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Highlights from the February Meeting of the Partnership for the 21st Century Conservation Service Corps

 

St. Paul, Minnesota Mayor Chris Coleman speaks about the 21st Century Conservation Service Corps at a recent Partnership for the 21CSC Meeting.

St. Paul, Minnesota Mayor Chris Coleman speaks about the 21st Century Conservation Service Corps at a recent Partnership for the 21CSC Meeting.

In The Corps Network’s Ultimate Guide to The Corps Network National Conference, they included a section about the Partnership for the 21st Century Conservation Service Corps meeting that took place in conjunction with the Conference. Click here to go directly to that part of the guide.

Partnership for 21st Century Conservation Service Corps to Recognize “Champions of the Year”

WASHINGTON — The Partnership for the 21st Century Conservation Service Corps (21CSC) will honor three individuals as Champions of the Year for their efforts to create and enhance programs that engage young Americans and veterans in conservation activities within America’s parks, forests, waters, public lands, and communities.

Following a nomination process, a panel of representatives from the Partnership selected three champions. They will be recognized on Tuesday, February 10th at a formal meeting of the Partnership for the 21CSC that will be held during The Corps Network’s 2015 National Conference in Washington D.C. Continue reading

Nominate a Deserving Person for Recognition as a 21st Century Conservation Service Corps Champion of the Year

The Partnership for a 21st Century Conservation Service Corps (21CSC) would like to honor people who have played an integral role in partnering with 21CSC programs that engage the next generation of conservationists on public lands. Winners will be announced during the February meeting of the Partnership for 21CSC that will take place in Washington, D.C. as part of The Corps Network’s 2015 National Conference.

The nomination form can be downloaded here.

Please email completed nomination forms to Levi Novey, Director of Communications & Marketing at The Corps Network at lnovey [at] corpsnetwork.org by December 22nd, 2014.

An Interview with Tom Campion: 21st Century Conservation Service Corps Supporter

Earlier this year, Tom Campion, Founder of Zumiez, donated $100,000 to the 21st Century Conservation Service Corps (21CSC) in support of Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell’s goal to raise $20 million in private funds to help further leverage federal funding for the initiative. The Partnership for the 21CSC sent him some interview questions by email, and he kindly responded with the answers below.

 

The Partnership for the 21st Century Conservation Service Corps (21CSC) is grateful to you for supporting the 21CSC with such a generous donation through your Campion Foundation. How did you become aware of the 21CSC initiative?

 

TC:  I have known Secretary Jewell for many years. We both ran companies in Seattle that sold gear and apparel to customers actively engaged in outdoor recreation when Sally was at the helm of REI and myself at Zumiez. I was thrilled when she was selected to lead our largest federal land management agency, and have stayed in close touch all along. Continue reading

Interior Department and The North Face Join Forces to Promote & Protect America’s Public Lands

Department of Interior Press Release

Remake of “This Land is Your Land” by My Morning Jacket to Drive Donations Benefiting 21st Century Conservation Service Corps (21CSC)

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell and Todd Spaletto, President of The North Face, today announced a partnership to protect, preserve and celebrate public lands in support of the 21st Century Conservation Service Corps (21CSC).

The North Face committed $250,000 and also launched a campaign today as a key component of the initiative featuring a new recording of Woody Guthrie’s iconic anthem “This Land is Your Land” by two-time Grammy nominee My Morning Jacket. The song will be available on iTuneswith more than half of each download going to the 21CSC as My Morning Jacket donates their portion of proceeds to the initiative. Monies raised will create jobs for youth and returning veterans through 21CSC projects on public lands across the nation – from Golden Gate National Recreation Area in California to Everglades National Park in Florida.

“This partnership with The North Face and My Morning Jacket is really about inspiring and preparing the next generation of conservation leaders and outdoor stewards,” said Secretary Jewell. “The funding will help put young people and veterans to work restoring and protecting our nation’s land, water and wildlife – whether that’s building trails in national parks or removing invasive species in national wildlife refuges. The 21CSC not only helps meet critical needs on our nation’s public lands, but also provides valuable job training and a connection to the great outdoors that will last these young people a lifetime.” Continue reading

Department of the Interior, Coca-Cola Partner to Encourage Next Generation of Outdoor Stewards via 21st Century Conservation Service Corps

U.S. Department of Interior Press Release

The Coca-Cola Foundation Commits $1 Million to Youth Initiative at Los Angeles Event to Support Work and Training Opportunities in the Great Outdoors

LOS ANGELES, CA – As part of the Department of the Interior’s ambitious youth initiative to inspire millions of young Americans to play, learn, serve and work in the great outdoors, Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell and Coca-Cola North America President Sandy Douglas today announced that the Company’s Foundation is joining forces in a public-private partnership to engage the next generation of outdoor stewards.

