Goal

Create 25,000 jobs and career-development opportunities for young people and veterans on public/tribal lands and waters by increasing the annual public investment in PLC programs by $100 million and leveraging significant private/in-kind resources. In the ensuing years, continue to scale up to engage 100,000 young people and Veterans. Use paid service as a pivotal strategy to address pressing national issues, including:

• Record-high youth and veteran unemployment
• The $25 billion of backlogged maintenance and resource management needs on public/tribal lands and waters
• The disengagement of youth from the great American outdoors and the need for transition programs for returning veterans
• Obesity, especially youth obesity
• The need for future natural resource, outdoor industry, and land management employees

Replicate and Expand Existing Program Models to Achieve Scale

Expand existing program models through the existing network of conservation corps, Student Conservation Association (SCA) and similar organizations that mobilize young people on conservation service projects in urban, rural and wildland areas in all 50 states.

Three-component strategy to reach our goal:

1. Expand the public/tribal investment in conservation service
   
   • Support the full implementation and funding of the 21CSC as an umbrella effort to support the existing network of PLC programs
   • Pass the Public Lands Service Corps Act
   • Position PLC programs to play a major role in the Veterans Job Corps
   • Increase funding for youth service and employment activities through the Departments of Interior, Agriculture (US Forest Service) and Commerce (NOAA).
2. Raise the profile of conservation service on public/tribal lands and waters
   
   • Position PLC programs through outreach, events, marketing, and public relations as a preeminent strategy for meeting the goals of AGO, 21CSC, and public/tribal land management agencies.
   • Publicize PLC program evaluation conducted by researchers at Texas A&M University that demonstrates the links between PLC programs and increased involvement in outdoor recreation/increased interest in natural resource/outdoor industry jobs
3. Create simplified pathways to engage experienced partner organizations
   • Tap and expand the infrastructure of non-profit and local/state government organizations that have significant experience engaging young people in public lands service. Don’t duplicate services or try to ‘reinvent the wheel’ with new federally-operated programs.
   • Use ‘cooperative agreements’ versus ‘contracts’ to purposefully acknowledge that the activities involve more than just completing the work, but also engaging and educating youth, instilling work and life skills, and orienting youth to public service careers.