Conservation Corps: Pairing Climate Action with Economic Opportunity

The document details the evolution of conservation corps in the U.S., from the New Deal-era Civilian Conservation Corps to modern initiatives like the 21st Century Conservation Service Corps. It highlights the environmental benefits of these programs, such as reforestation and disaster response, and their economic impact, including workforce development and cost-efficient land management. The text also outlines various funding mechanisms and recent legislative efforts, including President Biden's 2021 executive order for a Civilian Climate Corps Initiative, aimed at scaling up resilience and sustainability efforts.

• Conservation corps provide significant economic returns, with a study by Voices for National Service indicating that every dollar invested in national service programs like AmeriCorps returns $17 in social benefits to the community.
• Using conservation corps for land management is more cost-effective than using internal agency crews or private contractors, with average savings of 65 percent and 83 percent respectively.
• President Joe Biden's January 27, 2021, executive order established a Civilian Climate Corps Initiative to mobilize workers for goals including carbon sequestration in agriculture, reforestation, and the restoration of public lands and waters.
• Corps programs contribute to workforce development by providing specialized training and credentials in green sectors, such as solar panel installation, energy auditing, and green construction.
• Federal funding for corps is distributed through various channels, including the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS), which provided $576 million in AmeriCorps funding in 2020 to support over 60,000 members.
• Recent legislative proposals aimed at expanding corps include the RENEW Conservation Corps Act, which sought $55 billion over five years to employ one million Americans, and the 21st Century Civilian Conservation Corps Act, which proposed $9 billion for job training.

APA

Environmental and Energy Study Institute (2021). Conservation Corps: Pairing Climate Action with Economic Opportunity. https://www.eesi.org/files/FactSheet_Conservation_Corps_2021.pdf

Chicago

Environmental and Energy Study Institute. Conservation Corps: Pairing Climate Action with Economic Opportunity. 2021. https://www.eesi.org/files/FactSheet_Conservation_Corps_2021.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Environmental and Energy Study Institute |title=Conservation Corps: Pairing Climate Action with Economic Opportunity |date=February 2021 |url=https://www.eesi.org/files/FactSheet_Conservation_Corps_2021.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{environmentalandenergystudyinstitute2021conservation, author = {{Environmental and Energy Study Institute}}, title = {{Conservation Corps: Pairing Climate Action with Economic Opportunity}}, institution = {Environmental and Energy Study Institute}, year = {2021}, month = feb, url = {https://www.eesi.org/files/FactSheet_Conservation_Corps_2021.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }