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2
1
STATEMENT OF
LARRY P. FONNEST, DIRECTOR
MINNESOTA CONSERVATION CORPS
MINNESOTA DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES
BEFORE THE
UNITED STATES HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
NATURAL RESOURCES COMMITTEE
SUB-COMMITTEE ON NATIONAL PARKS, FORESTS AND PUBLIC LANDS
FEBRUARY 18,1993
STATEMENT OF
LARRY P. FONNEST, DIRECTOR
MINNESOTA CONSERVATION CORPS
MINNESOTA DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES
BEFORE THE
UNITED STATES HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
NATURAL RESOURCES COMMITTEE
SUB-COMMITTEE ON NATIONAL PARKS, FOREST AND PUBLIC LANDS
FEBRUARY 18, 1993
Mr. Chairman, thank you for the opportunity to appear before the
sub-committee today in support of the conservation corps movement.
I am Larry P. Fonnest, the director of the Minncsota Conservation
Corps, a program of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources
(DNR).
The conceptual beginnings of today's conservation corps movement
can be traced to William James' 1910 essay "The Moral Equivalent of
War"and his call for a peacetime service force which would unite
Americans in a common effort to preserve the natural environment.
Franklin Roosevelt's volunteer, "Tree Army", better known as the
Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), answered that call during the
Great Depression. In proving James' theory sound, the CCC
employed, trained, and educated some 3,240,000 disadvantaged young
2
men and, in the process, rebuilt the infrastructured of the nation.
In addition to providing an opportunity to corps members and their
families for a new lease on life, a sampling of the accomplishments
of those young men underscores the tremendous contributions of the
CCC:
- 63,246 buildings constructed
- 800 state parks established
- 3,900 historic structures restored
- 95,592 acres of trees planted in logged out areas
- 2,757,419 acres of forest treated for diseased trees
- 7622 impounding dams build
- 28,087 miles of foot/horse trails cleared
The list could go on!
With the onset of World War II, the CCC program was dismantled but,
not forgotten. Twenty-eight years later, in 1970, the Federal
Youth Conservation Corps (YCC) was established. It was a summer
work program for 15 to 18 year old youth. The Young Adult
Conservation Corps (YACC) followed in 1977 and was a year-round
program for 16 to 23 year old men and women. Administered by the
U.S. Departments of Interior and Agriculture and in cooperation
with state governments, YACC emphasized enrolling disadvantaged
youth while YCC, a much smaller and more middle-class program, did
not.
3
The true value of these programs was not well known, duc to limited
public awareness. According to Thomas N. Bethell's 1984 essay,
"Crippling the American Conservation Corps," the corps lacked a
champion. "No one. in the Carter administration's (leadership)
seemed to be directly in charge, nor did anyone seem (inclined) to
tell its success stories to the public, the press, or influential
members of Congress. Responsibility for projects was spread so
haphazardly among so many federal and state agencies that no
coherent evalution ever took place."
The YCC/YACC programs employed 700,000 young Americans between 1970
and their demise in 1982. Careful evaluation of the programs shows
a cost-effectiveness ratio of $1.25 in value of work accomplished
for every tax dollar invested. That fact coupled with the personal
growth of participants and the sense of self-confidence, team pride
and accomplishment they received for having performed "real work"
(as opposed to "make work" projects which had characterized other
youth employment programs) demonstrated the tangible worth of the
Corps.
The YCC/YACC fell victim in 1982 to the budget cutting of the
Reagan administration. YACC was completely eliminated while the
YCC continues today as a mere shadow of its former self.
Refusing to let a good idea die however, several state and local
4
governments, private individuals, and citizen groups mustered a
groundswell of support behind the conservation corps ideal. Today,
58 state and local corps operate year-round and summer
conservation/service programs. Like their predecessors , today's
corps place heavy emphasis on: 1: cost-effectively performing
needed natural resource work; 2) instilling in participants the
skills and attitudes necessary for a successful employment
transition and, 3) developing personal character and a sense of
citizenship. Many also provide remedial education opportunities
and post-corps tuition vouchers to encourage continued schooling.
The Minnesota Conservation Corps (MCC) was established in 1981 and
is one of four longest serving corps in the nation. In its twelve
year history, thousands of young Minnesotans have had the
opportunity to SERVE-LEARN-EARN as they worked to conserve the
state's natural heritage.
MCC has a dual mission of providing productive natural resources
work experience and meaningful service-learning opportunities to
its corps members. At the heart of the program's mission is the
fast-held belief that young people are resources to be developed
and not problems to be solved.
MCC operates a residential summer component for youth ages 15 to 18
and a year-round component for young adults ages 18 to 26. Entry
level corps members arc paid a stipend equal to the federal minimum
5
wage, and are not eligible for benefits other than worker's
compensation .
While the Corps is open to all of the state's young people,
preference is give to disadvantaged youth, youth of color, females
and those who otherwise fall within Minnesota's forgotten half. The
latter were identified in a legislative task force report,
Minnesota's Forgotten Half: A Human Resource Agenda, March 1991, as
those youth 16 to 24 years old who are unlikely to attend college
and that are " left behind in comparison to Minnesota's
remembered half."
One of MCC's important recruitment and programming initiatives
centers on hearing impaired teens. For the past decade, crews of
hearing impaired youths and their adult interpreters have been
quietly at work in Minnesota State Parks. Their presence has
enriched camp life, with hearing and hearing impaired youth and
staff learning about and from each other. The initiative was
honored at the 1993 National Association of Service and
Conservation Corps Conference for exemplary programming and as a
model for the corps community. The initiative helps to underscore
the unique adaptability of the corps model in meeting new
challenges and its ability to embrace diversity.
MCC affords corps members the experience of success providing a
nurturing and meaningful work/service placement under competent
6
supervision. Utilizing on-the-job and informal/formal classroom
sessions, corps members are provided training opportunities with an
aim to developing their basic work behaviors, self-management,
marketable skills, self-esteem, reasoning and decision making
skills, appreciation for the environment and service ethic/sense of
cívic duty. Young adult corps members lacking a high school
diploma are required to pursue a G.E.D.
Corps mcmbers also have advancement potential within MCC. Many
crew leader positions are filled by participants who have risen
through the ranks. All candidates attend the MCC's Leadership
Development Program in preparation for their new assignments.
The Minnesota Conservation Corps is a program in process. It was
established in 1981 on a financial shoestring and has grown in fits
and starts and not without budget cuts. In 1992, the program was
considered for elimination by the Department of Natural Resources
as part of an emergency budget cutting strategy. Thanks to
Governor Arne Carlson's leadership and strong commitment to youth
programs, bi-partisan support in the state legislature and a vocal
public, the MCC survived but, not without sustaining a $100,000
budget reduction. The MCC's F.Y. 1993 budget of $1.7 million, is
again facing potential reduction as Minnesota struggles with a
revenue shortfall. The MCC receives no direct fedcral funding.
MCC's budget experience is not uncommon in the corps community.
7
Four corps were eliminated in the last two years due to state
budget shortfalls. Funding is often times tenuous and energy
better spent on corps members development is diverted to fund
raising.
The work accomplishment of the corps is formidable. It's estimated
that for every $1.00 invested in the program, a $1.46 is returned
in public service. In state fiscal year 1992, 307 MCC corps members
worked 177,749 service hours realizing accomplishments valued at
$2.55 million.
To underscore the scope of MCC work, I want to share with you the
accomplishments of two of our signature projects. The first is the
Superior Hiking Trail which follows the ridgeling along the north
shore of Lake Superior. MCC is the primary work force on the Trail
and has constructed approximately 100 miles of treadway and
bridging. When completed, the trail will stretch 250 miles from the
Canadian border to the City of Duluth. Spur trails are also being
constructed to connect local resorts and communities to the main
trail corridor. The Superior Hiking Trails is already contributing
significantly to the tourism economy of northeastern Minnesota.
The second signature project involves the MCC's river clean up
campaign. Beginning in 1987, crews engaged in surveying waterways
for illegal dumpsites within 300 feet of river and stream banks.
Todate, over 2000 river miles have been surveyed and some 1400 tons
8
of dump materials have been properly disposed of. Items removed
have included everything from toilets to tires to chemical drums.
Over a third of the materials collected have been recycled.
with 93,000 miles of Minnesota rivers and streams to survey, MCC
expects to be occupied with river cleanup for the foreseeable
future.
In addition to working for the various division of the Minnesota
DNR, the MCC also has established working relations with several
federal agencies including the Forest Service, the National Park
Service and the Fish and Wildlife Service. Using summer youth and
young adult crews, MCC projects have ranged from stabilizing
buildings at the historic Rabideau Civilian Conservation Corps Camp
in the Chippewa National Forest, to site restoration and rehabil-
tation of erosion sites on the St. Croix Scenic Riverway, to timber
stand improvement and Superior Hiking Trail construction in the
Superior National Forest.
The Corps is also piloting an award winning program in cooperation
with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's (USFWS) Minnesota Valley,
Sherburne, Rice and Tamarac refuges. The Youth In Natural
Resources (YINR) program is a spin-off of the MCC and is designed
to interest youth of color, ages 15 to 18, in career and
educational opportunities in natural resource management.
Participants learn about numerous professional career options and
9
corresponding educational requirements from DNR/USFWS field staff.
The youth then perform work projects associated with the
profession. In any given week, a YINR participant may be introduced
to fish biology, perform a fish shocking project identifying and
measuring specimens and then, visit the College of Natural
Resources, University of Minnesota, to learn about campus life and
preparatory source work.
In summer 1992, 76 youth and staff of color representing the Native
American, Hispanic, African American and Asian communities
participated. The program operated in the Twin Cities of St.
Paul/Minneapolis and, the Mille Lacs and Leech Lake Reservations.
The MCC's recent grant application to the Commission on National
and Community Service would also have involved the Forest Service.
The application had as its primary objective, the establishment of
a residential training academy at the Forest Service's vacated
Isabella Ranger Station. The academy would have served as an intake
and training center for all incoming young adult corps members. In
exchange, three six-person crews were to be permanently stationed
there to assist federal agents with projects in the Superior
National Forest and nearby Boundary Waters Canoe Area.
Having worked in other youth employment/development agencies and,
having worked my way up the MCC ranks from summer crew leader to
camp director to regional supervisor to the post I now hold, I can
10
attest to the real value of the corps experience. I am thoroughly
convinced the state and local corps have the potential for
conserving the natural and human resources of the nation. The
single most limiting factor is the lack of stable and sufficient
funding. What can make the difference is a federal partner with a
long-term vision and commitment to our natural resources and
conservation corps.
I can envision a much closer working relationship between federal
land management agencies and state and local corps. That
relationship, whether contractual or in full partnership,
represents a win/win formula for our natural resources and our
youth.
Hundreds of thousands of service hours of important natural
resource work is going unattended to while vast numbers of our
nations's youth wait. Wait for an opportunity to learn how to
work, to be contributing members of their communities, to be
called. I urge the Congress to issue that call to service and
engage our young people in rebuilding and reinvigorating the
nation.
Mr. Chairman, thank you for the opportunity to appear here today.
11
Testimony by
Douglas P. Wheeler
Secretary, Resources Agency
State of California
House Natural Resources Committee
Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands
February 18, 1993
Mr. Chairman, thank you for providing me with the opportunity to testify before
the subcommittee today regarding the State of California's youth conservation corps
program and the valuable work performed on federal, state and local lands. I am
Douglas Wheeler, Secretary for the Resources Agency in California, with the
responsibility for overseeing the administration of the California Conservation Corps,
along with the departments of Forestry & Fire Protection, Parks, Conservation, Fish &
Game, Water Resources and Boating & Waterways.
The California Conservation Corps--the CCC--is the oldest and largest of all
conservation corps across the nation. Modeled after the Civilian Conservation Corps
of the 1930s, California's program was started in 1976 to bring together the state's
most valuable resources: its youth and its environment. The CCC's mission is to
develop youth through work, service and education. Its motto is "Hard Work, Low
Pay, Miserable Conditions and More!"
