SCC receives Great Outdoors Colorado funding for trails, parks, open space and wildlife habitat improvements
Posted by SCC on Thursday, June 16th, 2011.For IMMEDIATE RELEASE
30 YOUTH TO GET LAND STEWARDSHIP JOBS
Great Outdoors Colorado Approves $500,000 in Funds for
Trails, Parks, Open Space and Wildlife Habitat Improvements Statewide
June 16, 2011, Southwest, San Luis Valley, Upper Arkansas Valley, Colo. –The Southwest Conservation Corps has announced that 30 young people ages 16 to 25 will get jobs this summer thanks to funding approved by the board of directors of Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) yesterday. The GOCO board voted to disperse $500,000 in lottery funds statewide to local government and open space organizations for critical outdoor recreation and land conservation projects that will enhance Colorado’s trails, parks, open spaces and wildlife habitat. The Southwest Conservation Corps has received $111,720 of those funds for local projects in support of the Southwest Conservation Corps, Town of Silverton, The Trust for Land Restoration, Lake County, Costilla County, Rio Grande Headwaters Land Trust and City of Salida.
The funding results in 30 jobs for young people aged 16 to 25 in the San Luis and Upper Arkansas Valley’s and Southwest Colorado. Statewide, local governments will receive a total of $250,000 and open space organizations will receive $250,000 to hire youth corps to implement land stewardship projects.
“This is good news for our youth, who gain valuable transferable skills and get a great outdoors experience,” said Ron Hassel, “And it’s good news for our community and environment, which can reap the benefits of our young people’s dedication and hard work for generations to come.”
In April of this year, Governor John Hickenlooper announced that $1 million in GOCO/Lottery funding would create 400 statewide outdoor jobs for youth and young adults through the ten youth corps accredited by the Colorado Youth Corps Association (CYCA). Yesterday’s vote by the GOCO board to begin leveraging those funds is well timed with a number of land stewardship projects being launched by youth corps this month. Additional projects are slated for 2012. The remaining $500,000 will be allocated equally for youth corps projects within Colorado State Parks and State Wildlife Areas.
Support for land stewardship projects is in high demand, according to Jennifer Freeman, executive director of CYCA. “We received $1.3 million in project requests from 29 counties, and have funding to support $500,000 of those proposals. The good news is that there is plenty of work to keep 200 young people employed this year and next – while providing them with valuable transferable skills.” Of the counties that proposed projects, 20 will receive youth corps crews.
Collectively, the approved local government and open space projects will result in youth corps completing 20 miles of trail construction and repair, open space maintenance and enhancement (such as removal of invasive weeds and revegetation with native species, wildfire mitigation, and social trail reclamation), and construction of parks and park amenities.
Statewide projects approved to receive support include Button Rock Preserve Watershed (Boulder County); River Bluffs, Lions & Horsetooth Mountain Open Space (Larimer County); Evergreen Lake & Park in the Town of Evergreen; Parker Jordan Centennial Open Space (City of Centennial); Genesee, Bear Creek, & Bear Valley Parks (Denver Mountain Parks); Park to Park Trail (Town of Silver Cliff); Black Forest Regional Park (El Paso County); Sitzmark Trail (Town of Winter Park/Fraser); New Park Site & Open Space (Town of Oak Creek); Rehder Ranch Nature Preserve (Yampa Valley Land Trust); Golden Horseshoe (Summit County); Cement Creek River Park (Town of Silverton); Sage Grouse Habitat Improvement (The Trust for Land Restoration); Placers Property (Lake County); Greenbelt Recreation Area (Costilla County); River Valley Ranch (Rio Grande Headwaters Land Trust); Ben Oswald Soccer Complex (City of Salida); Yampa River Core Trail (City of Steamboat Springs); West Lake, Burkey, & Matchett Parks (City of Grand Junction); Baxter Gulch Trail Construction (Town of Crested Butte); Mesa County River Front Trail (Mesa County); and Ranches in Morgan, Logan, and Sedgwick Counties (Ducks Unlimited).
Projects will be served by Boulder County Youth Corps, Larimer County Youth Conservation Corps, Mile High Youth Corps, Mile High Youth Corps – Colo. Springs, Rocky Mountain Youth Corps, Southwest Conservation Corps – Four Corners, Southwest Conservation Corps – Los Valles, Steamboat Springs Community Youth Corps, Western Colorado Conservation Corps, and Weld County Youth Conservation Corps.
Youth corps teaches job readiness and leadership skills with the goal of preparing young citizens to be productive and ready for the work force. It also gives young people important time in the outdoors and educates them about a range of stewardship issues, including water conservation, land use, fire danger and the impact of invasive species. While in the corps, members can receive high school or college credits or prepare to take their GED. They are also eligible to receive AmeriCorps education awards for college, trade school or student loans. Corpsmembers also earn a full-time wage.
The funding initiative announced in April provides jobs for a segment of the population with high unemployment. The national unemployment rate for 16-to-24 year olds is currently 25 percent.
About Southwest Conservation Corps
The Southwest Conservation Corps is a non-profit organization that provides service and work opportunities for a diverse group of individuals to complete community and conservation projects for public benefit. www.sccorps.org
About Colorado Youth Corps Association (CYCA)
The Colorado Youth Corps Association (CYCA) is a statewide coalition of 10 accredited youth conservation corps that employ and train youth and young adults on land, water and energy conservation projects. Youth corps is a proven strategy for engaging young people in service to their communities and stewardship of their environment while cultivating valuable skills to meet the challenges of the 21st century. For more information about CYCA or the statewide youth corps coalition, visit www.CYCA..org
