COMMERCE CITY, Colo. - As part of the Department of the Interior's ambitious youth initiative to inspire millions of young adults and veterans to play, learn, serve and work in the great outdoors and the President's 21st Century Conservation Service Corps Initiative, Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell announced $6.7 million in grants to support conservation employment and mentoring opportunities at 43 projects on public lands across the country - a 60 percent increase over last year's funding.
The grants, the latest in the Obama Administration's efforts to develop a 21st Century Conservation Service Corps (21CSC) and expand employment opportunities for young people and veterans, will provide jobs resulting in paid conservation work experiences for more than 620 youth on public lands, as well as fund materials, transportation and other related supplies. These projects will also support approximately 1,550 volunteers working on public lands.
"The partnerships associated with developing the next generation of conservationists offer an opportunity to connect our young people to the great outdoors," said USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack. "This program engages young people from diverse backgrounds, including underserved populations, and equips them with the knowledge and critical job skills they need to pursue careers in conservation and land management."
The 21st Century Conservation Service Corps is a national collaborative effort to put America's youth and returning veterans to work protecting, restoring and enhancing America's great outdoors.
The 43 projects announced are receiving a total of more than $6.7 million. They are being funded through the America's Great Outdoors: Developing the Next Generation of Conservationists, a competitive grant matching program launched in December 2011 in conjunction with the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF). Through the program, a total of $1.9 million in federal funds is being leveraged into the $6.7 million to support youth across the country. In addition to providing work for youth, the grants facilitate volunteer opportunities for youth and adult mentors.
The land management agencies participating in the NFWF Next Generation program include Interior's Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Bureau of Reclamation (BOR), U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and the Department of Agriculture's U.S. Forest Service (USFS). The National Park Service and USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) also are partners in some projects.
"NFWF is proud to support this initiative in partnership with the Departments of Interior and Agriculture to provide hundreds of young people with the opportunity to get real world, boots in the mud experience with conservation jobs," said Jeff Trandahl, Executive Director and CEO, NFWF. "By bringing together the public and private sectors, we are able to leverage the initial federal investment and provide three times the opportunity than otherwise would have been available. Providing these additional resources is a huge win for youth, conservation and the future of America's great outdoors."
The 43 projects are diverse in work experiences and in locations. The conservation work provides training while helping resources ranging from a wildlife refuge in Hawaii, to a national forest in Alaska, to New York City beaches damaged by Hurricane Sandy, to a California national park where youth help with recovery of the condor.
In Nevada, projects include work on an historic trail near Hoover Dam, an American Indian reservation and abandoned farmlands.
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