[Federal Register Volume 79, Number 245 (Monday, December 22, 2014)]
[Notices]
[Pages 76299-76301]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-29914]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


21st Century Conservation Service Corps Partnership Opportunity

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of interest to participate in the 21st Century 
Conservation Service Corps.

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SUMMARY: The 21st Century Conservation Service Corps (21CSC) National 
Council is requesting letters of interest from all conservation corps, 
youth, and veteran programs that would like to be identified as a 21CSC 
member organization. We are initiating this outreach in order to 
catalyze the establishment of a 21st Century Conservation Service Corps 
(21CSC) to engage young Americans and returning veterans in the 
conservation and stewardship of America's public lands and water. This 
notice seeks to establish the 21CSC by building upon and leveraging the 
experience and expertise of existing Federal, State, tribal, local and 
non-profit conservation and youth corps, and veterans programs. These 
programs facilitate conservation and restoration service work on public 
lands to include all governmental entities of cities, counties, States, 
and the Federal Government, and encourage a new generation of natural 
resource managers and environmental stewards. All principals of 
interested organizations are invited to submit a letter of interest 
that outlines the organization's and/or program's alignment with the 
criteria in each of the eight 21CSC principles listed below under 
Supplementary Information. Letters should include the name of your 
organization; an address and point of contact, including email address; 
and a description of how your organization or program aligns with all 
eight principles.
    Organizations that respond to this request may be contacted at a 
later date to provide additional information to support their 
statements. The 21CSC National Council will oversee the review of all 
submissions to determine the respondent's alignment with the 21CSC 
principles. Organizations that are not recognized as 21CSC member 
organizations may submit new letters of interest. Letters of interest 
may be submitted up on a rolling basis for consideration as a 21CSC 
member organization, and will be reviewed and responded to on a rolling 
basis. Organizations may request to be removed from the 21CSC by 
submitting a written request to the email or mailing address below. The 
21CSC member organizations recognized through this process will be 
acknowledged by all members' departments and agencies represented in 
the National Council. National Council membership includes the 
Departments of Agriculture, Army, Commerce, Interior, and Labor, the 
Environmental Protection Agency, the President's Council on 
Environmental Quality, and the Corporation for National and Community 
Service.

DATES: Letters of interest may be submitted on a rolling basis (maximum 
5 pages, double-spaced in Times/New Roman, 12 point type). An 
interagency team will review submissions as they are received and 
respond soon thereafter. Organizations may be removed at any time by 
submitting a written request to the email or mailing address below. 
Membership will last until new procedures to identify 21CSC member 
organizations are established.

ADDRESSES: Letters of interest may be submitted electronically to 
[email protected]. If electronic submission is not an option, please send 
your letter of interest to: USDA Forest Service, RHVR, ATTN: Merlene 
Mazyck, 1400 Independence Ave. SW., Mailstop Code: 1125, Washington, DC 
20250-1125.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: USDA Forest Service, RHVR, ATTN:

[[Page 76300]]

Merlene Mazyck, 1400 Independence Ave. SW., Mailstop Code: 1125, 
Washington, DC 20250-1125 or email [email protected].
    Individuals who use telecommunication devices for the deaf (TDD) 
may call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339 
between 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m., Eastern Standard Time, Monday through 
Friday.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

21CSC National Council

    The implementation of the 21CSC is coordinated by a National 
Council of representatives from Federal agencies that formalized their 
mission through the signing a Memorandum of Understanding in January 
2013. National Council membership includes leadership from the 
Departments of the Army, Interior, Agriculture, Commerce, and Labor, 
Environmental Protection Agency, the President's Council on 
Environmental Quality, and the Corporation for National and Community 
Service. The National Council will work to: Support program expansion, 
including by matching natural resource management needs with 21CSC 
opportunities and identifying potential sources of funding and other 
resources; remove barriers and streamline processes for supporting 
21CSC programs; Support participant pathways to careers; facilitate 
technical assistance; develop and support partnerships; coordinate 
messaging; and ensure national representation.

