RENO - The Bureau of Land Management presented its Partners in Conservation Award to the University of Nevada Cooperative Extension's Bootstraps Program, which gives at-risk and underprivileged youth the skills and decision-making abilities to return to school or enter the workforce by involving them in natural resource project work.
The BLM's Battle Mountain District and other partners help pay youth crew members though financial assistance agreements with Cooperative Extension.
The young adults are between the ages of 18 and 25. They are not working or in school and have little to no practical outdoor experience. Two-thirds of the participants are Native American, and most are young men living on their own or in single-parent households.
The program has employed more than 100 at-risk youth over nine years. As an example of their accomplishments, from June through September, the Bootstraps crews treated more than 1,700 acres of juniper and pinyon on public lands in southern Lander County.
Classroom instruction for the youths focuses on self-development as well as natural resources. Lessons include team building, peer relations, goal setting, problem solving, decision making, resume writing and communication skills.
The Partners in Conservation Award recognizes partnerships that promote conservation, protect natural and cultural resources, use innovative approaches for resource management, and engage youth and diverse entities in accomplishing Interior's mission.[[In-content Ad]]