Since the program started 16 years ago, the CCC has accomplished over 35
million hours of resource conservation and enhancement projects in California. These
hours represent a broad range of activities for federal, state, and local agencies, as
well as a statewide emergency response workforce for fire fighting, floods,
earthquakes, pest infestations, oil and toxic spills, and more.
The CCC is open to all young women and men between the ages of 18 and 23,
who are willing to work, are California residents, and who are not on probation or
parole. They voluntarily join for one year; however, they may leave or be fired at any
1
time. They receive minimum wage--$4.25 per hour--while paying for a portion of the
cost for their room and board. About 70 percent of the operation is residential where
corpsmembers are housed in CCC facilities, and 30 percent is non-residential for
those who live at home and report to work each day. These operations are in both
rural and urban locations throughout the state.
In addition to the CCC's operation, California is also fortunate to have nine
local, nonprofit conservation corps. The majority of these programs are located in
urban areas and all are non-residential. Local corps serve their communities in human
service projects, as well as environmental projects. Combined, the CCC and the local
conservation corps currently provide 2500 annualized corpsmember positions for
California's youth. The state and local corps have a combined budget of $70 million--
$50 million state corps and $20 million local corps.
Because of the CCC's history, expertise and technical knowledge, Governor
Wilson designated it as the lead department for preparing and implementing the
state's comprehensive CalServe proposal to the Commission on National and
Community Service. In this capacity, the CCC and a widely diverse group of statewide
representatives of youth programs, education providers, volunteer organizations,
senior organizations and private enterprise, cooperatively met and worked together for
over a year to form a comprehensive state plan to address the needs of California's
youth. With the Commission funding, California is implementing a $3.5 million
expansion of its existing programs and infrastructure, and has resubmitted a proposal
for over $10 million to the Commission for an even stronger and broader network for
1993/94.
The American Conservation Corps, Subtitle C of the National and Community
Service Act, will build upon California's programs in both urban and rural areas.
Numerous partnerships have begun. This means new conservation corps programs,
expanding existing corps in new creative and innovative ways, and supporting
programs of regional or statewide significance.
It is with the CCC's comprehensive residential and nonresidential corps models
that the needs of youth are being met in California, along with a diversity of
2
environmental and human service work projects. The CCC helps equip young adults
to transition into the working world through its unique residential program.
Prospective corpsmembers submit their application and go where the program needs
are throughout the state. It is an amazing discovery for an African-American male
from the inner streets of Los Angeles, after having worked and lived in the Sierras, to
say to his supervisors that he wants more for his life than the streets of L. A. This is
an everyday occurrence in the CCC and emphasizes the importance of the residential
operation--to take youth out of an often hostile and unproductive environment and let
them learn for themselves their individual value and the contribution they can make to
their communities. The residential environment provides an opportunity for youth to
learn, live, and work with a representative spectrum of California's youth.
The non-residential component also allows youth, who are not able to leave the
local community, the opportunity to do meaningful work. In both components, the
success of the program has been the experiential training received through the
combination of work and education the CCC calls "work/learn." Corpsmembers who
were once dropping out of school are turned on to learning again after joining the
program. The work is varied, meaningful, and productive. Crews are widely used for
statewide emergencies, responding to fires, floods, earthquakes, and other disasters
that might occur. And, the education is provided at the appropriate learning level for
each individual corpsmember.
One of the CCC's premier opportunities for corpsmembers is its Backcountry
Program, which occurs on federal lands. For the last 13 years, CCC crews have
performed valuable trail construction and maintenance, meadow restoration and other
important environmentally sensitive projects. The corpsmembers live and work in the
backcountry for six months (April through September) in tent camps, often miles from
the nearest road, and hike miles each day to their work site in California's national
parks and forests. The CCC provides the labor force and supervision for the program,
while the federal sponsor provides the needed materials, technical supervisors, tools,
and supplies to support the work and the crews.
3
The CCC has enjoyed this long-standing partnership with its Backcountry
Program sponsors. The in-kind support provided by the National Park Service (NPS)
and the U. S. Forest Service (USFS) in past years is greatly appreciated, and has
helped sustain a valuable program benefitting NPS, USFS, as well as corpsmembers.
Considering California's fiscal situation, however, the CCC has increasingly
relied upon sponsor labor reimbursements to continue carrying out the program's
mission. In regard to the Backcountry Program, the CCC commits about $600,000 to
support the program and made a concerted effort to receive labor reimbursements
from NPS and USFS for the 1992 season. The department was able to receive
$100,000 from USFS, but the NPS was not able to reimburse the CCC. The CCC is
concerned about the continuation of the program if additional reimbursement
commitments are not available.
This same scenario is playing out with all of the federal agencies requesting
CCC crews. The CCC's state General Fund share is shrinking and must rely upon its
sponsors in 1993 for 47 percent of its funding.
As we enter the new era of reinventing government with less subsidy from the
state General Fund, the CCC must become more entrepreneurial and more self
sufficient. In short, the CCC must start to charge for the services they previously
provided for free or minimum cost. For example, two years ago 70 percent of the
CCC's $56 million budget came from the state General Fund. This year, only 53
percent of the $50 million is General Fund. That means that $.47 cents of every dollar
is now earned for services provided to public agencies. Over the last five years, the
CCC has carried out 6,334 projects; over 1,000 of these projects were for federal
agencies. For a typical year, this equates to over $4 million in services provided, but
only $115,000 has been received in reimbursements. It is essential that the CCC be
able to recover nearly 50 percent or $2 million in the future if it is to sustain the
valuable services that it has been providing on federal lands.
The principal agencies served by the CCC include the NPS, USFS, U.S. Fish
and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Land Management, and the Bureau of Reclamation.
The major categories of work include trail construction and maintenance, stream
4
clearance and rehabilitation, emergency fire fighting, tree planting and maintenance,
and fish and wildlife habitat improvement. Considering the large percentage of land
that is federally managed in California, the CCC is a cost effective partner for federal
agencies. In a past study on the value of work performed by corpsmembers, for
$1.00 invested in the program, a $1.77 is returned in benefits. With this rate of return,
federal agencies nationwide should use the services of corps programs to the greatest
extent in carrying out their resource protection needs.
Thank you very much. I am available to answer any questions you may have.
5
CALIFORNIA CONSERVATION CORPS
CADCARS - Project Database System
Federal Project Summary
1987 - 1992
February 1993
TOTAL
PERCENT
SPONSOR NAME
HOURS
OF TOTAL
BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT
45,325
3.1 %
Sample Project : Alpine County Thinning & Tree Planting
6,000 hrs
BUREAU OF RECLAMATION
272
0.0 %
NATIONAL PARKS SERVICE
359,034
24.5 %
Sample : Rehab & Reconstruction of Joshua Tree Nat'l Monument
28,000 hrs
Projects : Renovation of Theater Building
12,000 hrs
: Monarch Divide Trail Project
11,000 hrs
US ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS
53,326
3.6 %
Sample : Campground Rehab
6,000 hrs
Projects : Fresno River Channel Clearance
3,700 hrs
US FOREST SERVICE
978,993
66.8 %
Sample : Pinridge Ranger District Hand Piling Project
20,000 hrs
Projects : El Dorado Fire Hazard Reduction
12,000 hrs
: Fire Fighter Internship
11,000 hrs
US FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE
11,266
0.8 %
Sample Project : Humboldt Bay Wildlife Refuge Development
6,200 hrs
US MILITARY DEPTS -
16,957
1.2 %
Sample Project : Oakland Site Hazard Reduction
5,000 hrs
US DEPARTMENT OF INTERIOR
72
0.0 %
USDA-SOIL CONSERVATION SERVICE
38
0.0 %
TOTAL FEDERAL HOURS : 1,465,281
(six years)
Major Categories of Federal Work
Trail Construction and Maintenance
Stream Clearance and Rehabilitation
Emergency Fire Fighting
Tree Planting and Maintenance
Preventative Emergency Work (Fireline cutting, Control burns, Slide stabilization, Snow
removal, & Site hazard reduction)
Fish & Wildlife Habitat Improvement
CCC Project Hours
1990 - 1992
(16%)
(47%)
(37%)
Legend
Federal
State
Local
CALIFORNIA CONSERVATION CORPS
Public Service Conservation Work Hours
by Major Resource Category
2.5-3 Million Work Hours Annually
24% Reforestation, Forest Improvement
23% Parks & Recreation
16% Construction and Rehabilitation
2% Energy Conservation
2% Landscaping
3% Helitack
4% Fire Hazard Reduction
4% Fish & Wildlife Conservation
6% Emergencies
7% Training
9% Conservation of Soil and Water
(Total work hours exclude in-center work)
East Bay
1021 Third St.
Tel: 510.891.3900
Conservation
Oakland
Fax 510.272.9001
Corps
California
94607
Board of Directors
Chairman
John A Nejedly
NARRATIVE OF TESTIMONY
Vice-Chair
Roben G Scroul. III
presented to
Secretary/Treasurer
THE COMMITTEE ON NATURAL RESOURCES:
Fite- Emmen Dayle
SUB-COMMITTEE ON NATIONAL PARKS, FORESTS AND PUBLIC LANDS
-ECN Izumizaki
Sime C McLaughtin
Milliam Penn Mon. Jr
by
Ellen Maldonado
David E Pesonen
JOANNA LENNON, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Harry L. Vincent
Clinton Wayne White
EAST BAY CONSERVATION CORPS
February 16, 1993
Executive Director
Joanna 1 Lennon
East Bay Conservation Corps
2
It is my pleasure to present to the Committee my perspective on partnership options between
urban conservation corps and the federal government. My presentation will focus on the
East Bay Conservation Corps and its relationship with city, county, state, and federal
agencies. This presentation will conclude with recommendations for creating a cost-effective
linkage between existing federal programs and local conservation corps.
Summary: EBCC on the Cutting Edge of a National Movement
The East Bay Conservation Corps (EBCC) was in 1983 one of the first urban conservation
corps to be established and has since served as a model for the Urban Corps Expansion
Project. There are now over 70 urban conservation corps either in operation or being
established in cities throughout the country. Ironically, EBCC in some ways has gone
beyond the mold it set for other urban conservation corps. EBCC's strong emphasis on
service-leaming, community service and comprehensive education goes far beyond the
employment & training focus of most conservation corps today. The National and
Community Service Act of 1990 reflects the values held by EBCC from its inception-that
community service is an effective mechanism for promoting youth development and
addressing many of the social and environmental problems that confront our cities, states,
and the nation.
EBCC's experience with service-learning and community service, linked with its close
relationship with local, regional, state and national parks, places the Corps in a strong
position with regard to the national conservation corps initiative. It is our belief that all
issues, regardless of their scope, are local issues and that they are best resolved by engaging
local youth. EBCC has demonstrated its capacity to address multiple priorities in
comprehensive, innovative and cost-effective ways. The Corps welcomes the opportunity to
work in partnership with federal agencies to enhance our natural resources, particularly
youth.
Agency Overview
The East Bay Conservation Corps (EBCC) promotes youth development through community
service and service-leaming. By actively engaging young people in their education while
addressing environmental and social issues, EBCC enhances participants' academic,
leadership and life survival skills, self-esteem, civic responsibility, and environmental
awareness. Participants, ages 12 to 24, work on projects that define the environment in a
social and community context as well as in the performance of conservation work in urban
and wildland areas. EBCC project sponsors, groups served and sites include public schools,
community-based agencies, park districts, water districts, and public works departments in
the East San Francisco Bay counties of Alameda and Contra Costa. Over 90% of the
EBCC's participants are people of color and live below standard poverty levels.
Model Program
EBCC presents a compelling model for urban areas throughout the nation and has
East Bay Conservation Corps
3
tremendous replicability to the Urban Corps Expansion Project--a collaborative effort of
Public/Private Ventures (Philadelphia) and the National Association of Service and
Conservation Corps (NASCC) based in Washington, D.C.. This Project is developing a
five-year strategy to establish new urban corps and to build broad consensus in support of
youth conservation and service corps as a national solution to serious social problems. As
one of the nation's first and most successful urban corps, EBCC is providing critical
leadership to this project. EBCC's Executive Director is a past president and a board
member of NASCC and is an acknowledged leader in the national youth corps field.
