our primary goal of making our lives better.”

Malik also toured some of D.C.’s famous historical sites along with other Summit participants. When describing the site visits, Malik stated, “It was thrilling to be in some of history’s great buildings, and the experience changed my perspective on life and leadership in general.”

 

LBJ Job Corps CCC Student Government Association President Malik Best (second from the right, center row) listens attentively during a Round Table session at the Job Corps 2.0 Leadership Summit: Students Today. Leaders Tomorrow in Washington, DC. Courtesy photo by Malik Best.