Federal Programs Support Diverse Environmental Workforce Opportunities for Veterans

This fact sheet outlines several federal and partner-led programs designed to transition military veterans into civilian careers within the low-carbon workforce, specifically focusing on land management, agriculture, conservation, and fisheries.

• The Veterans Fire Corps (VFC) prepares veterans for careers as wildland firefighters by providing mandatory training for type 2 firefighter certification and engagement in hazardous fuel projects. In the California-based program, 53% of graduating veterans reported they have either gained or are pursuing employment in wildland fire suppression.
• The BattleGround to Breaking Ground (BGBG) program in Texas is a yearlong, three-phase training initiative aimed at increasing the number of veterans entering farming and ranching. Since 2008, the program has served 712 veterans and 962 total participants, with 100% of graduates starting or expanding agriculture operations.
• The VetsWork Environment and VetsWork GreenCorps programs provide workforce development for veterans in natural resource management. VetsWork Environment is a 45-week internship with cohorts in the Northwest (Oregon, Washington, and Alaska) and the Southeast/Central regions (covering 12 states and Puerto Rico), while VetsWork GreenCorps is a 13-week program based in the Umatilla National Forest.
• The NOAA Veterans Corps Fisheries Program operates across California, Washington, and Oregon to train veterans in habitat restoration and fisheries research. In California, participants have supported 279 restoration projects since May 2020. The Washington program, active since 2016, offers six-month internships focused on West Coast salmon recovery, while the Oregon program, started in 2018, provides 11-month career development experiences.

APA

Yang, C. (2021). Federal Programs Support Diverse Environmental Workforce Opportunities for Veterans. Environmental and Energy Study Institute. https://www.eesi.org/articles/view/federal-programs-support-diverse-environmental-workforce-opportunities-for-veterans

Chicago

Yang, Celine. Federal Programs Support Diverse Environmental Workforce Opportunities for Veterans. Environmental and Energy Study Institute, 2021. https://www.eesi.org/articles/view/federal-programs-support-diverse-environmental-workforce-opportunities-for-veterans.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Yang |first1=Celine |title=Federal Programs Support Diverse Environmental Workforce Opportunities for Veterans |publisher=Environmental and Energy Study Institute |date=24 March 2021 |url=https://www.eesi.org/articles/view/federal-programs-support-diverse-environmental-workforce-opportunities-for-veterans |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{yang2021federal, author = {Yang, Celine}, title = {{Federal Programs Support Diverse Environmental Workforce Opportunities for Veterans}}, institution = {Environmental and Energy Study Institute}, year = {2021}, month = mar, url = {https://www.eesi.org/articles/view/federal-programs-support-diverse-environmental-workforce-opportunities-for-veterans}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }