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Northwest Youth Corps helps clear the way

News articles, Northwest Youth Corps, Partners, UCF, Wildfire Prevention, Young Adult Programs /

(Originally posted on Methow Valley News on July 24, 2025) By Marcy Stamper Photos courtesy of Tim Van Beek .The route to Black Lake is now clear for hikers and horses, thanks to a dozen young people with Northwest Youth Corps, who spent two weeks clearing dense vegetation and fallen trees from the trail. Lake Creek Trail project assists USFS At a time of major cutbacks for trail work, a popular route in the Chewuch is now cleared 5 miles to Black Lake, thanks to a crew of young people armed with clippers, shovels and abundant energy. The robust crew of 16- to 18-year-olds from Northwest Youth Corps (NYC) just wrapped up two weeks of clearing downed trees and 8-foot-high ceanothus and other vegetation along the Lake Creek Trail. The relatively level trail, which melts out fairly early, was a priority because it’s a great entry-level route for beginning hikers and riders, Back Country Horsemen of Washington (BCHW) Trail Operations Manager Tim Van Beek said. The trail also boasts an impressive wildflower display. Money for trail work has been scarce for years. But the need grew after the U.S. Forest Service banned hiring of seasonal workers last fall to address […]

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Northwest Youth Corps demonstrates importance of indigenous plants at Wildlife Center

News articles, Northwest Youth Corps, Partners, UCF, Wildfire Prevention, Young Adult Programs /

(Originally posted on the Suburban Times on December 3, 2024) By Clover Park Rotary   Last week was a big week once again for the South Sound Wildlife and Interpretive Center on Phillips Road. Clover Park Rotary along with The Northwest Youth Corps, who has been very active with the Wildlife Center for a number of years, once again spent the week improving the Wildlife center. The Northwest Youth Corps began in 1984 and was the brainchild of Art Pope, who earlier worked for the seasonal “Youth Conservation Corps”. Its first office was in a defunct gas station in Eugene Oregon. With youth unemployment hovering at 50% at the time, NYC’s goal was (and remains) to educate and engage young people and teach them important life skills, while improving the natural environment and paying the youth stipends for their work in some cases. Northwest Youth Corps (NYC) provides a challenging education and job-training experience that helps youth and young adults from diverse backgrounds develop the skills they need to lead full and productive lives. Several Youth Corps Groups worked to place indigenous plants in the “Prairie Restoration” area of the park and in the “Endangered species study pond.” Plants included:

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Eugene Springfield Fire, Northwest Youth Corps host free fuels reduction drop-off site

News articles, Northwest Youth Corps, Partners, Wildfire Prevention, Young Adult Programs /

(Originally posted on KVAL on December 3, 2024) By News Staff (Photo courtesy Eugene Springfield Fire)   EUGENE, Ore. — Eugene Springfield Fire and Northwest Youth Corps are hosting a free drop site for woody yard debris to help Eugene and Springfield residents reduce vegetation that can create fuel for wildfires. The drop site, located at Northwest Youth Corps (2621 Agusta St, Eugene OR 97403), will be open from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. on December 9, 10, and 12. It will not be open on December 11. Woody debris such as tree branches, brush, vines, or other such yard debris that can create fuel for wildfire in warmer months will be accepted. Other yard debris (such as leaves, grass clippings, dirt etc.) will not be accepted and must be disposed of elsewhere. Limited pick-up will also be offered for residents who need help transporting woody debris from fuel reduction projects. To check your eligibility and sign up, visit here or contact Deputy Fire Marshal Althea Sullivan at (541) 799-5942. Fuels Reduction Project Ideas Remove tree limbs touching your home Remove tree limbs touching the ground (try to limb them up 6 feet) Remove shrubs that are touching your home Remove shrubs that

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Local youth org works on wildfire containment in Eugene

News articles, Northwest Youth Corps, Partners, Wildfire Prevention /

(Originally posted on Daily Emerald on August 19, 2024) By Joseph Chiu Photos by Alexander Hernandez As Oregon enters another wildfire season, the importance of local organizations throughout the state focusing on wildfire prevention is amplified. Northwest Youth Corps is a youth organization based in Eugene that performs conservation projects and partners with organizations across the Pacific Northwest, including those focused on wildfire prevention.  NYC is the parent organization of Twin Rivers Charter School, which has been involved with vegetation management projects in Eugene, most recently on June 24 at Skinner’s Butte. As part of the project, a crew of two leaders and five students performed invasive species removal and removed dry vegetation to decrease the severity of possible wildfires. One week later, a half-acre brush fire broke out at the top of Skinner Butte on July 2 and was quickly contained by Eugene-Springfield Fire. Sarah Worthington, Community Wildfire Protection Corps director, said she believes the school’s efforts helped contain the fire and ensure that it didn’t spread quickly.   “Wildfire vegetation management is extremely important,” Twin Rivers Charter School Principal Kristin Humphrey said. “Our students are very dedicated, they work very hard, they are invested, they understand how important fire

