The Obama Administration and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) today announced a new national grant program to promote outdoor conservation jobs for young people as part of President Obama’s America's Great Outdoors Initiative. The initiative includes public and private partners, and focuses on youths living in urban areas. Nancy Sutley, Chair of the White House Council on Environment Quality, made the announcement today in Los Angeles, along with officials from the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), the U.S. Forest Service, and the LA Conservation Corps, one of three initial grant recipients through the new program.
The new grant initiative is modeled on programs such as the federal Youth Conservation Corps, which encourage youth employment and environmental education through habitat restoration and other conservation-related efforts on public lands. The initial phase of the grant program will use $1 million in existing funding from BLM and the U.S. Forest Service with at least $1 million in matching funds from corporations, foundations and other non-Federal partners to provide financial support for conservation jobs and jobs training programs.
The initial grant announced today for California is $100,000, with additional matching funds from Southern California Edison, for the Los Angeles Conservation Corps. These groups will work with BLM and the Forest Service to enhance wildlife habitat and promote public access and recreation opportunities on public lands in Southern California. Participants will assist with projects such as removing invasive species, planting native species, and trail construction and maintenance. Projects will commence on Angeles National Forest and BLM land within the Coachella Valley in Southern California. Similar grants were also announced for Alaska and Maryland.
According to today’s announcement, America’s outdoors are a great training ground for young people. In addition to their social, cultural and historic value, these areas provide jobs and economic benefits to communities across the country. For example, according to the Obama administration, National Forests and Grasslands saw more than 171 million visits in 2010, generating $14.5 billion in visitor spending on those lands and in surrounding communities. Likewise, BLM lands had more than 58 million visits in 2010, providing an economic impact of $7.4 billion. Over the past two years, Federal agencies and partners have worked together to provide more than 50,000 young people with paid work and service learning opportunities on public lands and waters.
According to BLM Director Bob Abbey:
It is critical that our youth develop a better understanding of and an appreciation for the outdoors and the opportunities they have to enjoy their public lands. This is best achieved when we can actually get young people out on the ground in our national monuments, conservation areas, wilderness areas, and recreation spots. Only by experiencing the nation’s public lands first hand will the next generation develop a personal relationship with them. This program allows them to do just that.
Part of President Obama’s Executive Actions to Help Create Jobs
Last October, frustrated with an “increasingly dysfunctional Congress” that had failed to agree on how to improve the economy and help create jobs, President Obama announced plans to take executive action where possible to do so. According to President Obama, “[w]here they won’t act, I will.” Today’s announcement is in line with a series of steps that President Obama has taken to follow up on that pledge, which could well be an issue in the 2012 elections.
© 2011 Matthew Emmer -- All Rights Reserved
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