Impact Story: Northwest Youth Corps Community Wildfire Protection Crews

Northwest Youth Corps, based in Eugene, OR runs service programs for young adults ages 15-26. Among their many programs are Youth Corps Camping , Leadership Development, Conservation Internship Programs, and more, including a Community Wildfire Protection Corps.


Community Wildfire Protection Crews are more important now than ever with the ongoing surge in wildfires across the United States. This program engages young adults aged 19-26 in workforce training and in career building. In 2022, Northwest Youth Corps aims to run 10 crews with the goal of reducing wildfires in high-risk areas through fuel reduction.

Corpsmembers will complete several trainings including USDA Chainsaw Operation and Maintenance certified, Brush Cutter Operation and Maintenance Training, Entry Level Wildland Firefighter trainings, among many others. Corpsmembers also gain skills in resource management and in conservation. After serving with this program, Corpsmembers have gone on to become wildland fire fighters, arborists, Crew Leaders, and more.

Recently, the Crew partnered with a local utility called EWEB to install erosion mitigation structures in the aftermath of a wildfire that destroyed 175,000+ acres of land, homes, and businesses in 2020. These structures will protect buildings and land from devastating landslides.
The Crew’s engagement with the communities they help has a direct impact not only on the environment they protect, but on the people in the communities, they are protecting.

Alumni Stories: Ben Alexandro

Corpsmember experiences, however long or short, often have a lifelong impact. Ben Alexandro, a Rockland Conservation & Service Corps alum, recalls his memories from his summer program and how it led him to his current career at the League of Conservation Voters. 

How long did you serve with Rockland Conservation & Service Corps? How did you first hear about the Program?

I only served for a summer, around 2004-2005, either right before or after my freshmen year of college. Although, looking back, I should’ve done more. I think it might’ve been a teacher that told me about it. It was my first gig in the environmental world. 

Can you tell us a bit about your background? What were you doing prior to the program and what made you want to join?

I liked the idea of just wanting to help, doing some service, and the adventure aspect of it. I liked being able to do a lot of different things.  

What projects did you work on while there?

I helped out at a sustainable farm, learned how to milk a cow, and how to ride a horse. Day in and day out I worked with the drainage agency at Rockland County doing a lot of the clean-up and getting rid of obstructions in streams. We reported on chemical spills, or when a tree fell down and garbage piled up, causing flooding.  

What were some of your favorite parts about this program? What were some of the challenges?

My favorite was doing the trail work and being paired with a friend. I guess what it did do was give me a taste of the fieldwork and environmental work. It definitely had ups and downs; some things were great and some things were frustrating. Some of the challenges were keeping my team motivated with tedious tasks, not cutting corners, and looking at the big picture. It was hard to deal with the other young people who might not be as into it or have similar goals as I did. 

But I think it was a great first launchpad for me. Definitely not the same as what I’m doing now by any means, but I think it was a great program and I wish they had more of it in other areas. 

What training, resources, and support were you provided through this program?

Kathy was so encouraging and supportive, helped with references, and was a mentor for me, so I had a great launchpad. I really liked how the program provided a scholarship, that was great.  

What type of work do you do now and how did your Corpsmember experience help you get there?

At the time I was an undeclared major, but from that and other things it led me to doing wildlife conservation and ecology. 

After that I did a lot of fieldwork, like doing research on black bears in Georgia and bats in Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge and was a biological tech up in the Colorado Rockies. Those were some awesome experiences, too. I learned the hard way that all the research in the world doesn’t matter the day the bulldozers show up. So, I realized how important the policy side of things was to actually save and preserve these places.  

I went on to receive a master’s degree in science and a master’s degree in public policy at the University of Maryland. After that I worked with the Maryland League of Conservation Voters as a Program Director. Recently, I became the Senior Government Affairs Advocate for the League of Conservation Voters in Washington D.C., working on federal advocacy and policy. One of our big wins was the Great American Outdoors Act. 

What would you say to others who are considering their next steps or a program like this? Do you have any advice?

I’d say do it! It was an adventure but one that makes a difference. It is so easy to get downtrodden but personally I feel better when I am doing something about it and contributing. Especially for students and folks just starting out, it’s a great ‘trial by fire’ experience. Cut your teeth. 