EBCC has demonstrated that the corps model is an effective intervention strategy for today's
alienated youth and young adult population and is a successful way to meet community
service needs. EBCC has earned a national reputation for its outstanding education program
and in 1985 was named a National Service and Learning Demonstration Site by the
Remediation and Training Institute in Washington, D.C. In March of 1989, our Learning
Center won recognition for being in the top ten percent of centers nationwide for best overall
performance. Recently, the Corps won the "Take Pride in California" award (co-sponsored
by the California Department of Parks & Recreation and American Express) and was
presented a "Certificate of Special Commendation" by the Department of Parks and
Recreation for outstanding achievements over the years. The Corps is currently a nominee to
receive a "Take Pride in America" award.
In addition, the Corps has won national recognition as an excellent educational reform model
and was one of six programs chosen by the Management Institute for Environment and
Business as one of the best examples of a public/private partnership in the environmental
field.
Youth Service: A Natural Resource
EBCC believes that young people are a precious natural resource. Our service-learning
model actively engages youth in addressing many of the social and environmental problems
facing their communities; in the process, they also improve their own academic, life and
leadership skills.
To nurture and develop the skills, talents, and social values of our youth, EBCC has
designed one of the most comprehensive education, training, environmental improvement and
community service programs in the country. Our program and service components are as
follows:
Comprehensive Education & Corpsmember Development Program
To meet corpsmembers' needs for a diverse range of educational skills, EBCC operates a
comprehensive corpsmember development program. This program includes academic skills
training, career education, lifeskills training, and counseling support.
To meet the needs of our underprepared youth and young adults, we established the Learning
Fast Bay Conservation Corps
4
Center, the cornerstone of our education program. Using state-of-the-art methods to
administer individualized curricula, the Learning Center provides educational strategies to
improve students' academic skills from grade levels one to twelve. Students begin based on
their individual specific skill levels as determined by precise assessment tests. They progress
at their own pace with guidance and support from trained Learning Center staff and certified
teachers. This past year, Learning Center students gained over two and one-half (2.5) grades
per every fifty hours of study--more than four times the national average. Our students'
objectives are to pass the GED exam and to attain a 12.9 grade-level proficiency.
Reflecting the demographic shift in California, a growing number of our corpsmembers have
limited English proficiency. To meet their needs, we offer English-as-a-Second Language
(ESL) classes facilitated by trained staff. The Corps' ESL program is being integrated into
our highly effective Learning Center system for streamlined delivery of services.
In addition to attending basic education or ESL classes, corpsmembers must complete a "core
curriculum" of lifeskills workshops which include First Aid, Money Management, Time
Management, Communication and Conflict Resolution and Goal Setting. Other workshops
and education options offered include leadership training, men's and women's studies,
carpentry, outdoor adventure, and job-holding sessions to promote retention.
One of the Corps' primary objectives is to prepare participants for gainful employment as
adults. As part of our expanding career development program, EBCC coordinates over
twenty paid internships designed to expose corpsmembers to a variety of work environments
and careers and to provide them with hands-on job training. Intern positions include semi-
skilled labor, office administration and education. In addition to serving the EBCC's 120
corpsmembers, the Career Development staff coordinates an employment and training
program for another forty-six out-of-school youth annually. This program, called the
"Business Club," provides the seventeen to twenty-one year-old participants with basic
education classes, vocational skills training, case management, and job placement assistance.
The EBCC provides all participants with goal setting workshops, career counseling, and pre-
employment skills training.
Counseling addresses crisis situations and other corpsmember concerns such as domestic
violence, neglect and health-related issues. A large portion of the Counselor's referrals to
numerous community resources are related to corpsmembers' increasing needs for emergency
food and shelter. The Counselor also facilitates a significant amount of staff training. To
further increase corpsmember retention, Counseling services are beginning to address
corpsmember health needs such as vision care and comprehensive health examinations.
Project YES
Project YES is a comprehensive service-learning and community service program that
operates in the Oakland Unified School District. Using a "cascading leadership" model,
Project YES participants strengthen academic skills while discovering a sense of pride and
East Bay Conservation Corps
5
personal responsibility for their neighborhoods and cities through service-learning
curriculum, recycling clubs, community service projects and educational field trips. Project
YES clubs are involved in a wide range of activities including setting up school recycling
centers, painting neighborhood murals, participating in city graffiti and litter abatement
programs, building and maintaining park trails and planting community gardens. Project
YES also runs and extensive summer program, employing college and high school-aged
young adults to lead and mentor between 200 and 300 middle school youth.
Project YES works with the Oakland Unified School District (OUSD) at five junior high and
middle school sites: Carter, Claremont, Frick, Roosevelt and Westlake. YES receives
support from and collaborates with a wide range of public and private sponsors including: the
City of Oakland Department of Graffiti Abatement, Department of Parks and Recreation,
Office of Community Development, Office of Economic Development and Employment and
Office of the Mayor; California Adopt-a-Beach Program; Candlestick Point State Recreation
Area; East Bay Regional Park District; Museum of Children's Art; Stanford University
Volunteer Center; University of California, Berkeley; Wells Fargo Corporate Community
Development Group; and Youth In Action of the San Francisco Conservation Corps.
Environmental Improvement & Community Service Work Program
Much of a corpsmember's experience in EBCC is centered on the work program.
Corpsmembers work thirty-two hours per week on various environmental and community
improvement projects. Work is accomplished by a crew of six to twelve corpsmembers who
are supervised by a trained site supervisor. Our projects improve natural resources, promote
community services, increase public access, assist with disaster relief efforts, and beautify
neighborhoods and recreational lands in Alameda and Contra Costa counties.
On the worksite, corpsmembers learn basic work maturity skills such as punctuality,
dependability, cooperation, quality of work, acceptance of supervision, initiative and
motivation. In addition, they learn transferable job skills such as tool usage, occupational
safety, record keeping, and supervision as well as a range of technical skills including
trailbuilding, fencing, carpentry, construction, masonry, painting, and landscaping.
Emergency Responsiveness
In addition to the ongoing environmental and community improvement work performed by
our corpsmembers, the EBCC has proved its capacity to respond to disasters following the
Loma Prieta earthquake and the East Bay Hills firestorm. In 1989, the Corps renovated a
number of abandoned hotels and buildings and helped to convert them into emergency
shelters and day care facilities for earthquake victims. EBCC corpsmembers also patrolled
the Marina neighborhood in San Francisco to prevent looting. In 1991, the EBCC evacuated
fire victims and worked with the Red Cross to set up emergency shelters and to assess the
damage. Less than a week after the fire, EBCC crews began erecting erosion control
structures in the burn area to prevent further damage caused by debris and silt runoff. Since
East Bay Conservation Corps
6
then, the EBCC has been working with various government and land management agencies,
schools and homeowners associations to restore the fire-scarred hills and reduce the potential
for future infernos.
Unique Entrepreneurial Focus
Unlike most non-profit, community-based agencies, EBCC not only develops programs for
national replication, but also operates like a business. More than half of EBCC's annual
budget of over $4,000,000 is generated through fee-for-service contracts. Among the Corps'
sponsors are many of the cities and special districts in the East Bay area. Year-round and
short-term EBCC crew sponsors view the Corps to be a highly effective and cost-effective
resource for maintaining and preserving our precious resources as well as for mitigating
damage caused by natural and human forces.
EBCC's entrepreneurial approach is also reflected in the Education and Youth Development
aspects of our operation. Our state-of-the-art Learning Center, which costs roughly
$300,000 to operate annually, generates over $200,000 in fee-for-service revenue. We
recently initiated a contract with the California Department of Transportation (CalTrans) to
train candidates for jobs with contractors that will help rebuild the Cypress (I-880) Freeway
that collapsed as a result of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. EBCC's involvement as an
education service provider for the Cypress Reconstruction Project underscores the Corps'
unique position as an education reform program.
Special Relationship with Park Districts and Services
EBCC has developed a particularly strong partnership with the East Bay Regional Park
District (EBRPD). The Park District sponsors an EBCC crew year-round to perform a
variety of work at each of its fifty-one parks throughout Alameda and Contra Costa counties.
EBRPD sponsors additional EBCC crews to perform seasonal work and special tasks, such as
the urban inter-face fuel break project as part of the District's fire prevention effort. EBRPD
also supports other aspects of the Corps' program such as by providing land for EBCC's
challenge ropes course and by funding the production of five murals in honor of Dr. Martin
Luther King, Jr.
EBCC performs extensive work for most of the parks and public works departments of East
Bay cities and counties. As municipalities and counties confront severe budget reductions,
EBCC work crews offer a cost-effective way of accomplishing needed park maintenance,
community improvement, and fire prevention work. In particular, EBCC works extensively
with the Alameda and Contra Costa counties Public Works Departments and the cities of
Oakland, Berkeley, Hayward, Union City, El Cerrito, Walnut Creek, and Richmond.
As a result of the East Bay Hills Firestorm, EBCC has developed particularly strong
partnership with the cities and Oakland and Berkeley. Under the leadership of the Parks
Manager for the City of Oakland, a Vegetation Management Consortium was formed to
East Bay Conservation Corps
7
coordinate fire prevention efforts. The Consortium members are the cities of Oakland and
Berkeley, the East Bay Regional Park District, the East Bay Municipal Utilities District, the
University of California, Berkeley, and the Lawrence Berkeley Laboratories. EBCC, with a
$350,000 grant from the State Office of Emergency Services (FEMA Hazard Mitigation
Program) is the implementation arm of the Consortium and has been invited by the
Consortium Chairman to consider becoming a partner in the Vegetation Management Plan
development process. This model collaborative places EBCC in a influential position as an
urban conservation corps to impact policy formation.
Recommendations for Federal Partnerships with Local Corps
To date, all of the accomplishments of local conservation corps has been achieved with a
very limited and indirect amount of federal funding. In just ten years, the urban corps
movement has created a dynamic network of agencies throughout the country with the
capacity to improve the environment and local communities while promoting youth
development. For the federal government, local corps are a resource in an of themselves that
could prove even more effective with direct federal support.
There are a number of federally funded programs that can support the operations of local
conservation corps. For example, the Job Training Partnership Act (JTPA) is a source of
funding for some local corps. Some aspects of the act, however, are very restrictive and
limit the ability of local corps to serve JTPA participants without compromising their
program structure. Perhaps a special title should be created that better enables local corps to
administer JTPA contacts for at-risk youth. Other potential federal sources for urban
conservation corps include public works funds, Department of Education grants, Pell Grants,
Work Study funds, Department of Transportation grants, and grants from the Department of
the Interior and the Department of Agriculture.
Just as federal funding agencies utilize established universities to serve as a national research
network, the government should turn to urban conservation corps to create a national
conservation corps network. On our own, we have developed the capacity to make a
tremendous impact at a local level. With added federal support, the impact of our operations
will be felt throughout the country.
Thank you for the opportunity to address the Committee.
Joanna Lennon
Executive Director
East Bay Conservation Corps
February 16, 1993
PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE
35
BILL CLINTON
Answers Questions From
Times Mirror Magazines' Readers
What do you consider your greatest accomplishments
is a false one: we can have both The administration believes
in natural resource conservation?
we have to sacrifice the environment in favor of the economy.
One of my greatest accomplishments is preserving
in Arkansas. a clean environment means a strong econo-
Arkansas' outstanding natural heritage. Arkansas offers some
my. Last year. 16 million people visited Arkansas to take
of the best fishing streams and lakes in the country: world-
advantage of the abundant opportunities for outdoor sports
record brown trout were taken from the White and Little Red
and recreation. These visitors created thousands of jobs
Rivers. Arkansas' forests are home to large populations of
From a broader perspective. the market for goods and
deer. turkey and black bear.
services related to the environment is approximately $300
I've fought to preserve Arkansas' wild lands and its reputa
billion and growing at more than seven percent annually. We
tion as the "Natural State." I've focused Arkansas environ-
can create jobs by winning the competition for these rapidly
mental funding on fish and wildlife programs Since 1983.
expanding new markets. We must recognize the opportuni-
we've created nearly 40 new wildlife preserves and parks to
ties to promote environmentally sound economic growth
protect our rivers. forests. wetlands. and prairies I've imple
Do you support the reauthorization of the Endangered
mented a "no net loss" program for forest land and established
Species Act? If so, what amendments should be made?
the Arkansas Natural and Cultural Resources Trust Fund to
Yes, I support the resuthorization I believe listing deci-
protect natural areas and improve state park lands. in addi-
sions for species under the Endargood Species Act should
tion. my administration created the Arkansas Land Bank and
be based on science, not politics
the Arkansas Natural and Scenic Rivers Commission
I've also cracked down on polluters by beeing up anti-pot-
Do you believe the 1872 Mining Law needs updating?
lution laws and by strengthening enforcement of these Lowa
If so, what amendments do you recommend?