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Eugene-area teens get hands-on skills with summer work program

News articles, Northwest Youth Corps, Partners, UCF /

(Originally posted on The Register-Guard on July 25, 2024) By Miranda Cyr Photos by Josiah Pensado Northwest Youth Corps’ Urban Community Forest Program goes beyond teaching young people about careers in urban forestry. This summer, 48 teens are participating in the five-week work and educational session. The program has guided hundreds of youth into their careers, but not just in forestry. “I’m getting really good at communication and really good at working with strangers and people who are different than me,” said Autumn Thessen, one of the Urban Community Forest Corps crew members. Each year, nearly 1,000 young people participate in Northwest Youth Corps programs in Eugene/Springfield, Tacoma, Washington, and Boise, Idaho. The summer program invites youth ages 15 to 18 to join. Participants receive a stipend of up to $2,500, depending on their attendance, and can receive high school credit. Recently, NYC received a $12 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry Inflation Reduction Act, which is intended to engage youth and young adults in urban forestry stewardship. This grant will help fund the program for the next five years. “NYC has been around for 40 years, and we’ve always been, first,

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A Summer of Service at Grays Lake

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(Originally posted to CaribouCountyNews.com on June 27, 2024) The Grays Lake Refuge includes both riparian areas, which are muddy and wet, and these meadowlands, which are where the cattle are part of a management strategy. This summer, the Grays Lake National Wildlife Refuge 30 miles north of Soda Springs had a new group of visitors.  While the area is set aside as a refuge for wildlife with, in many cases, seasonal migratory habits, it also hosted a group of young people from around the country for several weeks.  In cooperation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Grays Lake Wildlife Specialist Dana Duran, the Idaho Conservation Corps sent a group of seven individuals to help with projects related to the area’s mission to preserve the local ecology and wildlife. Conservation is also something that Fish and Wildlife’s Dana Duran places a high value on.  As the primary overseer of the Grays Lake area, she’s committed to making sure that the area stays well managed for both human and wildlife needs.   Dana Duran began her work at Grays Lake last October, and she’s still getting to know the Gray’s Lake Marsh and the ecosystem, though she seems to have

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2023 Annual Report

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“As we reflect on the successes and triumphs we have experienced over the past 40 years, I am filled with gratitude for the impact young people at NYC have made on our communities and our future. The unwavering support of our strategic partners and generous donors has provided opportunities for 27,000 young people to do something truly extraordinary. Their service has improved our environment and driven positive change across our region. As we look ahead to the next forty years, I am profoundly optimistic that our programming will continue to attract talented, smart, and passionate young people who want to make their world a better place through conservation service.” Jeff Parker, Executive Director Dear Friends, As we reflect on the past year’s accomplishments and celebrate Northwest Youth Corps’ fortieth year of service, I am pleased to present our 2023 Annual Report. I hope that you share both my pride and gratitude for the strides we have made together. For four decades, our collective efforts have endured and thrived in the face of daunting challenges. Through innovative programs, strategic partnerships, the unwavering support of donors, and especially, the deep commitment of our members, we have provided essential contributions to our communities

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Leave It to Beavers – Renewing rivers one rodent at a time

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Originally from: https://www.patagonia.ca/stories/leave-it-to-beavers/story-149108.htmlBy: Amanda Monthei All photos by Greg Mionske It’s barely above 50 degrees in a mountain meadow at the headwaters of the John Day River, deep in the Blue Mountains of Eastern Oregon. Dew soaks the ground, and the consensus is that today’s work conditions are already significantly better than yesterday’s. “It was the hardest day this year,” says Alex, a 19-year-old Northwest Youth Corps crew member sipping coffee from a mug covered in faded stickers. A random thunderstorm blew through yesterday morning and caught him without his rain jacket. Weather and morale have improved significantly in the last 24 hours. Alex and the rest of the four-person crew from the conservation service and job-training program, as well as three Trout Unlimited employees, pull on mud-caked boots and waders, finish coffees and collect their tools—chainsaws, an errant bundle of shovels, towers of five-gallon buckets, branch loppers and wooden posts shaped like enormous pencils, shouldered two at a time. “If all goes according to plan, a passing beaver might see these human-made dams, complemented by the soft, pooling water they love, and think, ‘This is nice … but I could do better.’” Shifts start at 7 a.m., and although

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Sound to Summit program wins Project of the Year!