Impact Story: Ben Holt – Conservation Legacy

The Corps Network is collecting short stories from Corps about their projects and the Corpsmembers that put them into action. Read our “Impact Stories” collection for a picture of the people and hard work behind the Corps movement.  

In addition to crew-based programs, many Corps work with state and federal resource management agencies to offer internship and individual placement opportunities. These service positions give young adults leadership experience and the chance to more deeply explore career opportunities.   

This story features Ben Holt, an Environmental Education Distance Learning Intern with Conservation Legacy. This internship was part of the Stewards Individual Placement Program (SIPP) which places AmeriCorps and VISTA Members in communities across America for a year of volunteer service by facilitating partnerships between federal agencies and community-based nonprofit groups. Ben served from May 2021 through November 2021 in Rocky Mountain National Park. 

Ben served as a member of Rocky Mountain National Park’s education and outreach team throughout his service term. This included supporting distance learning opportunities for pre-K-6th grade students, leading field trips for local school groups, host Junior Ranger programs, develop and lead “pop-up” programs, and update curriculum for programs to align with state standards. Through all these programs, Ben enhanced the national park experience for more than 1900 people.  

With the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the high visitation in Rocky Mountain National Park, Ben’s impact extends beyond the number of people. Ben used creative tools to reach the community in the area through site-visits to schools and virtual field trips. These educational efforts connect with new audiences, especially school-aged children, with Rocky Mountain National Park remotely making a learning experience accessible to students who may never be able to visit the park in-person. This is underscored by the fact that over 1000 individuals Ben reached through his program came from underrepresented communities. Additionally, the “pop-up” programs Ben developed allowed visitors to the park to participate in interactive programming, despite not being able to host traditional Park Ranger-led events during the pandemic 

Furthermore, Ben’s impact continues even after his service through the curriculum updates, new programming, and at-home activities he completed. The curriculum updates will ensure programming meets the need of local second-grade classrooms, as school trips ramp up after the pandemic. The new programming will be utilized to educate visitors about ecosystems, wildlife, and mapping into the future. The science activities continue to provide opportunities for students to learn about geology and climate science in Rocky Mountain National Park from their own homes or schools.  

Ben’s service to Rocky Mountain National Park was noticed by his site supervisor. “He is hands-down the best intern I have ever worked with.”  

With this success, he was able to continue to work with Rocky Mountain National Park through the winter and hopes to transition into a staff position on the education team over the summer. 

A Statement from The Corps Network on the Domestic Terrorist Attack in Buffalo

“Our goal is to create a beloved community, and this will require a qualitative change in our souls as well as a quantitative change in our lives.” ― Martin Luther King Jr.

 

A message from Mary Ellen Sprenkel, President & CEO of The Corps Network

My heart goes out to the friends and family of the victims of the hateful May 14 attack in Buffalo, NY. My heart goes out to all those feeling the reverberations of this event.

But what can I say? There really are no words to adequately capture how I am feeling, and I can’t imagine how so many Black people are feeling at this moment. Who am I to speak about any of this? I do know that I cannot be silent.

Silence is deafening and silence speaks volumes. Silence does not bring us any closer together or closer to healing. I think of the 2021 book by Stuart Lawrence, Silence is Not an Option: You Can Impact the World for Change.

In writing this, I also recall the words of Howard Beale, a fictional character from the 1976 film Network: “All I know is that first, you’ve got to get mad…I’m as mad as hell.”

In order for us to heal, however, we need more than anger. Where we must start is by taking an honest examination of our current situation. As a white woman, I would not even begin to speak for Black people, but here are some of the realities of our times. The first anti-lynching bill was introduced in Congress in the year 1900. It is appalling that it took until the twentieth century for such a proposal to come forward; it is abhorrent that it took until 2022 for anti-lynching legislation to pass.

Today, in the 21st century, we are also still discussing voting rights. As of January of this year, legislators in at least 27 states had introduced, pre-filed, or carried over 250 bills with restrictive voting provisions. If enacted, most of these proposals would disproportionately impact communities of color.

These facts cut to the heart. And yet, in the recent Supreme Court confirmation hearings for incoming Associate Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, Sen. Cory Booker reflected, “[Black people] didn’t stop loving this country, even though this country didn’t love them back.”

