Washington Conservation Corps recruiting for 180 young adults for new service year

Washington State Department of Ecology

Department of Ecology News Release - August 24, 2010

10-215

OLYMPIA – The Washington Department of Ecology (Ecology) has secured a $1.9 million federal AmeriCorps grant to help support 180 Washington Conservation Corps (WCC) jobs across the state.

Ecology is now recruiting young adults between 18 and 25 years old to fill the positions. The new group of recruits will carry out a wide range of projects in the upcoming service year – Oct. 1 to Sept. 30, 2011.

Established in response to an economic downturn in 1983, Ecology’s WCC program greatly expanded its environmental and community service to Washington residents in 1994 when it became affiliated with the federal AmeriCorps Program.

The WCC has made extraordinary strides to restore and protect Washington’s environment, provide critical environmental education and volunteer opportunities for thousands of residents of all ages, and give first-hand assistance to citizens in Washington and across the nation during floods, fires, hurricanes and other natural disasters.

“This is an age group facing about a 17.5 percent national unemployment rate. This program is a win for these young adults, and it’s a win for our communities,” said Gov. Chris Gregoire. “Through this funding, we’re able to provide critical jobs for our emerging workforce. At the same time, they complete exceptional work restoring and rehabilitating our environment, ensuring Washington state maintains its unmatched quality of life.”

Since 1994, Ecology WCC crews have:

Planted more than seven million native trees and shrubs across the state.
Constructed or repaired nearly 2,600 miles of trails and boardwalks – the equivalent of taking a hike from Seattle to New York City.
Created 700 acres of new fish and wildlife habitat.
Provided 112,000 hours of emergency response service to communities in need – an average of about 7,500 hours a year.
Recruited and managed almost 58,000 community volunteers to work on environmental projects in every part of the state.
Taught environmental education topics to more than 180,000 students.
Built more than 1.6 million feet of fencing to help willing landowners keep livestock out of state streams and rivers.
Opened more than 225 miles of habitat in salmon-bearing streams.
Helped families and individuals living in almost 1,600 low-income and senior housing units shrink their carbon footprint and save money on their utility bills.

During the 2010 service year, a tornado ripped through the state of Mississippi near Yazoo City in late April. Ecology deployed 30 WCC crew members and supervisors for a 24-day Federal Emergency Management Agency assignment to assist with relief efforts including removing debris, tarping damaged roofs, setting up shelter operations, removing trees, and assessing damage.

Ecology WCC also created three special “Energy Corps” crews, funded by the state Department of Commerce from a federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act grant. The Energy Corps is part of an initiative to prepare young adults, without any prior college experience, to be college-ready upon exiting the program. Crews installed hot-water heater pipes, put in smoke and carbon monoxide detectors and provided direct education to residents in nearly 1,600 low-income and senior housing units across the state.

Projects slated in North Cascades, Olympic and Mount Rainer national parks

The $1.9 million grant Ecology’s WCC program received for the next service year comes from the Corporation for National and Community Service. The federal agency, created in 1993, provides grants to support service and volunteer activities, including the national AmeriCorps program.

Bill Basl, Executive Director for the Washington Commission for National and Community Service, said: “We are very pleased that the WCC-AmeriCorps competed successfully for the federal grant this year. This funding will address priority resource conservation needs, serve in various emergency response situations in our state and throughout the country, and enable small non-profit agencies to meet pressing environmental needs during a time of scare financial resources.”

Ecology WCC anticipates having a total of $3.4 million in matching funds available to provide field crews to work with public and non-profit entities to support on-the-ground natural resource improvements and to place individual WCC members with organizations doing habitat restoration, enhancement and environmental education projects.

The money will help continued funding for Energy Corps crews. For the first time, Ecology also will provide two six-member WCC crews on work projects in the North Cascades National Park. WCC crews regularly work in the Mount Rainier and Olympic National Parks building and repairing trails and campsites as well as other environmental activities.

There are WCC crews in more than 35 locations across the state. They receive $8.55 an hour and a $5,350 scholarship from the national AmeriCorps program after completing their service.

Typical work includes building trails, planting trees and other natural vegetation and biological monitoring. In addition WCC members attend a series of paid trainings throughout the year such as advance wilderness first aid, wild land firefighting, hazardous material response, and botany.

# # #

Media contacts:

Curt Hart, media relations, 360-407-6990; cell, 360-480-7908 (curt.hart@ecy.wa.gov)
Nick Mott, Washington Conservation Corps interim manager, 360-407-6946 (nick.mott@ecy.wa.gov)

For more information about the WCC: www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/sea/wcc/index.html

To apply for a WCC position online: www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/sea/wcc/wcc_jobapp.htm

Ecology in Focus: Washington Conservation Corps (WCC) risk management training: www.youtube.com/watch?v=A6dnRxwpiJA&feature=player_embedded

View the latest WCC newsletter at: www.ecy.wa.gov/pubs/1006021.pdf