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Northwest Youth Corps (NYC) received the prestigious Project of the Year Award from The Corps Network in recognition of NYC’s unique Sound to Summit program. The Corps Network  – also known as the National Association of Service and Conservation Corps – presents this award on an annual basis to select organizations from their membership of more than 140 Corps across the country. Awardees are chosen through a competitive nomination and review process. “This national recognition is a testament to partnership” states Jay Satz, Northwest Youth Corps’ Senior Director for External Affairs. “Mount Rainier National Park staff recognized the value of engaging neighboring urban youth with the park, and Metro Parks Tacoma was looking to expand youth programming that created a sense of neighborhood stewardship. Northwest Youth Corps was able to step in as the connector to create the program model based on our extensive experience running backcountry conservation service crews (40 years) and community based conservation service crews (15 years). The result has been an inspiring program impacting 163 members and leaders (thus far). Northwest Youth Corps is honored to receive this award from The Corps Network.” National Project of the Year Award Info: Project of the Year Awards are presented on

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New Urban and Community Forest Crews to serve in OR, WA, and ID

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Northwest Youth Corps (NYC) is grateful to receive a $12 million grant from the USDA Forest Service Urban and Community Forestry Inflation Reduction Act to engage youth and young adults in urban forestry stewardship and education activities in Boise, ID, Eugene, OR, and Tacoma, WA. Working with local partners, NYC will invest $4 million over five years in urban forestry programs in each of the three state program areas. “This grant from the US Forest Service is a remarkable investment in our community”, says Parker.  “Our work over the next five years to increase the health and resilience of our urban forest will further enhance the health benefits of living in these communities. The young people who participate in this paid service initiative will graduate with skills and abilities that will help them advance their goals in the classroom and the workforce.” – Jeff Parker, Executive Director, Northwest Youth Corps Urban forests provide numerous benefits, including: • Reducing air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.• Lowering energy consumption by providing shade and reducing heat island effects.• Improving water quality and reducing stormwater runoff.• Enhancing property values and economic vitality.• Improving public health and well-being. Urban and Community Forest Program Overview for

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Project Spotlight – Olympic National Forest

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In partnership with the Olympic National Forest, our summer Youth Camping Washington Orange Crew completed a number projects from August 14-18th, 2023.  Some of the projects included:  2 Bathroom Interiors painted. 2 Bathroom doors painted. 2 picnic tables assembled. 2 old picnic tables disassembled. 4 Old fire rings removed (with concrete anchoring them) 4 New fire rings installed. Half a load of gravel approximately 7 tons of gravel spread throughout campground (Klahowya) and Trail (Bogachiel) Brushed approximately .25-acre Amphitheater (deferred maintenance) in Klahowya Campground as well as brushed around the exterior of both vault toilets. All tasks were completed by a crew consisting of 4 members and 2 crew leads of the Northwest Youth Corps. Before After Quotes from the crew members:  “Being at the heart of the ecology in Washington is amazing. This is such a unique system. Plus seeing the old trees has been pretty cool.”  -Lucas, Crew Lead   “Finishing a project. There is a feeling of accomplishment and gratitude for the work done. In 5 years you could go back and say that you helped get this place to a better state and it feels good to know I did something to help conserve the natural

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2022 Annual Report

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“In reflecting on the past year, I am struck by how much we have learned about resilience and the power of community.   Northwest Youth Corps was not immune to the challenging impacts and upheaval in our social and economic systems over the last three years. Like so many, we struggled, experimented, occasionally screamed into the void, but ultimately we were fortunate to have persevered. And in 2022, we started another year on solid ground due to the dedication of our staff and support from you – partners, agencies, and individual and institutional funders. We are surrounded by a constituency of remarkable stakeholders who share our passion for our youth, our communities, and our planet.” Jeff Parker, Executive Director Dear Friends, In reflecting on the past year, I am struck by how much we have learned about resilience and the power of community.  Northwest Youth Corps was not immune to the challenging impacts and upheaval in our social and economic systems over the last three years. Like so many, we struggled, experimented, occasionally screamed into the void, but ultimately, we were fortunate to have persevered. And in 2022, we started another year on solid ground due to the dedication of our staff

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Project Spotlight

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In partnership with Oregon  Bureau of Land Management , our fall young adult crews have been working at Twin Prairie Meadows (near cottage grove, OR ) removing conifers to allow for the madrones and oak trees to thrive. These meadows offer essential habitat for plants and animals amongst the otherwise thick tree canopies of the area. The project provided an excellent opportunity for the crew to practice bucking logs into decomposition piles, after getting their saw certifications the week prior. While working on a steep incline made for an intense and physically demanding project, it offered the crew epic views that they will not soon forget.

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