There are so many actions we still need to take as a country to demonstrate that we value racial equity, but there are also so many smaller actions we can take as individuals. To my colleagues in the Corps world, I thank those who are working with intention to create safe spaces for Black and Brown young people to process, discuss, and grieve while feeling supported by their community.

As we sadly know all too well, while this latest act of white supremacist violence happened in Buffalo, it could have happened anywhere. This was not only an attack on the Black community of Buffalo, but on Black people. It is easy to stay quiet and want to look away, but we know this was not an isolated incident. We have a responsibility to examine and counteract the currents in our society that can drive people to such a place of hatred. We need words as well as action in order to heal and better prevent future senseless tragedies. It’s through actions that we can help honor the lives and legacies of the victims of this terrorism.

In challenging times, I look to the thousands of youth and young adults in our Corps. I remind myself, that our young people are a force for good. A force for change.

At our recent annual conference, we were honored to be joined by Elizabeth Yeampierre, Executive Director of UPROSE, the oldest Latino community-based organization in Brooklyn, NY. She highlighted how young people have always played a significant, leading role in fighting for justice for Black and Brown people. As we look to take action, we must turn to our young people. Go to the community, listen, and then do.

Resources for action and learning:

 

Corps Story: SCA’s Historic Preservation in Public Lands Program

During the month of May, The Corps Network is highlighting historic preservation programs at Corps. The Student Conservation Association (SCA) runs a Historic Preservation in Public Lands Program with AmeriCorps and Massachusetts Service Alliance in partnership with the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation and Boston National Historic Park. The program teaches Corpsmembers leadership skills while training them in historic preservation trades skills.

Program Background

SCA started the Historic Preservation in Public Lands Program with the goal of, “Preserving historic places across Massachusetts, introducing young people to the field of historic trades, and highlighting the effects of climate change on the built environment.” Launched in 2017, the program ran a residential 12-member crew, but recently switched to its current commuter model in which they recruit locally and offer a higher living allowance. Corpsmembers are AmeriCorps members and many have a background in history.

The program has a 100% retention rate of their Corpsmembers who serve a 10-month service term. So far, the program has worked on projects in The Charlestown Navy Yard, Bunker Hill Monument, the Boston Harbor Islands, and other historically significant places, including an ongoing project restoring windows in the U.S.S. Constitution Museum. A relatively new program, SCA’s goal is to continue this work and expand into more long-term projects.

“SCA hopes to work on bigger projects that will sustain our calendar for a few years at a time,” said Janina Peppers, the Project Manager. She hopes expanding the program will allow Corpsmembers to help improve more historic structures and sites, giving members a variety of unique skills and experiences that they can bring to their next position.

Program Duties

A day on the program begins around 7:30 a.m. Corpsmembers arrive at either SCA’s two-story workshop in Braintree, MA, or the shipyard where they get on a boat, head off to the islands, and pick up where they left off the day before. In the shop, crews review their cut lists, turn on table saws and begin working.

In the upstairs of SCA’s shop, Corpsmembers work on window restoration for the on-going U.S.S. Constitution Museum and other projects. Built in the late 1800s, the museum has 122 windows in need of restoration. Each window takes time and careful work to restore; SCA’s program restores an average of 15 windows per year from the U.S.S. Constitution Museum and around 60 per year from their other project sites.

When beginning a new window, Corpsmembers go to the site, take the window out, and cover the opening with plywood or a storm window to ensure the correct lighting. Next, Corpsmembers bring the windows back to the shop where they remove lead paint. All members are lead-safe certified. After paint removal, they begin the process of assessing damage. Repairs involve filling holes and fitting new pieces to old pieces in what’s called a “Dutchman repair.” They then replace the glass and treat the window to a “glazing process” to smooth it out, before painting and reinstalling the window into the museum.

The first-floor crew is currently building life jacket boxes to make a historic ship accessible to visitors. On the islands, crews work on restoring a 110-year-old building through brick repointing. Peppers says the goal is to, “make spaces a bit more accessible, a bit safer. You can’t go into a building that has a rotted floor…which then offers more opportunities for learning and growing.”

Corpsmembers

Though SCA does not require a college degree to join, Peppers notes that most Corpsmembers that join SCA’s Historic Preservation program have a degree in history or historic preservation and are generally between the ages of 21 and 27. Many members are looking for experience in historic trades and find the paid training opportunity a great segue into the historic preservation field. The niche nature of historic preservation allows for many members to land profitable careers in the field after completion of the program.