No Response
If elected. by 1996 what will you have accomplished
toward the conservation of natural resources?
in the upcoming resuthorization of the Clean Water
AI Gore and I will fight to protect and conserve America's
Ace what changes do you think should be made to
Section 404 for the purpose of Improving wedends
natural resources To begin with, I will call upon all Americans
conservation?
to join me in a New Covenant for Environmental Progress,
America's wedands are one of our most reseured natural
to protect and conserve our natural resources for our chil
resources Wedands are critical spawning grounds and
dren We will challenge every person. family. corporation,
homes for both fish and other game I strongly support "no
community and government agency to do more to proced
net loss" of our wedands and strongly condemn the Bush
our natural resources.
administration's efforts to rewrite the definition of wedands.
Specifically. I will acquire new parklends and recreation
a move which would lead to the destruction of large trats of
areas with funds now available in the federal and Water
wedanda I would work with scientific expero at the National
Conservation Fund to increase opportunities for hunding fish
Academy of Sciences to devise appropriate policies to protect
ing and other outdoor activities And I will direct the federal
our wedanda
agencies responsible for natural resources to adopt a true
conservation ethic. I will also support a civilian conservation
Under your budget for domesds discretionary spend-
corps to raise environmental awareness among America's
ing would you Increase or decrease the amount spent
on natural resource conservador) Please name X
young people. to put young people to work 00 constructive
least live programs for which you would increase or
projects. and to protect our natural resources
decrease funding
What do you believe is the reladonship between envi-
I would increase funding for sevenal programa I would
ronmental protection and economic development?
add funds to support a civilian conservation corps, improve
When it comes down to choosing between jobs and
wildlife and fisheries management develop renewable energy
the environment, where do you stand?
sources and relavigorate the Land and Water Conservation
You don't have to sacrifice environmental protection to get
1
economic growth The choice between jobs and environment
36
CLINTON
Fund to make more funds available for the acquisition of pub-
lic outdoor open spaces. I would decrease funds for building
logging roads on public lands.
A recent report on the status of marine fisheries shows
that a majority of these stocks are overfished. How do
you plan to implement the recovery of these fisheries?
America has the richest fishing grounds in the world. We
must preserve and expand this critical renewable resource for
both sport and commercial fishing. We need to improve the
scientific and technical capabilities of the Regional Fishery
Management Councils to make sure that they have the
resources and technical wherewithal to develop scientifically
sound management plans for our important commercial and
recreational stocks During the past 12 years, the administra-
tion has tried to slash funding for fisheries management I
will work with Congress to make sure that our marine and
fresh water fishery programs and assistance to states are
property funded
What programs will you implement to improve the
infrastructure for recreation on public lands?
Our public lands are some of America's greatest natural
assets. Because of misplaced priorities on the part of the
administration. America's public land managers face a huge
backlog of maintenance and repair-trails have eroded and
camping facilities. picnic areas. and boat ramps have fallen
into disrepair. I support a new civilian conservation corps, as
a low-cost way to restore on public while
inspiring civic pride and responsibility. ! would also make
funds available from the Land and Water Conservation Fund
to help address critical infastucture needs in state and local
facilities Finally. I would work to ensure appropriate access
to public landa
DEMOCRATIC PLATFORM HIGHLIGHTS
Will work to protect old growth foreva provide a
genuine "DO net loss" policy on wetlands and
preserve critical habitate
Oppose Republican efforts to gut the Clean Air Act
under the guise of competitive
Will create 1 civilian conservation corps for
American youth
Oppose new offshore oil drilling and mineral explo-
ration of environmentally critical area
Would join European allses in agreeing to Emit carbon
dioxide emissions to 1990 levels by the year 2000.
Believe population growth must be controlled by
working with other nations and organizations to
fund greater family planning efforta
Congressional Research Service
The Library of Congress
Washington, D.C. 20540
AN ASSESSMENT OF POTENTIAL BENEFITS TO YOUTH PARTICIPANTS
OF THE AMERICAN CONSERVATION CORPS ACT,
BASED ON EXPERIENCE OF PRIOR COMPARABLE PROGRAMS
(Prepared in response to a request from the House Public Lands
and National Parks Subcommittee)
By Karen Spar
Specialist in Social Legislation
Education and Public Welfare Division
February 4, 1985
AN ASSESSMENT OF POTENTIAL BENEFITS TO YOUTH PARTICIPANTS OF THE AMERICAN
CONSERVATION CORPS ACT, BASED ON EXPERIENCE OF PRIOR COMPARABLE PROGRAMS
INTRODUCTION
The American Conservation Corps Act, passed by the 98th Congress and vetoed
by President Reagan, has been reintroduced in the 99th Congress as H.R. 99. The
dual-purpose bill would create jobs for teenagers and young adults in conserva-
tion projects on public lands. This legislation traces its roots to the Civil-
ian Conservation Corps of the 1930s, which also had the twin goals of employment
and conservation.
As reintroduced on Jan. 3, 1985, H.R. 99 would operate through two compo-
nents: year-round employment for 16-25-year-olds, and a summer program for par-
ticipants aged 15-21. All unemployed individuals meeting the age requirements
would be eligible for participation, although special efforts would be made to
recruit and enroll economically disadvantaged youth. In addition to paid
employment, Corps members could receive education and training assistance.
Participants without a high school diploma would have priority in receiving
educational assistance.
This report attempts to assess the potential value of the proposed American
Conservation Act (ACC) by examining the experiences under previous programs,
primarily the Civilian Conservation Corps, the Youth Conservation Corps, the
Young Adult Conservation Corps, California Conservation Corps, and Job Corps.
Based on the research conducted on these programs, it is impossible to develop
a single figure that would represent the social value of a program such as the
CRS-2
ACC. Instead, this report puts together in one document whatever anecdotal
and other data are available that might provide some insight into the possible
benefits of the proposed program.
However, it should be pointed out at the outset that few evaluations are
available on the social impacts of these programs and some of the information
cited in this report is from sources with a positive bias toward the programs
(e.g., information on the Civilian Conservation Corps contained in the final
report of the program's director). In addition, there have been criticisms of
the programs, including criticisms of the management of some programs discussed
in this report (particularly Job Corps) which are not addressed here because
they do not directly relate to the main topic (i.e., the programs' benefits to
youth participants).
Further, it should be noted that this report does not discuss alternative
approaches to youth unemployment that might also yield positive social impacts.
There may be other programs that could also produce positive social benefits
at lower cost. However, the purpose of this report was not to compare the pro-
posed legislation with all other youth employment programs, but rather to discuss
the proposal's potential benefits, based on the experience of similar efforts.
EXPERIENCE OF PAST PROGRAMS
The earliest predecessor of the American Conservation Corps Act is the
Civilian Conservation Corps of the 1930s. In addition, a Youth Conservation
Corps and Young Adult Conservation Corps operated during the 1970s. The
Job Corps, while not primarily a conservation program, is a training program
for disadvantaged youth and also provides some basis for analysis of the
proposed legislation. Job Corps began in the mid-1960s as part of the War
on Poverty and today is authorized under the Job Training Partnership Act.
CRS-3
Further, a number of States, either with or without Federal funding, have oper-
ated youth conservation corps programs.
Benefits of participation in such employment programs are not easy to quan-
tify. In addition to the wages received while enrolled, potential benefits in-
clude greater long-term employability, education, improvements in health and
nutrition, self-esteem, reduced dependence on public support programs, and
reduction in criminal activity. While anecdotal data provide some information
on these long-term benefits, few formal program evaluations are available
which analyze all these issues.
Civilian Conservation Corps. During its more than nine years of existence
between 1933 and 1942, the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) served almost 3
million men, mostly between the ages of 17 and 23. The average cost per enrol-
lee during those years was about $1,000 (in 1942 dollars). Although some analysts
have said that the value of the conservation work performed alone outweighed this
cost, few observers have been able to quantify the value to the individual Corps
member. Nonetheless, this value appears to have been significant. "The role of
the CCC as a conservor of human beings can in no way be measured economically,
yet its importance in this field was seminal," wrote one observer. 1/
Of all CCC enrollees, 90 percent participated in formal classroom train-
ing or education, in addition to their job-related training. More than 100,000
Corps members who entered the program illiterate were taught to read and write.
More than 25,000 enrollees received eighth grade diplomas, more than 5,000
received high school diplomas, and 270 received college degrees. The general
health of Corps members also improved during enrollment in the program. At the
time of entry into the Corps, 70 percent of enrollees had been substandard in
1/ John Salmond, The Civilian Conservation Corps, 1933-1942: A New Deal
Case Study, Duke University Press, Durham, N.C., 1967, p. 129.
CRS-4
weight, compared with 40 percent of enrollees at the time of their discharge.
Although data are not available on the long-term employment of enrollees, the
director of the CCC testified in 1939, "Many employers are regularly applying to
the Civilian Conservation Corps camps for unskilled or semiskilled employees.
Some of the largest corporations in the country are writing to those in authority
in the Civilian Conservation Corps camps asking for recommendations for boys from
the camps for such employment as they are able to furnish. There is an increasing
number of small employers who are taking boys from the Civilian Conservation
Corps camps." 2/
The final report of the director of the CCC described a variety of intan-
gible ways in which he felt the Corps had improved the lives of young partic-
ipants: development of character, of social attitudes, of skills and self-
reliance, wider social horizons, regular and wholesome habits and attitudes,
responsibility and discipline. "The Corps
sent a stream of fresh, young,
eager and desirable trained manpower into the social and industrial life of
the Nation
From nearly every social standpoint, the operations of the
CCC have paid very practical tangible (as well as intangible) dividends to the
United States. 3/
Youth Conservation Corps. A more recent predecessor of the American
Conservation Corps Act is the Youth Conservation Corps (YCC), operated through-
out the 1970s and still operated on a very small scale through the Agriculture
and Interior Departments. During most of its existence, YCC operated through
both residential and nonresidential centers, employing youths at the minimum
2/ Legislative Reference Service, Civilian Conservation Corps, printed as
Senate Document No. 216, 77th Congress, 2nd Session, 1942, PP. 69-98.
31 Federal Security Agency, Final Report of the Director of the Civilian
Conservation Corps, April 1933 through June 30, 1942, PP. 62-65.
CRS-5
wage for 30 hours per week in conservation projects and providing environmental
education for 10 unpaid hours a week. Enrollment in the program peaked in
1978 at 46,000 participants with Federal appropriations of $60 million. Par-
ticipants are between the ages of 15 and 18 and spend between four and eight
weeks during the summer in the program.
Estimates of the cost per youth of participation in YCC during FY 1981
vary between $1,542 and $2,260, depending on whether the camp was run by the
Interior Department, Agriculture Department, or States. As with the Civilian
Conservation Corps, studies have found that the value of the conservation work
performed nearly equals or exceeds the costs of the program; however, the
program's benefits to the individual youth participants have not been quantified.
Again, as with the CCC, these benefits are generally felt to be substantial.
Research on the possible long-term benefits of YCC participation was con-
ducted between 1978 and 1983 by the Rocky Mountain Forest and Range Experiment
Station of the U.S. Forest Service and Colorado State University. Question-
naires were mailed to a sample of enrollees in the 1979 program and to a sample
of parents of enrollees in the 1979 program. In addition, control groups of
young people who had applied for YCC but had not been chosen in the random
selection process and a group of parents of such applicants, also were surveyed,
as well as youngsters and parents of youngsters who had been accepted for the
program but did not attend.
