Youth Conservation

 

Promote and stimulate public purposes such as education, job training, development of responsible citizenship, productive community involvement, and furthering the understanding and appreciation of natural and cultural resources through the involvement of local youth and young adults in the care and enhancement of public resources.

Active 15.546 Bureau of Reclamation, Department of The Interior B - Project Grants Fiscal Year 2017 Information not available. In 2015-16, the program accomplishments include providing work opportunities for over 264 diverse youth in cooperative efforts in cultural and natural resource conservation related to Reclamation projects, including trail building, habitat restoration of native plant and aquatic species; removing invasive plants; re-vegetation; and fuels reduction and creation of fuel breaks; installing wildlife friendly fencing; habitat improvement – erosion control and wetland restoration; collecting and/or monitoring stream flows, snow pack, or soil moisture; implementing specific water conservation projects (i.e., flumes), and removal, repair, and reconstruction of boardwalks, railings, and campsite concrete pads.
Fiscal Year 2018 Information not available.
Fiscal Year 2019 Great Northern Restoration Project (MT, ND, SD, WY) completed by the Montana Conservation Corps. A small crew of youth from the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation served for two weeks (630 hours) at the Belle Fourche Reservoir in South Dakota. The crew completed trash removal at recreation sites (50 pounds), a quarter of a mile of fencing maintenance, and repainted cabins for park visitors. The crew also completed 3 acres of wildfire fuels reduction of tress along the reservoir shore.
Fiscal Year 2020 Promoted and stimulated public purposes such as education, job training, development of responsible citizenship, productive community involvement, and furthering the understanding and appreciation of natural and cultural resources through the involvement of local youth and young adults in the care and enhancement of public resources. Included work on projects on Reclamation lands, and internships within Reclamation offices.
Fiscal Year 2021 No projects in FY20 or FY21 due to COVID-19 pandemic, however in FY22 the Youth Corps completed a 10 day work project removing invasive vegetation. The work was funded in FY19.
Fiscal Year 2022 In FY22 there was a 10 day work project at the wetlands park to remove invasive vegetation. Recruitment and placement of youth interns at Reclamation facilities in the Western U.S. to gain understanding of roles in conserving water and power resources.
Fiscal Year 2023 There was an additional week of invasive vegetation removal at the wetlands park, and there were three 10-day stints at Davis Dam camp to remove invasive vegetation and planting approximately 4000 native plants. Recruitment and placement of youth interns at Reclamation facilities in Nevada to gain understanding of roles in conserving water and power resources. Public Lands Corps Act of 1993 (16 U.S.C. 1721-1730) and Youth Conservation Corps Act of 1970 (16 U.S.C. §§ 1701-07) Eligibility for conservation activities is limited to qualified youth or conservation corps that are able to involve youth ages 15-25 in the 17 states west of the Mississippi river. Eligibility for the Intern Program is limited to non-profit organizations other than institutions of higher education that are capable of recruiting qualified youth interns for positions located at Reclamation offices and facilities. A qualified service and conservation corps means any program established by a State, or local government, by the governing body of any Indian tribe, or by a nonprofit organization that 1) is capable of offering meaningful, full-time, productive work for individuals between the ages of 16 and 30, inclusive, in a natural or cultural resource setting; 2) gives participants a mix of work experience, basic and life skills, education, training and support services; and 3) provides participants with the opportunity to develop citizenship values and skills through service to their community and the United States. Youth and local communities that benefit from conservation improvements and involvement in youth programs activities on Reclamation-owned lands and facilities. Not applicable. Preapplication coordination is required. Environmental compliance for this program by the Recipient is not required. Reclamation will address all environmental compliance requirements prior to the start of activities funded under this program. 2 CFR 200, Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards applies to this program. Funding opportunity announcements for this program, along with registration procedures, application packages and instructions, SF-424 forms and any other forms to be used to submit application information, points of contact, and procedures for submitting applications will be available on www.grants.gov. All applications will be initially screened for eligible and compliance with the requirements stated in the program funding opportunity announcement. Applications passing this screening process will be forwarded for review by the proposal evaluation criteria, and any additional review factors, as stated in the funding opportunity announcement. Final selection will be determined by the Commissioner, Bureau of Reclamation, or regional officials, as applicable to the project. Contact the headquarters or regional location, as appropriate for application deadlines Approximately 90 Days. None. Final award decisions are not subject to appeal; however, the Bureau of Reclamation will provide all applicants with information why their proposals were not selected for award. None. The Corps shall consist of individuals between the ages of 16 and 30. The Secretary is authorized to enter into contracts and cooperative agreements with any qualified youth or conservation corps to perform appropriate conservation projects. The Secretary is also authorized to enter into cooperative agreements with nonprofit organizations (other than institutions of higher education) for the recruitment and placement of youth resource assistants (interns). Not applicable. Performance Reports: Unless otherwise stated in the agreement document, recipients shall submit on an annual basis Program Performance Reports. Upon completion of the agreement, recipients shall submit a final Program Performance Report. Not applicable. All recipients of Federal awards shall maintain project records in accordance with 2 CFR 200.333 Retention requirements for records. Financial records, supporting documents, statistical records, and all other non-Federal entity records pertinent to a Federal award must be retained for a period of three years from the date of submission of the final expenditure report or, for Federal awards that are renewed quarterly or annually, from the date of the submission of the quarterly or annual financial report, respectively, as reported to the Federal awarding agency or pass-through entity in the case of a subrecipient. Federal awarding agencies and pass-through entities must not impose any other record retention requirements upon non-Federal entities, except as noted in 2 CFR 200.333. Statutory formula is not applicable to this assistance listing.

Matching is mandatory. 25%. This program requires a non-Federal cost-share, through cash or in-kind services, of at least 25% of the total project costs.

MOE requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing. Master Cooperative Agreements are generally awarded for one to five years, with a reassessment of program accomplishment on an annual basis. Payment terms vary by agreement awarded under this program. None/Not specified. Chris Linehan
Bureau of Reclamation, Lower Colorado Regional Office
Boulder City, NV 89006 US
clinehan@usbr.gov
Phone: 702-293-8171 http://www.usbr.gov/youth 14-0680-0-1-301 (Cooperative Agreements (Discretionary Grants)) FY 22$2,220,720.00; FY 23 est $1,900,000.00; FY 24 est $2,000,000.00; FY 21$0.00; FY 20$1,073,433.00; FY 19$517.00; FY 18$0.00; FY 17$0.00; - Range: $500 to $500,000 Average: $50,000 2 CFR 200 UNIFORM ADMINISTRATIVE REQUIREMENTS, COST PRINCIPLES, AND AUDIT REQUIREMENTS FOR FEDERAL AWARDS and the applicable OMB Circulars. These documents may also be obtained by contacting the Bureau of Reclamation Office listed below. Fiscal Year 2017 Information not available. Funded projects include National Fish and Wildlife Foundation America’s Great Outdoors grants, AmeriCorps Environmental Summer Stewards, Heart Butte and Jamestown Reservoir Boundary Fence and Habitat Improvement Project, Vegetation Fuels Management, Drought Resiliency Efforts at Various Watersheds in Montana, Trails Management, Water Quality and Hydrology Student Interns and Engineering Student Interns.
Fiscal Year 2018 Information not available.
Fiscal Year 2019 Information not available.
Fiscal Year 2022 A youth corps completed a 10-day work project at a wetlands park and removed invasive vegetation.
Fiscal Year 2023 Furthered understanding and appreciation of the natural and cultural resources through youth and young adults involved in the care and enhancement of public resources.