Forest Service Expands Access to Youth Conservation Corps Program

The U.S. Forest Service is announcing new Youth Conservation Corps job opportunities on national forests throughout the country. Young people from across the United States are encouraged to apply for these jobs at a local forest or with a partner organization. Some residential YCC opportunities are also available for selected applicants.

As part of the 21st Century Conservation Service Corps initiative to put America's youth to work protecting, restoring and enhancing America's Great Outdoors, the Forest Service is expanding access for urban and other underrepresented groups through YCC opportunities. In 2014, the Forest Service employed more than 1,400 YCC members, a 34 percent increase from 2013. Those members contributed 364,000 cumulative hours of work on Forest Service lands, with a value generation of more than $8 million, a 47 percent increase from 2013.

The YCC and a previous companion program, the Young Adult Conservation Corps, has launched the careers of many Forest Service employees and has had a profound impact on the personal and professional development of people across the country, including Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell.

The Youth Conservation Corps program was established in 1974 to help young people ages 15 to 18 gain an understanding of and appreciation for the nation's environment and heritage, and thereby further the development and maintenance of the natural resources by America's youth. YCC provides teenagers gainful employment, while they learn land management and work ethic skills.

This year, select programs will offer participants accommodations including lodging and food, while developing life skills by preparing their own meals, maintaining a clean and safe living environment, and communicating and working with others on a daily basis. Residential YCC programs participants are provided 24-hour supervision.

Young people ages 15 to 18 who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents are eligible to participate in this program. Interested participants can find out more about current YCC opportunities by visiting the Forest Service website. Those interested in applying can complete an application online or mail it to the host Forest Service unit. Most of the programs will accept applications through April 2015. For more information about the Youth Conservation Corps, please contact Kristina Bell at kristinanbell@fs.fed.us.



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