Six months after participation in the summer 1979 program, YCC enrollees
reported higher scores, which were statistically significant, on a number of
areas which researchers attributed to participation in YCC. These included
increased interest in environmental problems, personal conservation actions,
understanding of conservation, work efficiency, ability to find jobs, tool
skills and safety, willingness to help at school, acceptance of other races,
CRS-6
and natural resource knowledge. Parents of participants reported higher
scores for their children than the control groups of parents in these areas,
as well as in personal honesty. When surveyed again 26 months after the 1979
summer program ended, the enrollee group continued to report higher scores
than the control group in the following areas: increased interest in environ-
mental problems, personal conservation actions, understanding of conservation,
tool skills and safety, ability to work with others, acceptance of other races,
satisfaction with plans for the future, and healthy diet. Parents of the
enrollee group reported higher scores than parents of the control groups on
the following additional benefits: increased natural resource ethic, planning
and organizing work, work efficiency, achievement motivation, willingness to
help at school, and personal honesty.
The researchers concluded that 26 months after participating in the 1979
summer program, YCC enrollees and their parents were perceiving benefits not
perceived by their counterparts who had not participated in YCC. The persist-
ence of these benefits is particularly impressive given the short-term nature
of YCC participation, according to the researchers. Researchers further found
that benefits were greatest among youth who participated in residential YCC
camps, compared with participants in non-residential programs. 4/
Young Adult Conservation Corps. The Young Adult Conservation Corps (YACC)
operated for four years between 1978 and 1981 under title VIII of the Comprehen-
sive Employment and Training Act (CETA). YACC was a year-round program of mini-
mum wage employment for young adults, aged 16 through 23, who were unemployed
and out-of-school. Overall Federal responsibility for YACC rested with the
Department of Labor, which contracted with the Departments of Interior and
41 Final Report of the Five-Year Program of Research to Evaluate the Long-
Term Benefits of the Youth Conservation Corps, Rocky Mountain Forest and Range
Experiment Station and Colorado State University, December 1982.
CRS-7
Agriculture to administer both Federal centers and State grants. About 25
percent of enrollees were in residential centers, and the remainder participated
in nonresidential programs. Participants could not remain in the program
longer than 12 months (which did not have to be consecutive) and the average
duration in the program was four months.
About $900 million was appropriated for the YACC during its four years of
existence and it served about 269,000 participants. Average cost of a year's
service in YACC (during which as many as three individuals may have been enrolled)
fluctuated between approximately $10,000 and $12,000 during the program's four
years. A portion of this relatively high cost, as compared with other youth
employment programs, was due to the substantial costs of equipment and machinery
and the fact that 25 percent of the enrollees were in residential programs. As
with CCC and YCC, estimates of the value of the conservation work performed
equal or exceed the costs of the program. Once again, however, no formal eval-
uations have been done to quantify the program's value to individual participants.
Anecdotal data indicates that YACC had substantial benefits for enrollees,
similar to those of CCC and YCC. Rekindling the work ethic, teaching positive
attitudes toward work, developing self-confidence and pride in one's work were
among the most frequently cited accomplishments of YACC in a 1981 Youth Policy
Institute study. Corps members interviewed for the study also said they liked
participating in a program which was not specifically targeted on the economical-
1y disadvantaged and therefore did not have the stigma of other youth programs
then funded under CETA. 51 The Department of Labor reported that in FY 1979,
a total of 71 percent of YACC enrollees either entered unsubsidized employment
after participation in the program (4 percent) or had another form of positive
51 Youth Policy Institute, Youth Service and Conservation: Meeting National
Needs in the Eighties, a Report on the Young Adult Conservation Corps, May 1981.
CRS-8
termination, such as returning to school, entrance into the military or another
type of training program (63 percent). 6/ This positive termination rate is only
slightly lower than title IV-A of CETA, which authorized comprehensive employment
training services for youth (74 percent positive termination rate in FY 1981)
and is higher than the positive termination rate for youth during the first nine
months of program operations under the new Job Training Partnership Act (63 per-
cent positive termination rate from Oct. 1, 1983 to June 30, 1984). However, no
data are available on long-term employment and earnings gains of YACC participants.
California Conservation Corps. The State of California has operated a
youth conservation corps program since 1971, using primarily nonfederal funds.
Originally established as the California Ecology Corps by then-Governor Ronald
Reagan in 1971, the program was re-established as the California Conservation
Corps in 1976. The program is open to unemployed 18-23-year-olds and operates
primarily through residential centers. The average length of stay in the program,
which boasts the motto, "Hard Work, Low Pay, and Miserable Conditions," is
about six months.
An evaluation of the California Conservation Corps conducted in fiscal 1979
by Public Interest Economics-West concluded that Corps members had increased
earnings, after participation in the program, of approximately $1,671 per year per
member, compared with a control group of non-participants. Researchers pointed
out that this increase in earnings is in addition to other benefits not easily
measured, such as lower welfare and unemployment costs, reduced demands on police,
courts, and prisons, greater leadership abilities, and improved health. 71
6/ Employment and Training Report of the President, U.S. Department of
Labor, 1980.
71 Public Interest Economics-West, Final Report of Economic Impact of
California Conservation Corps, San Francisco, California, January 1980.
CRS-9
Job Corps. Job Corps differs from programs previously discussed in this
report in two significant ways: it is specifically targeted on disadvantaged
youth, and it is not a conservation program, although the Interior Department
and Forest Service do operate a number of Job Corps conservation centers.
However, although Job Corps does not bear dividends on the Federal investment
in the form of conservation work, evaluations of the program's economic impact
have found its benefits to participants and society at large exceed its costs.
Job Corps began in the mid-1960s as part of the War on Poverty. It was
incorporated as a separate section of the Comprehensive Employment and Training
Act in 1973, and today is authorized as a section of the Job Training Partnership
Act (title IV-B). FY 1985 appropriations are $617 million and the program serves
approximately 60,000 youth yearly with an average enrollment level throughout
the year of 40,000. Eligible youth must be economically, socially and educa-
tionally disadvantaged, and between the ages of 16 and 21. Average costs for
a year of service in Job Corps were $13,000 in FY 1983. The average length
of stay in the program was about eight months during FY 1983. The program is
primarily residential and participants receive intensive remedial education,
job training and supportive services.
Job Corps reported a positive termination rate in FY 1983 of 75.3 percent.
Almost 51 percent of youths who terminated from the program in that year went
into unsubsidized employment, while another 24.5 percent returned to education
or enrolled in another training program or entered the military. Excluding
those who terminated from the program but were not available for placement
because they were ill or women fulfilling full-time family responsibilities,
these positive termination rates go even higher: 52.8 percent entered employ-
ment, 26.8 percent went to another education or training program, and 2.8
CRS-10
percent entered the military, for a total positive termination rate of 82.4
percent. 8/
A long-term evaluation of Job Corps, conducted by Mathematica Policy Re-
search, Inc., found that in the first four years after participation in Job
Corps, former enrollees earned an average of 15 percent ($600) more per year
than a control group who had not participated in Job Corps, and worked an
average of three weeks more per year. Job Corps participants also obtained
more high school diplomas (27 percent) than the control group, were more likely
to attend vocational or technical school or college, and were more likely to
enter military service. Former Job Corps enrollees had fewer health problems,
were less dependent on welfare (two weeks less per year), and less dependent
on unemployment insurance (nearly one week per year), than their non-Job Corps
counterparts. The longer an individual remained in Job Corps, the greater
were the benefits gained. Women without children showed the largest gains in
earnings, education, health and reduction in welfare; males had larger gains
in likelihood of joining the military and reduction in unemployment benefits.
Gains persisted throughout the four-year period.
Mathematica calculated that the benefit of Job Corps to society was approx-
imately $7,400 per participant, compared to a program cost of $5,000 per par-
ticipant (costs per participant are less than cost per service-year), in 1977
dollars. Therefore, Mathematica concluded that Job Corps yielded a 46 percent
return to society. The researchers stated that the social investment in Job
Corps is paid back about three years after the individual completes the program. 9/
8/ Job Corps in Brief, FY 1983, Employment and Training Administration,
U.S. Department of Labor.
9/ Mathematica Policy Research, Inc., Evaluation of the Economic Impact
of the Job Corps, Third Follow-Up Report, Princeton, N.J., September 1982.
CRS-11
A 1978 study of the non-economic benefits of Job Corps, conducted by Abt
Associates, also found the impact of Job Corps on enrollees is substantial, es-
pecially for youths who remain in the program at least three months. Specific-
ally, Abt reported that Job Corps enrollees had less criminal justice system
involvement than comparable youths not enrolled in Job Corps, particularly among
women enrollees. Both men and women with previous criminal records improved
significantly in several skill areas-job seeking skills, job knowledge, and
nutrition--while in Job Corps. During the period of their enrollment, Job
Corps participants received a great deal more medical and dental care than
they would have without Job Corps enrollment, including detection of previously
untreated conditions among 14 percent of the enrollees. Health education and
nutrition counseling is provided in Job Corps, which resulted in behavioral
changes among Job Corps enrollees apparent after termination. Youths who had
participated in Job Corps at least three months chose more nutritious foods
than those who had dropped out early or never participated, especially among
females with children. After participation in Job Corps, youths were more
likely to be employed full-time than those who had dropped out of Job Corps or
never enrolled, especially female enrollees.
Abt researchers concluded: "Job Corps has provided substantial noneconomic
benefits to its participants and to the larger society.
...
Youth who enrolled
in Job Corps and stayed at least three months improved in all areas of study,
from eating habits to staying out of trouble; from self-esteem to dental care.
These impacts make Job Corps participants more employable and benefit the
larger society in many ways." 10/
CETA Youth Employment and Training Programs. Under the Comprehensive
10/ Abt Associates, the Noneconomic Impacts of Job Corps, published by
U.S. Department of Labor, 1978.
CRS-12
Employment and Training Act, substantial sums of money were spent on youth
employment and training programs, in an attempt to determine what programs work
best for unemployed young people. A great deal of money and effort also was
devoted to evaluation of these programs. Because of the diversity of program-
ming offered under CETA, it is difficult to generalize about the program's
overall effectiveness. However, analysts generally concluded that the success
of youth in the labor market is closely tied to basic writing, communication,
and computational abilities. When basic or remedial education is offered in
combination with well-structured work experience and training, substantial gains
in employability can be achieved for disadvantaged youth. Work experience can
be an effective way not only to provide income to youngsters while enrolled in a
program, but also to serve as strong motivation for youth to pursue other forms
of education or training.
IMPLICATIONS FOR AMERICAN CONSERVATION CORPS ACT
Although it is difficult to place a number on the value of a program such
as the proposed American Conservation Corps (ACC) to youth participants, it ap-
pears that some tangible and intangible benefits would likely result. Job
Corps is one of the only programs where evaluators have attempted to estimate
a percentage return on the investment of Federal funds. The return calculated
by researchers for Job Corps is substantial (46 percent), although it cannot be
assumed that the American Conservation Corps would yield the same return given
the differences between the two programs. Job Corps is strictly targeted on
the disadvantaged and places great emphasis on intensive remedial education,
CRS-13
training and supportive services. Nonetheless, there are enough similarities
between the two programs to warrant consideration of the Job Corps research.
For example, it is reasonable to assume that a significant portion of ACC
enrollees would be disadvantaged, based on the experience of past programs.
One of the criticisms of YCC and YACC was that these programs were not targeted
on the disadvantaged and did not serve a substantial number of disadvantaged
youth. National statistics, based on enrollee's self-declarations, report
that almost 30 percent of YCC and almost 40 percent of YACC participants were
economically disadvantaged. However, more scientific studies by individual
centers and States indicate that the portion of economically disadvantaged enrol-
lees in these programs may actually have been much higher. Further, YACC
served a large percentage of educationally disadvantaged youth; almost 40 per-
cent of enrollees were high school dropouts. By contrast, the Job Training
Partnership Act, which is highly targeted on high school dropouts and disadvan-
taged youth, enrolled only 24 percent high school dropouts during its first
nine months of operations.