Corpsmembers have a five-week training period where they earn certifications in Lead Safe Renovator, Wilderness First Aid, Chainsaw Use and Safety, Carpentry 101, Window Restoration, Historic Landscaping, and more. SCA provides Corpsmembers with professional development including resume building, interviewing skills, and a USAjobs workshop. Peppers believes Corpsmembers also gain skills in leadership, communication, and teamwork throughout their term. At the end of the year, the program hosts a historic preservation career fair with employers that talk about job openings in the field.

Alumni have gone on to work as museum guides, preservation craftspeople, masonry specialists, park rangers, and more. Alums can be found across the country in places like Great Smokey Mountains National Park, California State Railroad Museum, and Preserve Rhode Island.

Impact

In addition to making history more accessible for all, Peppers says that historic preservation helps to fight climate change in ways people don’t always consider.

“I think that what we do is very directly preserving our built environment. We can’t as humans remain here without structures and things we’ve built,” she said. “Our work in historic preservation all over the country and all over the world, keeps the buildings around so they don’t get demolished and sent to the land fill and make a need for new buildings using more materials. There’s a quote by an architect that the greenest building is the one that is already standing, so that is the quote that I use.”

SCA’s Historic Preservation in Public Lands program is one of the few historic preservation programs in the Corps community. Pepper’s notes that it is an exciting place to be, with lots of networking opportunities and areas for growth. As the importance of historic preservation becomes more recognized, SCA hopes to continue expanding their program and introduce historic preservation into additional organizations across the Corps community.

We Are the Civilian Climate Corps: A CCC for a New Generation

Impact Story: Michigan Civilian Conservation Corps Forest Health Crew

The Michigan Civilian Conservation Corps (MCCC) is a national service program operated through the Parks and Recreation Division of Michigan’s Department of Natural Resources. The program provides Michigan residents ages 18 – 27 the chance to gain hands-on experience in ecological restoration, forest health, horticulture or sign manufacturing. MCCC members have the opportunity to earn an AmeriCorps Education Award through The Corps Network’s AmeriCorps Education Award Program.

One MCCC program is the Forest Health Crew, which engages AmeriCorps members in planting and maintaining native trees, monitoring tree health, and addressing pests and diseases. Learn about some of their work below.

 

Crewmembers Zach Ostoin, Jacob de Boer, Noelani Belton and Autumn Fedorowicz inspecting EAB insect traps.

Forest Pest Training

Waterloo Recreation Area (Chelsea, MI)

At the beginning of summer 2021, MCCC Forest Health Crew members attended an outdoor, hands-on emerald ash borer (EAB) training at Waterloo Recreation Area. Crew members received specialized instruction in locating EAB-resistant trees and collecting hemlock seed to aid in the U.S. Forest Service’s hemlock protection efforts. As part of the training, the members surveyed for symptoms of invasive forest pests across this 11,000-acre park.

 

 

AmeriCorps member Dax Cilley watering a newly planted tree. AmeriCorps member Megan Leach learning arboricultural practices.

Forest Restoration Tree Planting

Belle Isle Park (Detroit, MI)

In late summer 2021, MCCC Forest Health members helped plant 55 native, locally-sourced trees across an area that experienced losses from emerald ash borer, oak wilt, and Dutch elm disease. Crew members learned about proper planting techniques and how to care for newly planted trees. Crew members also had the opportunity to learn arboriculture practices, such as tree climbing.

 

 

AmeriCorps member Travis Wilcox (left) exposes a fungal pressure pad on an infected oak tree. Evan Hunt (right) takes an oak wilt delimitation measurement at Waterloo Recreation Area in August 2021.

Oak Protection: Forest Health Survey for Invasive Oak Wilt

State-wide

MCCC Forest Health Crew members are part of the front-line protection and management of forest health in sensitive landscapes across Michigan State Parks. Crew members learn to identify symptoms of oak wilt, collect samples, and verify lab samples. Members help survey expansive landscapes.

 

 

Crew members, including Travis Wilcox and Megan Leach (left), are trained in pest identification and safe use of pesticides. Crew member Travis Wilcox (right) records datapoints about a small stand of hemlock at Silver Lake State Park.

