Public Lands Service Corps Act could create modern-day CCC

June 10, 8:22 AMNational Parks Recreation ExaminerRandi Minetor

Previous Next

Comment Print Email RSS Subscribe

Subscribe

Get alerts when there is a new article from the National Parks Recreation Examiner. Read Examiner.com's terms of use.

Email Address   Include other special offers from Examiner.com Terms of Use

Thick vegetation obscures structures at Virgin Islands NP.

Wouldn’t it be something if our national parks could receive thousands of new workers all at once, to help alleviate the backlog of maintenance and research projects in the parks?

A rebirth of a movement like the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) may not be as distant a pipe dream as we might think, if Congress passes the Public Lands Service Corps Act of 2009 (H.R. 1612).

The exciting act—actually an update of a similar act passed in 1993—would create thousands of full-time, paid positions in our national parks and other public lands, to work on “appropriate natural and cultural resources conservation projects.” 

The potentially massive project, to be administered by the National Park Service, the U.S. Forest Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, would deploy young adults between the ages of 16 and 25 to  “help restore the Nation’s natural, cultural, historic, archaeological, recreational, and scenic resources,” while training “a new generation of public land managers and enthusiasts.”

The update of the older act would provide a booster shot to the public service program, funding a new influx of environmentally minded, enthusiastic individuals to take on tasks like eradicating invasive plants, developing and implementing interpretive programs for visitors, restoring historic buildings, repairing campgrounds and storm-damaged trails, and all manner of other jobs in our public lands that have been neglected because of budget shortfalls.

Where will these young people come from?  Diversity is a built-in factor in the act, with an emphasis on young people from disadvantaged backgrounds.  The three federal organizations involved will work closely with the Corporation for National and Community Service, the Corps Network and the Student Conservation Association to find people who have a keen interest in working in our public lands.  In addition, the Public Lands Service Corps will involve senior citizens and veterans to mentor their younger counterparts, drawing on the nation’s vast knowledge resources to engage and train the next generation of park and forest rangers, environmental advocates, and park and refuge administrators. 

“In tough economic times, our nation has mobilized millions of people to conserve and protect its most vital resources, producing lasting benefits for society and providing individuals with opportunities and new skills,” said Sally Jewell, president of the outdoor gear retailer REI and a trustee of the National Parks Conservation Association, in testimony to Congress earlier this year.  “The Public Lands Service Corps can do this and more, by employing people from the most vulnerable sectors of our economy in jobs that would enhance their future employability, invigorating them with an enhanced sense of civic pride, and supporting President Obama’s call for people to serve.”

This may be as close as we get to the rebirth of the CCC, the organization created by President Franklin Roosevelt in the 1930s to put hundreds of thousands of people to work on construction and research projects in our national parks and other public lands.  Today, we enjoy the trails, bridges, lodges, forests and other products of that extraordinary time—and the Public Lands Service Corps could accomplish a similar level of positive change in our parks.  To support this act, let your Congressional representative know of your interest.  (Photo by Elizabeth Myers, NPCA)