The proposed ACC also contains provisions specifically dealing with train-
ing and education for enrollees. While these services would not be provided
as intensively as in Job Corps, they could nonetheless boost the program's
long-term value to youth participants, especially those without high school
diplomas. In addition, this combination of training or education and highly
structured work experience, plus job guidance and placement which also would
be provided under ACC, is the general formula which youth employment researchers
have found to be highly effective in the past.
As noted earlier, the California Conservation Corps, which is very similar
to the proposed ACC, has been found to yield a $1,671 annual increase in earnings
for participants, as compared with a similar group of non-participants. It is
CRS-14
reasonable to assume that some increase in subsequent earnings could also result
from participation in the ACC.
In conclusion, while it is impossible to state numerically the amount of
social benefits resulting from a program such as the ACC, research on similar
labor-intensive programs suggests that these social benefits are substantial.
In addition to increased employability and earnings, these benefits could
include certain direct savings to society through reduced welfare and unemploy-
ment insurance costs and lower crime rates. Further, less tangible but
equally significant benefits could include greater appreciation for the work
ethic, enhanced self-esteem, a sense of responsibility and discipline, the
ability to work well with others, better health, development of positive
social attitudes, and a sense of purpose.
At the same time, it should be pointed out that there may be other
approaches to the problems of youth unemployment that could also yield positive
results with a smaller investment of funds on a per-person basis. However,
the purpose of this paper was not to compare the proposed American Conservation
Corps with all other youth employment and training programs, but rather to
determine its potential benefits, based on the experience of similar efforts.
100
101
Congressional Research Service
INTRODUCTION
The Library of Congress
The most direct method of examining the potential conservation costs and
benafits of 0 youth conservation progrem 10 to exemine similer peat progrems.
- D.C. 20640
The Youth Conservation Corps (YCC) and the Young Adult Conservation Corps
(YACC) are two euch progreme which have been used for conservation work on
Federal end other lende in the peat decade. The YCC is . summer employment
progres for sen end women, age 15 through 18, while YACC provided year-round
conservation work to persons 16 to 23 who were unemployed end out of school;
ANALYSIS OF THE CONSERVATION BENEFITS AND COSTS OF
PAST YOUTH CONSERVATION PROGRAMS AND OPPORTUNITIES
YACC was terminated at the and of 1981, but the YCC program is still operating,
FOR SIMILAR WORK IN FEDERAL AGENCIES
although et reduced levele. Each of these programs will be exemined to the
extent that publiched information 10 available. This report provides 0
deecription of the coete and conservation benefite of theee two progrems,
followed by 0 discussion of opportunities identified for Federal lend menete-
ment agencies to obtain rasource-releted benefits in conjunction with work
Prepered at the Requeet of
Honorable John Seiberling
which could be accomplished by the proposed American Conservation Corps.
This report does not include any analynie of social benefite, euch .. reduced
unamployment end new skille for the perticipante, which could result from .
youth conservation progrem.
Rose W. Corte
Anelyst
end
George H. Siehl
Specialist
Environment end Natural Resources Policy Division
Jenuery 31, 1983
102
103
YOUTH CONSERVATION CORPS (YCC) AND YOUNG ADULT CONSERVATION CORPS (YACC)
The enrollment period for the YCC program averaged about seven weeks per
EXPENDITURES AND UNIT COSTS
enrollee, including dropouts. Specific deta on weekly or monthly coets per
The YCC, established in 1970, provided funde to the U.S. Forest Service
enrollee are unavailable, but at seven weeke per enrollee, the $1,666 coet per
in the Department of Apriculture end to the National Park Service, the Pish
enrollee averagee 3238 per week. Table 2 shows the average cost per enrollee
and Wildlife Service, and the Bureau of Land Management in the Department
and the average coat per week computed on the basis of seven weeks per enrollee
of the Interior for resource conservation work on Federal lands. The progres
for 1979 through 1982.
was expanded in 1974, providing money to Statee for conservation projects.
TABLE 2. Average YCC Cost per Enrollee end per Week
The funding and eccomplishments of the YCC grew rapidly through 1978, and then
eeeentielly leveled off. Funding to the Pederal agencies for this program
Total 1/
Enrolleee
Cost per
Cost per
Ficel Year
Expenditures
Enrollee
Woek
VBS cut more then 75 percent in 1981, and hee remained at relatively low lavels.
1979
Funding to the States for YCC programe was ended in 1982. Table 1 shows the
Federal
S 43,285,729
24,860
$ 1,741
$ 248.71
State
21,079,270
14,635
1,440
205.71
Federal expenditures on the YCC progrem from 1979 through 1983.
YCC Total
$ 64,364,999
39,495
$ 1,630
$ 232.A6
1980
Federal
$ 38,444,566
21,107
$ 1,821
$ 260.14
TABLE 1. Federal YCC Expenditures
State
19,123,743
12,793
1,495
213.57
YCC Total
$ 57,568,309
33,9
$ 1,698
$ 242.57
Fiscal
Forest
U.S. Department
Grants to
1981
Year
Service
Total
of the Interior
States 1/
Federal
$ 8,019,713
3,649
$ 2,198
$ 314.00
Funding
State
20,974,261
13,719
1,529
218.43
1979
$ 21,900,000
3 21,385,729
$ 16,156,854
YCC Total
$ 28,993,974
17,365
$ 1,669
9 238.43
1980
19,180,000
$ 39,442,583
1981
19,264,566
14,476,296
1982
4,000,000
52,920,862
4,019,713
$ 3,893,809
2,154
$ 1,808
258.29
16,192,684
Federal
1982
1,600,000
24,212,397
2,293,809
State
0
0
-
-
1983
0
3,300,000
3,893,809
6,700,000
0
10,000,000
1/ Includes State contributione to the YCC program of $4,922,416 in
1979, $4,647,447 in 1980, and $4,781,577 in 1981.
1/ State contributione to the YCC progrem ware 54,922,416 in 1979,
$4,647,447 in 1980, and 54,781,577 in 1981.
Source: U.S. Department of the Interior end Department of Agriculture.
2/ Funds " appropriated; Public Law 97-394.
YCC at Work: The 1979 Program Year.
Source: U.S. Department of the Interior and Depertment of Agriculture.
YCC at Work: The 1979 Program Year. Washington, U.S. Covt.
The YACC program, establiehed in 1977, wes administered jointly by the
Print. Off., 1980. 38 p. [ennus] eeries, 1979-19821
Departmenta of Lebor, of Agriculture, end of the Interior, with 30 percent of
the funds distributed to the Statee. The program expired at the end of 1981,
although some funds were deferred until 1982. Data on the YACC is less
105
104
TABLE 4. Major YCC Outpute on Federal Landa, 1971-1981 Total
available than for the YCC because no annual reports were prepared on the YACC
91,436 scres
program. Novever, data on the Agriculture Department portion were included in
Timber Stand Improvement
60,768 acres
Tree Planting
3,649,825 visitors
the annual Report of the Forest Service. These data are sufficient for . general
Visitor Assistance
47,063 acres
Range Revegetation
Fish and Wildlife Habitat Improvement
439,176 acres
comparison with the YCC data presented above. Forest Service expenditures on
15,393 miles
Trail Maintenance
115,191 acres
the YACC program are shown in table 3. The table also shows the average cost
Erosion Control
Source: U.S. Department of the Interior and Department of Agriculture.
Youth Year. Washington, U.S. Govt. Print. off., 1982. 49 P. [annual
Conservation Corps: Tenth Anniversary Report, 1980 Program
TABLE 3. Average Forest Service YACC Cost per Enrollee and per Week
Fiscal
series, 1980-1981)
Year
Expenditures
Cost per
Enrollees
Cost per
Enrollee
Week
1978
$ 81.6 willion
examples of the activities included are shown in table 5, while table 6 dis-
1979
n/a
80.4 million
n/a
n/a
1980
28,310
75.7 million
8 2,840
$ 236.67
plays the value of work accomplished for the major categories. In the eleven
1981
24,865
60.5 million
3,044
253.67
1982
18,617
20.3 million
3,250
270.53
years from 1971 through 1981, the appraised value of YCC accomplishments totaled
8,555
2,373
197.75
more than $300 million. The appraised value of YCC work is compared to the
Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service. Report of the
Forest Service: Fiscal Year 1979. Washington, 1980. 209 P.
total YCC expenditures in table 7. For the four years shown, the expenditures
[annual series, 1979-1982]
exceed the value of work accomplished by $3.7 million, about two percent of
per enrollee was nearly $3,000 from 1979 through 1982. Average enrollment in
the total expenditures.
the Forest Service portion of the YACC program was three months, compared to
The appraised value of work accomplished by YACC enrollees in the Forest
Service 10 presented in table 8, together with a comparison to the program
seven weeks for the YCC program. At three months per enrollee, the average
weekly cost per person for the YACC program was 8245, slightly higher than the
costs. Overall, the value of work done exceeds the expenditures, even includ-
average weekly cost of the YCC program at $238.
ing the start-up costs in 1978; the difference for the five years that the
YACC existed is $12.3 million. One limitation of this data is that the Forest
TYPES OF PROJECTS AND APPRAISED VALUE OF WORK ACCOMPLISHED
Service annual reports provide no disaggregation of work by categories.
The YCC program was used for many types of projects on Federal and other
Since the value of work accomplished by the YCC and YACC provided on these
lands. Table 4 shows the outpute for several types of projects on Federal
tables represents agency estimates of the cost to complete the work if it were
lands from 1971 through 1981. The annual reports on the YCC program included
done under contract or by Federal employees, these values do not represent dollar
estimates of the appraised value of work accomplished; 1/ major categories and
values of physical resources per se. Therefore, comparisons of expenditures with
the value of work accomplished are simply estimates of the money saved by using
doing the same work under contract or with Federal employees.
1/ Value of work accomplished is appraised by estimating the cost of
106
107
TABLE 5. Major Accomplishment Categories and Examples of Activities
TABLE 6. Appraised Value of Work Accomplished by YCC
(in million dollars) FY 1971-1981
A. Timber Management
Fiscal Year
- Planting trees
- Improving timber stands and sites
1971
1972
1973
1974
1975
1976
- Controlling insect and disease pests
Category
- Disposing of debris and logging slash
Timber Mgmt.
$ 0.3
$ 0.2
$0.2
$ 0.3
$ 1.2
$ 2.1
0.9
0.6
1.7
2.4
4.8
9.1
B. Recreation Development and Maintenance
Recreation
Visitor Serv.
0.0
0.2
0.3
0.5
1.4
2.5
- Building and maintaining campgrounds, picnic facilities, recreation
shelters, water recreation facilities, and decorative fences
Range Mgmt.
0.0
0.1
0.3
0.4
0.9
1.6
- Clearing overlooks and vistas
Wildlife
0.1
0.2
0.3
0.4
1.0
1.8
0.0
0.5
0.2
0.2
1.6
3.3
- Picking up litter
Engineering
Water & Soil
0.1
0.3
0.2
0.4
1.1
2.4
Other
0.2
0.5
0.5
0.8
2.1
4.0
C. Visitor Services
- Building and maintaining visitor information centers
$ 1.8
$ 2.7
$ 3.6
$8.71/
$13.9
$26.9
- Assisting visitors with information and guides
Total
- Restoring historical dwellings, monuments, and artifacts
- Landscaping and site rehabilitation
D. Range Management
Fiscal Year
- Building and maintaining piping, fences,and cattleguards
- Replanting rangelands
1980
1981
1971-81 Total
- Controlling weeds
Category
1977
1978
1979
- Developing wildlife springs and catchment basins
Timber Mgmt.
$ 3.5
$4.4
$ 3.9
$4.2
$2.3
$22.6 ( 7.3%)
15.8
19.5
21.2
21.0
9.3
106.3 (34.2%)
E. Wildlife
Recreation
Visitor Serv.
3.8
5.4
4.6
4.2
3.3
26.1 ( 8.4%)
- Surveying waterfowl, fish, and wildlife populations
3.2
4.6
4.3
4.0
1.1
20.5 ( 6.6%)
- Improving waterfowl, fish, and wildlife habitats
Range Mgmt.