Hemlock Woolly Adelgid Treatment

Michigan’s Golden Coast

MCCC Forest Health Crew members are part of an important statewide effort to eradicate invasive hemlock woolly adelgid, an insect that feeds on sap from trees. Surveys and treatment occurs in Michigan State Parks in priority locations along Lake Michigan. During the summer months, AmeriCorps members are hard at work treating infected trees and protecting non-infected trees. During winter months, the crew spends most of their time mapping hemlock stands and surveying and mapping infected trees.

 

Alumni Story: Karrie Arnold

Karrie Arnold served as a GulfCorps Crew Leader with the Student Conservation Association(SCA) in Alabama for nine months. GulfCorps is a partnership between The Corps Network, The Nature Conservancy (TNC), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and several regional Corps programs. It’s supported via funds from the RESTORE Act. TNC administers the program, working with Corps organizations across the five Gulf States, SCA being the Corps in Alabama. The Corps Network provides technical assistance and workforce development programming to GulfCorps members.  

While serving as a Crew Leader, Karrie completed her master’s capstone project on GIS mapping and later became a staff member with SCA, first as Program Assistant and then Program Coordinator for Alabama. She now works for TNC as the Conservation Information Manager for the GulfCorps Program. She shares her journey, words of wisdom to future Corpsmembers, and where she is today because of her Corps experience.   

How long did you serve with Student Conservation Association (SCA)? How did you first hear about the Program?

I started with SCA in September 2018, served as a Crewleader for nine months, and then transitioned into a staff position as Program Assistant. I later became Program Coordinator. I heard of the program while I was in an AmeriCorps position for Mobile Baykeeper, a nonprofit that partners with GulfCorps; they are part of the Waterkeeper Alliance. I helped with volunteer engagement there and learned about GulfCorps. 

Can you tell us a bit about your background? What were you doing prior to the program and what made you want to join?

My undergrad was in psychology and I wanted to be a counselor. I took a class on social justice issues and learned about environmental justice. It made things click for me and I realized I could do a career in both of these fields and help both people and the environment.  

I finished my psychology degree and planned to go into an MBA program but instead took additional undergrad physical science courses. During this time, I was the Sustainability Coordinator at Spring Hill College, which helped pay for my tuition. I ran the recycling program, wrote a grant to get a community garden on campus, and assisted in other green initiatives. I finished my courses and applied for my masters at the University of Illinois. While doing my masters, I picked up that AmeriCorps position.  

Karrie doing some carpentry work.

What projects did you work on while with the Corps?

A little bit of everything: different habitat types, wetlands and uplands, carpentry work like repairing boardwalks, and invasive species removal. The project I enjoyed most was for my capstone, taking elevation points in the salt marsh. My team and I were taught how to use a Trimble, which is basically a big pole with a GPS on the top of it to take elevation points in the salt marsh. Satellite images, because of the waterflow and tide changes, cannot read the elevation correctly. For my capstone project I took that data and did some sea level rise projections for the reserve we were working at. From there, they worked to see what management strategies they could do with it. 

What were some of the best parts about this program? What were some of the challenges? Do you have a favorite or most memorable experience?

The challenges were keeping people motivated as a Crew Leader. I had a co-leader to help play games as we worked and try to have fun, keeping the focus on the “why.” A big thing I enjoy with mapping is getting to see the visual of the work you’re doing, the end result, and direct impact.  

My most memorable experience was with the whole team – about 18 of us – we were doing this big invasive removal project down on Dauphin Island, which is a barrier island. It’s a bird sanctuary for the migratory birds going up and down from North to South America. The barrier island where we were working has freshwater ponds or lakes and we were trying to protect and preserve those. If those lakes go away, the birds don’t have a place to rest while migrating as they can’t drink the saltwater.  

The invasive work we were doing was helping to make sure there wasn’t further erosion so that the salt water didn’t leak in. We were in knee-deep water, chainsawing, and we had some migratory birds flying over us. It was super impactful that the species were there. It was intense, you could see your breath because it was really cold, but everyone was working together; it’s a memory I’ll always have. 

Karrie as a Crewleader, teaching at orientation.

What training, resources, and support were you provided through this program?

