Summer 2016 Series: Why You Should Support the #21CSC

Every Wednesday between June 15th and August 31st, we’ll release a new shareable image depicting a reason why it’s important to support the 21CSC initiative. Post these images on your social channels to let people know why the 21CSC is a good idea.   

August 24th – REASON #11 to Support the 21CSC: We need to train a new generation to take care of our National Parks for the next 100 years.

The National Park Service turns 100 this week! This is certainly a cause for celebration, but, as the agency recognizes this milestone and looks to the future, they acknowledge that work needs to be done to address the maintenance backlog and attract a younger, more diverse generation of park visitors. To put it in numbers, NPS has a nearly $12 billion maintenance backlog, and only 22% of park visitors are people of color.

The programs of the 21CSC can help parks address both of these issues. As for the backlog, Corps offer the Park Service a cost-effective means to complete maintenance projects. Studies show that NPS can save an average of 65% on project costs by partnering with Corps.

The 21CSC also helps engage an increasingly diverse, urbanized American population in conservation and outdoor recreation. Corps operate crews in nearly every state, teaching conservation-related job skills to local youth in cities, small towns and everywhere in between. While the census bureau projects that the American population will be majority non-white by 2044, Corps enrollees are already majority non-white. It is imperative to the sustainability of our parks and other natural spaces that diverse youth from rural areas, as well as urban areas, feel a sense of responsibility for their protection.