3.0
3.9
3.8
1.7
20.6 ( 6.6%)
Wildlife
4.4
- Building and maintaining waterfowl nesting sites and fish raceways
7.5
7.9
7.5
45.9 (14.8%)
Engineering
6.6
10.5
- Developing wildlife springs and catchment basins
Water & Soil
4.4
5.7
4.7
4.4
2.6
26.3 ( 8.5%)
6.9
8.3
8.0
7.5
3.6
42.3 (13.6%)
F. Engineering and Construction
Other
- Assisting topographic, engineering, cadastral/land line, and corner search
surveys
Total
$47.2
$62.8
$58.0
$57.0
$31.3
$313.9
- Building and maintaining trails, general use and fire roads, telegraph and
electric lines, and foot, bike, and horse bridges
G. Water and Soil Conservation
- Controlling erosion and protecting watersheds
1/ Includes $3.3 million of work accomplished by State grants program,
- Building and maintaining drift fences and drainage and irrigation ditches
not disaggregated by category.
- Improving stream channels and water quality
2/ Columns and rows may not add to totals due to rounding error. Precise
- Working on flood control and water supply projects
data is available in the source cited below.
H. Other YCC Programs
- Building and maintaining signs, camps, and facilities for YCC
Source: U.S. Department of the Interior and Department of Agriculture.
- Training in first aid
Youth Conservation Corps. 1980 Program Year.
Source: U.S. Department of the Interior. YCC Program Report 1982: Youth
Conservation Corps. Washington, U.S. Govt. Print. off., 1984. 32 P.
108
109
TABLE 7. Total YCC Expenditures and Value of Work Accomplished
YCC or YACC labor instead of contracting or doing the work in-house. This does
not imply that contractors or Federal employees were replaced by the youth con-
Total 1/
Value of Work
Fiscal Year
Expenditures
Accomplished
servation programs. Much of the work that was done, particularly the main-
Difference
1979
tenance-type projects, would simply not have been done.
Federal
43,285,729
$ 36,857,110
State
-$ 6,428,619
21,079,270
21,124,845
The fact that work done by the YCC and YACC would have been deferred with-
+
YCC Total
45,575
64,364,999
$ 57,981,955
-$ 6,383,044
out those programs is often cited as evidence that those programs generally did
1980
Federal
38,444,566
$ 34,569,735
low priority work. In 1981, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Interior Richard
State
-$ 3,874,831
19,123,743
22,447,754
YCC Total
+ 3,324,011
$ 57,568,309
$ 57,017,489
Hite made this argument: 2/
1981
-s 550,820
Federal
$ 8,019,713
$ 5,585,153
other higher priority conservation and development work may
State
-$ 2,434,560
20,974,261
25,759,077
not be funded because budget totals are increased by youth employ-
YCC Total
+ 4,784,816
$ 28,993,974
$ 31,344,230
ment programs funding lower priority work indirectly.
1982
+$ 2,350,250
Federal
S 3,893,809
S 4,770,805
Contrary to the low-priority argument is the reported deterioration of
State
+5 876,996
0
-
-
national park and national forest facilities due to deferred maintenance that has
1/ Includes State contribution to the YCC program of $4,922,416 in 1979,
also been frequently noted. In 1980, the General Accounting Office reported that
$4,647,447 in 1980, and $4,781,577 in 1981.
many Federal facilities did not meet health and safety standards, and estimated
Source: U.S. Department of the Interior and Department of Agriculture.
YCC at Work: The 1979 Program Year.
that $1.6 billion was needed to correct these deficiencies. 3/ In response to
this problem, then-Secretary of the Interior James Watt proposed diverting Land
and Water Conservation Fund monies from land acquisition to maintaining Federal
facilities. Watt stated: 4/
TABLE 8. Forest Service YACC Expenditures and Value of Work Accomplished
Fiscal
Value of Work
2/ Richard Hite, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Policy, Budget and
Year
Expenditures
Accomplished
Administration, Department of the Interior. Statement Concerning H.R. 4861
Difference
Before the House Subcommittee on Public Lands and National Parks [Committee on
1978
$ 81.6 million
$ 61.2 million
Interior and Insular Affairs]. December 8, 1981.
1979
-$ 20.4 million
80.4 million
89.4 million
1980
+ 9.0 million
75.7 million
83.0 million
3/ U.S. General Accounting Office. Report by the Comptroller General of
+ 7.3 million
1981
60.5 million
72.0 million
the United States: Facilities in Many National Parks and Forests Do Not Meet
+ 11.5 million
1982
20.3 million
25.2 million
Health and Safety Standards. CED-80-115. Washington, U.S. Govt. Print. off.,
+ 4.9 million
October 10, 1980. 153 P.
Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service. Report of the
4/ James G. Watt, Secretary, Department of the Interior. Statement Before
Forest Service: Fiscal Year 1978. Washington, 1979. [annual
the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, Subcommittee on Public Lands.
series, 1978-1982]
May 7, 1981.
111
110
In the midst of all this acquisition, there has been a failure even
value of the planting was $700, suggesting that the YCC effort cost $7 more
to begin to adequately maintain what we have, to the point where the
GAO stated in October of last year that the Park Service and its
than B contract would have cost. However, the timber value of the 6 acres
concessionaires are sitting on a health and safety maintenance back-
log far in excess of $1 billion. If you just look at the gross
of planting may range from as low as $1,000 to more than $70,000 when the trees
numbers, Mr. Chairman, I think you can clearly see where our
priorities must be. The health and safety backlog simply has to be
are mature, depending on numerous factors such as the species planted, the pro-
addressed. The Department of the Interior has a statutory responsi-
bility to protect the health and safety of the public as well as to
ductivity of the site, and the age of maturity. The $700 appraised value bears
maintain and restore deteriorated facilities.
no direct relationship with the discounted present net worth of the future
As noted earlier, much of the work accomplished by the YCC and YACC pro-
timber value of the planting.
grams was maintenance-type work. And, as shown above, the cost of these pro-
There have been attempts to estimate the resource values which result from
grams is roughly comparable to contracting costs or the cost of using Federal
reforestation work by conservation programs. The most common approach is to
employees. Much of the work accomplished by these programs would have been
compare the estimated value of the mature timber with the planting costs. One
deferred, allowing additional deterioration in the national parks and national
calculation in Washington State shows a timber value at maturity (using 1981
forests. Richard Pardo of the American Forestry Association summarized the
prices) of $8.7 million for 1,245 acres planted by the YCC at a cost of
attitude of many national conservation orgranizations when he was quoted as
$104,125 7/; this implies a 7.6-percent annual rate of return on the YCC in-
saying:
vestment if timber maturity is reached in 60 years, a common rotation age for
Our view is that things will not get done without the YACC. The
future of the program is a matter of investing in and using public
private timberlands in the State. A recent report on National Service cited
lands. The parks depend on the YACC. They are short of manpower
now. Without repair and maintenance, natural resources and parks
90,000 acres of reforestation in Washington and Oregon by the Civilian Conser-
will deteriorate.
vation Corps between 1934 and 1939; the approximate cost was $270,000, while the
RESOURCE VALUE OF WORK ACCOMPLISHED
current market value of the timber is $63 million. This increase in value
As noted above, the appraised value of YCC and YACC accomplishments is
implies an average rate of return exceeding 12 percent per year for the CCC
obtained by estimating costs of the project if contractors or Federal employees
reforestation investment.
were used. This appraised value has nothing to do with the value of the out-
puts produced by these programs. For example, in 1982, it cost approximately
U.S. Department of the Interior. YCC Program Report 1982. P. 24.
$707 to plant trees on 6 acres in a National Park System unit; the appraised
H. Reynaud, YCC State Program Agent, State of Washington. on Public The
YCC Lands Program and National in Washington. Parks [Committee on Interior and Insular
7/ David Testimony Before the House Subcommittee Affairs]. May 5,
1981.
5/ Youth Policy Institute. Youth Service and Conservation: Meeting
National Needs int he Eighties. A Report on the Young Adult Conservation Corps.
Foley, Meryl Maneker, and Jeffrey Lee Schwartz. Youth Policy National
Washington, May 1981. P. 32.
Service 8/ and Jonathan America's Future. Special Report. Washington,
Institute, January 1984. 21 P.
112
113
It is difficult to estimate benefits of conservation programs even for
building artificial reefs near Panama City, Florida, in 1978. 10/ The YACC
marketable commodities such as timber. The variability in site conditions
costs in one reported quarter were $29,000, compared to an estimated contract-
makes benefit calculations that are not site-specific very crude estimates, at
ing cost of $64,831. However, the real benefits of the project are the fish
best; for example, the average price in 1983 for Douglas-fir in Arizona and New
attracted to the artificial reef that are attracting more tourists and sport
Mexico was only $7 per thousand board feet, while in the national forests of
fishermen; it was reported that 60 percent of the charter fishing was being
western Washington and Oregon the price averaged more than $160 per thousand
done on the artificial reefs. The difficulty in assessing these dollar benefits
board feet in 1983. The uncertainty resulting from the long time frame (50
is how to measure the value of the artificial reefs to the fishermen and to the
years or more) for forestry investments reduces the likelihood of accurate
local economy through increased tourism. In any case, these benefits are not
estimates for even the site-specific estimates. It may be possible to estimate
reflected at all in the value of accomplishments reported by the agencies.
such benefits when specific areas are treated, but general estimates of
reforestation benefits based solely on the number of acres treated are not
AGENCY-BY-AGENCY REVIEW
feasible.
The previous analysis briefly reviewed the operation of the Youth Conserva-
It is far more difficult to estimate benefits of conservation projects for
tion Corps (YCC) and the Young Adult Conservation Corps (YACC) as a basis for
non-marketed outputs, such as recreation and wildlife. There is an extensive
estimating costs and benefits for the proposed American Conservation Corps.
body of literature debating the relative merits of various valuation techniques.
Information is provided below on how these programs are incorporated into the
Several different methods could be used, but as with forestry investments, the
work of the principal participating Federal agencies as a means of furthering
variability in site conditions and difficulty in estimating changes resulting
resource conservation. What follows was obtained from a review of agency and
from the conservation efforts makes a general benefit calculation infeasible.
other documents dealing with the YCC and the YACC and from conversations with
To properly evaluate the benefits of conservation programs, the activities and
agency personnel who are closely involved with the operation of the youth con-
outputs should be calculated for each project.
servation programs.
An example from the YACC will further demonstrate the distinction between
The YCC and YACC were established with the dual goals of employing young
the appraised values and the value of the outputs produced, and will help to
people and completing work relevant to the conservation of natural resources.
illustrate the difficulty in calculating the latter values. Work began on
These two goals coincide with the Federal land managing agencies' tasks for the
protection and use of natural resources, tasks which are often extensive and
9/ U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service. Volume and Value of
very labor intensive.
Sawtimber Stumpage Sold from National Forests by Selected Species and Region:
Calendar Year 1983. Unpublished quarterly report. 3 P.
10/ U.S. Department of the Interior, Office of Youth Programs. News
Clippings, Articles and Views on YACC, YCC, and Job Corps. Washington,
March 1981. p. 18.