At Marsh Park in Los Angeles today, The Coca-Cola Foundation announced that it has committed $1 million to support the Obama Administration’s 21st Century Conservation Service Corps (21CSC) at Interior. Secretary Jewell also announced $100,000 from the same fund is going directly back into the city through the Los Angeles Conservation Corps to hire and train young stewards for the Los Angeles River and the surrounding region. Jewell and Douglas spent the morning with LA Conservation Corps members and employees from Interior and Coca-Cola participating in a service project removing trash and non-native plants along the river bank. Members of the California, Orange County and Long Beach Conservation Corps were also in attendance.

“It is great to join forces with Coca-Cola as we work to expand and strengthen connections between young people and the great outdoors,” said Secretary Jewell. “Coca-Cola has been a strong leader and long-time supporter of our public lands and their commitment today is helping put young people and returning veterans to work on our public lands and developing the next generation of conservation stewards.” Continue reading

21st Century Conservation Service Corps Champion of the Week Interview: Coreen Francis of the Bureau of Land Management

The Partnership for the 21st Century Conservation Corps has selected several partners who work with 21CSC programs to recognize as “21st Century Conservation Service Corps Champions of the Week.” This week, Coreen Francis, Lead Forester for the Nevada Bureau of Land Management is recognized.

Nominated by Nick Nelson of the Nevada Conservation Corps, Nick wrote that “Coreen has proven to be dedicated to building the capacity of youth who come through the Nevada Conservation Corps. She always dedicates additional time to educating Corpsmembers on the role they perform for the RMP, as well as the impacts they have on each facet on the Bureau’s overall state plan. She traditionally exposes the members to aspects of the BLM that are outside of their normal scope of work, through educational opportunities by her colleagues or experts in the field, to showcase the numerous opportunities that the BLM affords in career management. Coreen has also taken a keen interest in developing the skills of underserved youth populations, such as Native American tribal youth of Nevada.” Coreen kindly agreed to answer our questions about working with youth programs via email. Thanks to Coreen for her efforts to support youth and cultivating them as stewards of our public lands.

Click here to meet our other 21CSC Champions of the Week.

Coreen Francis is the Lead Forester for the Nevada Bureau of Land Management.

How long have you been working with the Bureau of Land Management and how did you get started?

I’ve been working for BLM since 1998 and before that I worked with the Forest Service (May 1993). I was a seasonal forestry technician on my initial appointment.
Continue reading

21st Century Conservation Service Corps Champion of the Week Interview: Buzz Brown of the National Park Service


The Partnership for the 21st Century Conservation Corps has selected several partners who work with 21CSC programs to recognize as “21st Century Conservation Service Corps Champions of the Week.” This week, Buzz Brown, Trails and Campgrounds Supervisor at Isle Royale National Park is recognized.

Nominated by Eric Antonson of Conservation Corps Minnesota and Iowa, Eric wrote that “Over 100 corpsmembers who have worked with Buzz at Isle Royale National Park during the last 12 years has a story to tell about how the interaction shaped their perception of the park and of their own personal potential.” Buzz kindly agreed to answer our questions about working with youth programs via email. Thanks to Buzz for his efforts to support youth and cultivating them as stewards of our public lands.

Click here to meet our other 21CSC Champions of the Week.

Joel “Buzz” Brown works for the U.S. National Park Service as the Trails & Campgrounds Supervisor at Isle Royale National Park.

How long have you been working with the National Park Service and how did you get started?

This is my 33rd year working as part of trail crew, I learned of the Isle Royale from a friend who was working on the Island. I applied three years for different positions, and was hired on as part of the trail crew to Isle Royale National Park. I fell in love with the island and its ways.
Continue reading

U.S. Forest Service AmeriCorps Partnership Supports 21st Century Conservation Service Corps

 

Originally published on nationalservice.gov

For decades, national service has been a cost-effective solution to critical challenges facing our communities and nation. Recognizing the value of national service in improving lives and strengthening communities, President Obama created the Task Force on Expanding National Service in July 2013 to expand national service to meet national needs through collaboration with other Federal agencies and the private sector.

In July 2014, USDA and CNCS announced a landmark new partnership between AmeriCorps and the USDA’s Forest Service that connects youth and veterans with service opportunities to restore the nation’s forests and grasslands. The $3.8 million in joint funding will provide resources for both AmeriCorps grantees and member organizations of the 21st Century Conservation Service Corps (21CSC), and will also provide for 300 new AmeriCorps members serving in U.S. forests and grasslands.

AmeriCorps is part of a long American tradition of conservation service that dates back to the Civilian Conservation Corps and builds on the large network of state and local conservation corps that have emerged over the past four decades.

Through the President’s Task Force on Expanding National Service, CNCS is working with USDA and other federal agencies and nonprofit partners to create a 21st Century Conservation Service Corps, a national collaborative effort to put America’s youth and returning veterans to work protecting, restoring and enhancing America’s great outdoors.

Through this new partnership, AmeriCorps members and other youth will restore the nation’s forests and grasslands, meeting critical environmental needs as they gain valuable skills and college support to jumpstart their careers.

Each week the Partnership for the 21st Century Conservation Service Corps will use this blog to feature the project of the week for ten weeks as we lead up to announce the full “100 Featured Projects for the 21CSC.” Below you will find the projects of the week with the most recent at the top of the page.