GulfCorps is all training – I got chainsaw training, fire training to do prescribed burning, all the field skills training, professional development, carpentry training, and I just went back to SCA to help lead a carpentry training. Also, unique to my position, I felt like I knew professional development, but it helped me as a leader to help teach those skills. I saw the impact it had on people who didn’t even have their GED or were working towards that. It helped my own skills by learning how to teach those skills. The Corps Network – who is the key partner for professional development with GulfCorps – has created such great resources for Corps and leaders to teach these skills to their members.  

What were your original goals for after the program and what resources did the program provide to help you get there?

I wanted to do city planning or related to natural resources and community work. I was trying to combine working with both people and nature. We did a career day towards end of program where you got to meet with a professional in the field you want to go in, have lunch and talk with them, and see what they do day to day. It made me realize I wanted to focus more on natural resource work. There was a ton of resources and that day really stuck with me. 

The bird sanctuary habitat after removal of invasive species at Dauphin Island.

What type of work do you do now and how did your Corpsmember experience help you get there? What skills (soft skills, certifications, etc.)did you take from this program?

I’m blessed that I’m still at the program that I started at and worked my way from the bottom up. Now I manage the monitoring program for all of GulfCorps. As a Crew Leader, one of my responsibilities was to lead the monitoring for our Alabama crews and back then, in year 2 of the program, it wasn’t all figured out. Every year since then, I have helped to formulate the program more. It’s still a work in progress in year 5, but every year we have learned to adapt the program to match member’s needs.  

Training is also a huge aspect of my job now. We have an annual orientation where all the crews come together for a big kickoff and intro training. When I first became Program Assistant with SCA, my biggest role was leading the charge for this event. TNC contracts SCA to organize and host the GulfCorps orientation. I learned a lot about planning events, was able to see trainers in action, and all those pieces have helped me understand what works for teaching people. Having been in the position of the people I’m teaching also helps. I can’t expect people to know specific tech things, like using a GPS, so I think about what I wanted to know when I started.   

What impact did this community and experience have on your story? What do you feel you gained personally and professionally?

My life is GulfCorps, I don’t know what I’d be doing now without it. I’m really thankful for all of it. I’m not originally from the Gulf of Mexico region, I’m originally from the Midwest, being introduced to different habitats and the impacts of climate change here. It’s really opened my eyes to differences in our country as well.  

Karrie in the salt marsh while completing her capstone collection activities.

Why is it important for young people to be involved in this type of work?

As far as issues like climate change, and the state of our environment worldwide, I think young people are aware of it because of social media but don’t fully understand what’s happening or appreciate what is out there. Once you’re in it you’re more willing to protect it and fight for it. A picture is worth a thousand words but when you’re actually there, it’s infinite. 

What would you say to others who are considering their next steps or a program like this? Do you have any advice?

For folks considering the program, in relation to the pay, if you can make it work for the six months or however long, it’s not the monetary value you get; it’s the amount of training and experience you get. Especially with GulfCorps, with the networking you get to meet so many partners and there’s such a high success rate of people moving into another career in conservation. You have the ability to be there with a project partner and say, “look at me, I know what I’m doing, I work hard.”  

I did a lot of the recruiting as a Corps staff member. I’d say focus on what you’ll get out of it then, instead of just the monetary value. I know me saying that comes from a place of privilege and us as Corps need to try to make it easier for all citizens to be able to join a Corps and meet their financial needs. Still, whatever you can do to make it work, I still think is worth it in the long run.  

Update from The Corps Network’s Government Relations Team – April 19, 2022

By Meghan Castellano & Danielle Owen

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

 

Climate Action Summit

On March 15 and 16, 2022, The Corps Network convened Corps movement leaders from several sectors for a Climate Action Summit in Washington, DC. The event focused on exploring opportunities to meet the goals of a Civilian Climate Corps by expanding and evolving the community of national service programs that do conservation work.

Among other topics, the sessions at the Summit looked at:

  • a variety of options for funding climate service projects;
  • opportunities to engage new partners;
  • priority projects to address;
  • barriers to expanding Conservation Corps;
  • and the necessity of centering equity and environmental justice in efforts to meet the goals of a Civilian Climate Corps.