114
115
When the YCC and YACC programs were funded as separate line items in the
formal inventory, there is evidence that considerable work exists that needs
budget, achievement of both goals of youth employment and reduction of the
to be addressed. The previously cited GAO report on health and safety de-
backlog of conservation work could be examined. The agency spokespersons
ficiencies in National Parks and Forests because of deferred maintenance, 11/
interviewed have indicated, however, that in order to support the required
and the statement of Richard Pardo of American Forestry Association that
level of the YCC program in 1985 (not less than $10 million under requirements
park resources would deteriorate without proper maintenance, such as was pro-
of the 1985 Continuing Appropriations Act, P.L. 98-473) it will be necessary
vided by YACC, are indications of this need. 12/ The kind of work that has
to reprogram funds from other operations of their agencies; YACC funding
been done already in the National Parks by the YCC is described below.
ended after FY-1981. No separate funding for YCC was contained in the
Since many of these management needs are of a recurring nature, there
FY-1985 appropriation. Under the current situation, the youth employment
likely will be a continuing supply of work to be done.
goal may be realized, but it is questionable if there will be any increase
The Interior Department's 1982 report on the Youth Conservation Corps 13/
in the amount of resource management work that will be accomplished over that
provides a guide to the types of work the youth conservation programs could under-
which would be done by regular employees if reprogramming were not necessary.
take. The report cited 71 different activities in eight categories which were
In the following agency-by-agency summaries, information is presented on
carried out in National Park System units by YCC workers in 1982. The eight
1) the backlog of projects which could be undertaken in youth conservation work
categories and the number of projects and hours worked in each were as follows:
programs; 2) examples of the kinds of tasks performed by the YCC; and 3) the
TABLE 9. YCC Activities in 1982 in the National Park System
anticipated YCC program effort in the summer of 1985. The agencies for which
No. of
Hours
this information is provided are the National Park Service and the Fish and
Projects
Spent
Wildlife Service in the Department of the Interior and the U.S. Forest Service
18
5,443
Timber Management
147
54,111
Recreation Development/Maintenance
in the Department of Agriculture. The Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Depart-
114
36,665
Visitor Services
23
7,362
Range Management
ment of the Interior, is not currently participating in the YCC program and
7
1,132
Wildlife
118
51,716
Engineering/Construction
is not reviewed here even though it has utilized YCC and YACC youth in
42
18,572
Water/Soil Conservation
152
35,677
previous years.
Other YCC Programs
628
210,678
NPS Total
National Park Service (NPS)
Source: U.S. Department of the Interior. YCC Program Report 1982.
The National Park Service has prepared no comprehensive inventory of tasks
11/ U.S. General Accounting Office. Facilities in Many National Parks
that might be performed by a youth conservation work program. While lacking a
and Forests Do Not Meet Health and Safety Standards.
-12/ Youth Policy Institute. Youth Service and Conservation.
13/ U.S. Department of the Interior. YCC Program Report 1982.
117
116
Thus, the YCC activities contributed to the preservation of the natural and
TABLE 10. YCC Activities in 1982 Under the Fish and Wildlife Service
No. of
Hours
cultural resource base of the National Park System and served visitors to the
Projects
Spent
System, as well.
26
2,116
The National Park Service YCC program for 1985 is expected to consist of
Timber Management
191
18,045
Recreation Development/Maintenance
98
14,803
an eight-week session which will employ approximately 2,000 young people at
Visitor Services
69
9,096
Range Management
188
21,144
a cost of not less than $3.4 million, as stipulated in the 1985 Continuing
Wildlife
100
16,566
Engineering/Construction Water/Soil Conservation
50
5,352
Appropriations Act (P.L. 98-473). 14/ As stipulated in that Act, the NPS will
308
75,915
Other YCC Programs
draw the funds from the budget for operation of the National Park System rather
1030
163,037
FWS Total
than from an additional amount appropriated for the YCC effort.
Source: U.S. Department of the Interior. YCC Program Report 1982.
Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS)
FWS has not conducted a formal inventory of work to be performed by YCC
The Fish and Wildlife Service YCC program in 1985 is expected to consist
personnel. The procedure for operating its YCC program has been to identify
of an eight week work session for approximately 2,000 young people at a cost of
during the Spring the work to be done during the Summer YCC employment period.
not less than $3.3 million, as stipulated in the 1985 appropriations Act (P.L.
This work includes "just about everything FWS gets involved in" according to a
98-473). 17/ The funds are to be drawn from the money appropriated for
FWS spokesman. 15/ Specific tasks are noted in the compilation below.
resource management by the Fish and Wildlife Service.
The previously cited Interior Department report on YCC activities in
1982 16/ identifies 79 different activities for FWS under the same eight cate-
U.S. Forest Service (USFS)
The USFS estimates a backlog of projects on Forest Service lands which
gories used for the National Park Service YCC program in that year. The
number of projects and hours spent in each category for the FWS are as
could be carried out by youth conservation work programs with an estimated
follows:
benefit of these projects of $1.25 billion over a five year period. 18/ Because
many of these projects involve recurring tasks such as trail maintenance and
timber management, it is further estimated that the available work could be set
14/ Personal communication with Grover Barham, National Park Service,
U.S. Dept. of the Interior, Washington, D.C. January 1985.
15/ Personal communication with Don Boyd, Fish and Wildlife Service,
17/ Personal communication with Don Boyd.
U.S. Dept. of the Interior, Washington, D.C. January 1985.
Personal communication with Wayne Bell, Office of Human 1985. Resource
16/ U.S. Department of the Interior. YCC Program Report 1982.
Programs, 18/ U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Washington, D.C. January
118
119
at a value of $2.5 billion over a ten year period. The Department of Agricul-
OVERALL OPPORTUNITIES FOR CONSERVATION EMPLOYMENT
ture expects that the Forest Service, with current capabilities, could administer
Opportunities for employing large numbers of youths in conservation projects
an annual program in the amount of about $210 million which could employ about
have been demonstrated in the programs described above. In 1979, nearly 40,000
18,000 young people. 19/
youths participated in the YCC program, and another 67,000 were employed in the
The USFS has not provided the name amount of detail as the Interior
YACC program. The tasks performed by these programs are similar to those pro-
Department agencies in reporting on the work performed by the YCC. Nonethe-
posed in section 4(c) of H.R. 99 for the American Conservation Corps:
less, work is likely to have been performed in each of the categories used
(1) wildlife habitat conservation, rehabilitation, and improvement;
in the Interior agency compilations, although different emphases would
(2) rangeland conservation, rehabilitation, and improvement;
(3) recreational area development, maintenance, and improvement;
appear. Maintenance and development activities for recreation and timber,
(4) urban revitalization;
(5) historical and cultural site preservation and maintenance;
wildlife habitat improvement, and erosion control are among the activities
(6) fish culture and habitat maintenance and improvement and other
fishery assistance;
mentioned by the Forest Service.
(7) road and trail maintenance and improvement;
(8) erosion, flood, drought, and storm damage assistance and control; and
The 1985 YCC program in the Forest Service envisions employment of about
(9) stream, lake, and waterfront harbor and port improvement,
pollution control;
2,200 young people during the eight week summer work period. 20/ The 1985
(10) insect, disease, rodent, and fire prevention and control;
(11) improvement of abandoned railroad bed and right-of-way;
Continuing Appropriations Act specified not less than $3.3 million was to be
(12) energy conservation projects and renewable resource enhancement;
(13) recovery of biomass from public lands, particularly forestlands;
spent on the program by USFS, the funds to be drawn from money appropriated for
(14) reclamation and improvement of strip-mined land; and
(15) forestry, nursery, and silvicultural operations.
operation of the National Forest System.
The Forest Service recently estimated that it has a backlog of $1.25
19/ Ibid.
billion in projects which could be undertaken by youth conservation program
20/ Ibid.
personnel. 21/ This concurs with an earlier Forest Service estimate of a $1.2
billion backlog cited in 1982 testimony by Ellen O'Brien Saunders. 22/ At the
proposed $75 million annual authorization for the American Conservation Corps--
21/ Personal communication with Wayne Bell. December 18, 1984.
No disaggregation by type of project or location is available.
22/ Elleh O'Brien Saunders, Executive Secretary, State of Wisconsin Work
Board, also representing the National Association of State Conservation of 1982
Projects Corps Program Agents. Statement on the American Conservation Corps Act on
Before the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, Subcommittee
Public Lands and Reserved Water. September 22, 1982.
121
120
assuming the value of the work is equal to the program cost - this backlog
potential. 26/ The report stated that 16 million acres of timberland could be
reforested and earn at least a 10 percent return on the investment -- includ-
alone could provide more than 16 years of work for the American Conservation
Corps. In 1977, when addressing the YACC conservation work, the Forest Service
ing 1.5 million acres of the national forests, one million acres of other public
estimated a need for 450,000 work-years of labor-intensive tasks, and cited a
lands, and nearly 10 million acres of private forestland whose owners do not own
reforestation backlog of 3 million acres on the national forests. 23/ At an
sawmills (such as farmers). A 10 percent return on investment could also be
earned with timber stand improvements on 39 million acres of forestland; this
average cost of $12,500 per work-year for a conservation employment program
($250 per week, 50 work-weeks per year), the proposed $75 million annual
includes two million acres of national forests, 1.5 million acres of other
American Conservation Corps could be continued for 75 years before completing
public lands, and more than 20 million acres of private, non-industry lands.
the 450,000 work-year backlog.
It is difficult to translate these numbers into precise employment
Although the relevant land management agencies in the Department of the
opportunities. However, assuming that an inexperienced youth is half as pro-
ductive as a professional, one youth could probably plant about a half acre of
Interior do not currently have an inventory of work that could be accomplished
by a youth conservation program, the 1982 testimony mentioned above by Ms.
trees per day; this is likely to be highly variable, depending on terrain and
Saunders cited a Department of the Interior estimate that the Department had
other site conditions. 27/ Timber stand improvement is more variable because
a backlog of labor-intensive tasks of 460,000 work-years. 24/ In 1977, the
the time required also depends on the specific treatment being applied; the
Department of the Interior identified their labor-intensive work backlog as
average time is probably about the same as for tree planting two days for an
370,000 work-years. 25/ At an average cost of $12,500 per work-year for a
inexperienced youth to treat an acre of forestland. The assumptions imply
that there are 32 million days of tree planting and 78 million days of stand
conservation employment program ($250 per week, 50 work-weeks per year), the
proposed $75 million annual American Conservation Corps program could be con-
improvement work available to employ youths, including seven million days on
tinued for 60 to 75 years before finishing the identified backlog.
the national forests and five million days on other public lands, that could
In addition to these estimates of youth employment opportunities, there
provide a 10 percent return on investment. This is more than 400,000 person-
are compilations of tree planting and timber stand improvement needs. In 1980,
years of labor, and thus is close to the estimates for Interior Department and
Forest Service work backlogs. It should be noted that this estimate is total
the Forest Industries Council issued a report on profitable forestry investment
26/ Forest Industries Council. Forest Productivity Report. Washington,
23/ Youth Policy Institute. Youth Service and Conservation. P. 2.
National Forest Products Assn., 1980. 66 P.
24/ Ellen O'Brien Saunders. Statement on American Conservation Corps
Act of 1982.
27/ Personal communication with Roscoe Caron, President, The Hoedads,
Inc., Euguene, Oregon. June 3, 1983.
25/ Youth Policy Institute. Youth Service and Conservation. P. 2.
122
123
opportunities, not an annual figure, and that some of these opportunities are
SUMMARY
likely to have been included in the opportunities described in the previously-
The benefits and costs of the proposed American Conservation Corps can be
mentioned estimates.
examined by observing other recent youth conservation programs, such as the
Analysis of youth employment opportunities in recreation programs, fish
Youth Conservation Corps and the Young Adult Conservation Corps. The weekly
and wildlife projects, and grazing improvements is more difficult than for
cost for the YCC program averaged $238 per enrollee, while the Forest Service
timber projects. National assessments of needs that can be translated into
portion of the YACC program averaged $245 per enrollee per week. These programs
employment estimates simply do not exist for these other resource uses. In the
were used to plant trees and grass, to improve timber stands and fish and wild-
YCC program from 1971 through 1981, these non-timber activities accounted for
life habitats, to control erosion, to assist visitors, to build and maintain
93 percent of the appraised value of work accomplished, suggesting that timber
structures and trails, and much more. On the whole, between 1979 and 1982, the
programs have been a small part of the total program. It is unknown whether
program costs were less than the appraised value of the work accomplished. The
these non-timber activities could be expanded on the name scale as the timber-
appraised values are agency estimates of the cost to do the work under contract
related employment.
or with Federal employees, and are not related to the value of the outputs
produced by these programs; no comprehensive estimates of the resource benefits
produced by the YCC and YACC exist, although substantial benefits can be in-
ferred by using various resource valuation techniques. In addition, potential
social benefits to the participants could result from a youth conservation
program, but such potential benefits are not examined in this report. At their
peak in 1979, these programs employed more than 100,000 youths. While compre-
hensive compilations of youth employment opportunities in conservation programs
do not exist, the estimates that do exist suggest that a $75 million annual
program such as the proposed American Conservation Corps could provide useful
work for many years, assuming that the funds are available and that these
programs merit the investment.