The Public Lands Service Corps
Act of 2009
Putting National Parks at the Heart of National Service

A Cost-Effective Way to Reinvest in our National Parks and Public Lands
The Public Lands Service Corps Act of 2009 (H.R. 1612 in the House and S. 1442 in the Senate) extends the progress on national service begun by the Serve America Act. Passed by Congress in the spring of 2009, Serve America expanded the number of full time, paid service positions from 75,000 to 250,000.

Creates up to 10,000 New, Full Time, Paid Service Positions
The Public Lands Service Corps Act of 2009 would take up to 10,000 of those new, full time, paid service positions, and devote them to a Service Corps dedicated to reducing the inventory of critical backlog maintenance projects in national parks and public lands. An Indian Youth Service Corps (as proposed in S. 1442) would tackle priority projects in tribal areas as identified by community leaders.

The Public Lands Service Corps Act of 2009 complements service legislation passed earlier this year by creating a partnership framework between three federal land management agencies (the National Park Service, the Forest Service, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration), the Corporation for National and Community Service, and service providing organizations such as Corps Network and the Student Conservation Association (SCA). Each agency would establish an office at the department level to supervise the implementation and expansion of their portion of the Public Lands Service Corps program. The Corporation will serve as the fiduciary agent holding and transferring funds between the Federal government and the service providers. And, organizations such as the Corps Network, the YMCA, and SCA will take responsibility for the identification, recruitment, training, and oversight of service workers.

The Public Lands Service Corps members will participate in the renovation and rehabilitation of historic structures, maintenance of trails and campgrounds, and assist with the implementation of service learning projects and educational outreach designed to more effectively link parks to classrooms. With the length of Public Service Corps details ranging between 8 to 24 months, participants will have sufficient time to receive a much higher level of training than seasonal or short-time workers. That in-depth, hands-on experience will greatly contribute to the future employability of Corps members and make it possible for over-stretched Park Service, Forest Service, and NOAA managers to tackle more backlog maintenance projects by placing more volunteers in the field under the guidance of qualified Corps members.

A key objective of the Public Lands Service Corps Act of 2009 is to ensure that service corps members are drawn from the most diverse ranks possible. Special effort will be made to identify, recruit, hire, and train young people from disadvantaged backgrounds. And the Public Lands Service Corps will also seek the involvement of seniors and military veterans as Corps members and mentors – thus providing the opportunity for Americans of all ages to serve.

Roughly 76 years ago, our national parks were at the heart of a national service effort designed to put Americans back to work by restoring and enhancing our public lands. Contemporary efforts to reinvigorate the nation through service will only be complete when national parks have their proper place in current national service plans. By fostering greater service opportunities in our national parks and on our public lands, Congress and the Administration will help to protect and enhance our heritage while strengthening our economy and inspiring the next generation of public land stewards to step forward and take their rightful place at the conservation and preservation table.

Provides More Opportunities for Americans to Serve
Public Lands Service Corps members would range in age from 16 to 24. Provisions are currently being drafted that would encourage the participation of seniors and retirees to serve as Corps Members and mentors. Corps Members would be engaged in a wide variety of projects including building and rehabilitating camp sites and trails, reducing fire fuel loads in forests, eradicating invasive species, preservation of historic artifacts and structures, and the implementation of green infrastructure initiatives.

Endorsed by the Student Conservation Association and The Corps Network
The Public Lands Service Corps Act of 2009 provides the authority for Federal land management agencies to partner with service providing  organizations such as SCA and the Corps Network. These organizations have long, proven records of successfully recruiting, hiring, training, managing, and fielding service workers. The Departments of Agriculture (Forest Service), Commerce (the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration’s National Marine Estuary program), and Interior (the National Park Service, the Bureau of Land Management, and Fish & Wildlife) would all benefit from the labor rendered by Service Corps members and the Public Lands Service Corps Act of 2009 ensures that our national parks and public lands are placed at the heart of national service.

Recruits the Next Generation of Public Lands Managers
Service Corps members will serve 8 to 24 month details. By spending that much time working for one Federal land management agency and gaining experience in one or two job specialties, Service Corps participants will receive in-depth, hands-on experience that should greatly contribute to their future employability. They will also gain a deeper appreciation for the land management ethic of their employer and upon successful completion of 960 hours of service, Corps Members would be granted noncompetitive hiring status.

In this way, the Public Lands Service Corps Act of 2009 seeks to identify, recruit, hire, and retain, the next generation of public land managers. The legislation also has provisions ensuring that Corps Members are drawn from underserved communities and reflective of the true diversity of the United States of America.

Gives Our National Parks and Public Lands the Prominent Place they Deserve in National Service
Roughly 76 years ago, our national parks were at the heart of a national service effort designed to put Americans back to work by restoring and enhancing our public lands. Contemporary efforts to reinvigorate the nation through service will only be complete when national parks have their proper place in current national service plans. By fostering greater service opportunities in our national parks and on our public lands, Congress and the Administration will help to protect and enhance our heritage while strengthening our economy and inspiring the next generation of public land stewards to step forward and take their rightful place at the conservation and preservation table.

NPCA on Big Blend Radio
Alan Spears, Legislative Representative for the National Parks Conservation Association was a featured guest on ‘The Nature Connection’ on Big Blend Radio, to discuss the Public Lands Service Corps Act of 2009. The Show aired live on Monday, Aug. 31 at 4pm PT / 7pm ET. To listen to the show, please double click on the Play Button below.