Participants at the Climate Action Summit included Directors from Conservation Corps programs across the country, as well as leaders and representatives from the White House Office of Domestic Climate Policy, AmeriCorps and the Departments of Agriculture, Commerce, Energy, Interior, Labor, and Transportation. Presenters also included leaders from the National Park Foundation, the National Forest Foundation, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, and the JPB and William Penn Foundations. The Climate Action Summit also provided an opportunity to celebrate successes in the Conservation Corps field. Among others, Senators Chris Coons (D-DE) and Ed Markey (D-MA), as well as members of their staff, attended and were recognized for their leadership on legislative efforts to fund national service and a Civilian Climate Corps. An Action Summit summary report will be published by The Corps Network in the coming weeks. Learn more about the event

 

Fiscal Year 2023 Appropriations

On Monday, March 28, President Biden released his Fiscal Year 2023 budget proposal. His request included around $100 million for the Civilian Climate Corps (CCC). TCN’s Government Relations Team understands that this funding inclusion was a White House directive. As a reminder, the President’s Budget does not hold weight in law but is more of a guide to the Legislative Branch on how the Executive Branch would like federal funding to be directed. The CCC funding included in the President’s Fiscal Year 2023 budget request includes:

  • AmeriCorps: There is a $20 million funding request for AmeriCorps’ Salaries and Expenses account. This is for AmeriCorps capacity building for the CCC.
  • Department of Agriculture: There is a $6 million funding request for the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) as well as a request for not less than $3 million in the Recreation, Heritage, and Wilderness account at the U.S. Forest Service.
  • Department of Interior: There is around $60 million in funding requests over the National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
  • Department of Labor: There is a $15 million request for the Department of Labor for a grant program related to the CCC.

 

Great Outdoors Day of Service

Mark your calendars! On Thursday, June 9, 2022, The Corps Network will host its Great Outdoors Day of Service in Washington, DC. The purpose of this special event is to celebrate service and volunteerism outdoors and raise awareness about the role we can all play in helping maintain the public lands and waters we enjoy. This annual event connects young adults serving in Corps across the country, as well as Corps partners and supporters. After pausing the event for two years for COVID safety reasons, we look forward to bringing Corpsmembers and Corps supporters together in person to complete a service project and give back to our local community. We will share further details as they become available, but in the meantime, please hold some time on your calendars to join us in DC on June 9.

Coalition Calls:
Opportunities for Member Organizations of The Corps Network

In the last few weeks, The Corps Network reached out to its membership to share opportunities to be more involved in advocacy at The Corps Network. We have two main Coalitions at The Corps Network that focus on advocacy and on information sharing. These are the Public Lands Service Coalition (PLSC) and the State and Local Projects Coalition (SLPC).  

PLSC:

The PLSC meets weekly and focuses more of its attention to non-federal public lands, such as state and local public lands, waters, and outdoor recreation sites. If you have an interest in expanding your Corps’ work on public lands but are not located near a national park, forest, or refuge, this is your opportunity to explore relationships with and strategies for state and local resource management agencies.

The PLSC has been working on creating concurrent meetings of two working groups – one focused on Agency/Administration outreach and the other focused onCorps Industry Issues, like recruiting and equitable access – on Tuesdays at 1:00 p.m. ET. A meeting of the larger group will continue to meet on Fridays at 1:00 p.m. ET to share information and discuss next steps. The PLSC does NOT require additional dues. If you would like to attend, please reach out to Danielle Owen, Director of Government Relations, for the meeting invite.

 

SLPC:

The SLPC meets monthly and considers important topics like funding for projects in urban communities, as well as Corpsmember education, workforce development, and support services. This group focuses more on project work in urban areas or on state or local public lands; opportunities to partner with AmeriCorps and/or the Departments of Energy, Health and Human Services, Housing and Urban Development, Labor and Transportation; and strategies for successfully engaging and supporting diverse Corpsmembers (who may have multiple barriers to employment). This group meets the last Thursday of every month at 2:00 p.m. ET.

The SLPC does NOT require additional dues. If you would like to attend, please reach out Meghan, Government Relations Coordinator, for the meeting invite.

The Corps Network encourages its members to take full advantage of these coalitions. The participants in these meetings bring a wealth of knowledge and share many great ideas. By working together, we have a better chance of growing and improving not only individual programs, but the entire Corps movement.