Background

    The 21CSC is a bold national effort to put America's youth and 
veterans to work protecting, restoring, and enhancing America's Great 
Outdoors. Recognizing the need for job opportunities for youth and 
returning veterans, the need for restoration of our natural resources, 
the need to connect Americans to the country's lands and waters, the 
need to effectively recruit the next generation of public employees, 
and the need to develop the next generation of conservation stewards, 
the Secretary of the Department of Interior, on behalf of the America's 
Great Outdoors Council, formed a Federal Advisory Committee (FAC) to 
develop recommendations for the establishment of the 21CSC. The FAC was 
comprised of representatives from Federal agencies, the outdoor 
industry, and non-profit youth and conservation corps. In addition to 
providing recommendations, the FAC also identified 21CSC goals and 
principles, which were slightly modified and adopted by the Federal 
21CSC National Council.

21CSC Goals

    1. Build America's future. Through service to America, the 21CSC 
will develop a generation of skilled workers, educated and active 
citizens, future leaders, and stewards of natural and cultural 
resources, communities, and the nation.
    2. Put Americans to work. The 21CSC will provide service, training, 
education, and employment opportunities for thousands of young 
Americans and veterans, including low income, disadvantaged youth and 
other youth with limited access to outdoor work opportunities.
    3. Preserve, protect, and promote America's greatest gifts. The 
21CSC will protect, restore, and enhance public and tribal lands and 
waters as well as natural, cultural, and historical resources and 
treasures. With high-quality, cost-effective project work, the 21CSC 
will increase public access and use while spurring economic development 
and outdoor recreation.

21CSC Principles

    21CSC member organizations must be in alignment with the criteria 
in each of the following 21CSC Principles:
    1. Population served. Program serves young people ages 15-25 and/or 
military veterans up to age 35. Program may serve young people up to 
age 29 in an advanced capacity.
    2. Participant eligibility. Participants must be a U.S. citizen, 
national, or lawful permanent residents alien of the United States, 
meeting the same citizenship requirements as those for serving in 
AmeriCorps and Public Lands Corps.
    3. Emphasis on diversity and inclusion. Participant recruitment 
should make deliberate outreach efforts to traditionally underserved 
communities, including low-income and disadvantaged populations.
    4. Term of service. Program minimum term of service: 140 hours of 
on-the-ground, hands-on direct service for full time students and 
summer only participants; or, 300 hours of on-the-ground, hands-on 
direct service for non-full time student participants. Program maximum 
term of service of 3,500 hours of on-the-ground, hands-on direct 
service, with a limited exception for program elements that require 
more than 3,500 hours to achieve highly advanced outcomes. Service is 
compensated (not volunteer). Compensation can be in the form of wages, 
stipend, educational credit, or other appropriate form.
    5. Organization of work. Program organizes its participants as 
either: (a) Crew-based where participants work collectively and 
intensely together directly supervised by trained and experienced crew 
leaders or conservation professionals; or (b) individual or small team-
based where participants work individually or in coordinated teams 
under the direction of conservation professionals on initiatives that 
require specific skills and dedicated attention.
    6. Types of work. Projects include significant outdoor activity 
and/or include ``hands-on'' direct impact and/or helps young people 
connect with America's Great Outdoors. Some programs may include work 
that is primarily indoors--for example, science, policy or program 
internships--that have a clear benefit to natural, cultural or historic 
resources.
    7. Participant outcomes. Program provides: a) Job skill development 
to prepare participants to be successful in the 21st century workforce; 
b) community skill development to help participants acquire an ethic of 
service to others and learn to become better resource and community 
stewards; and c) a connection, improvement or restoration of the 
natural or cultural/urban environment or a greater understanding of our 
natural, cultural or historic resources.
    8. Leveraged investment. Program leverages public investment 
through either financial or in-kind support, to the extent possible. 
Exceptions may be made to support new, smaller, or Federal programs 
that increase diversity and inclusion.

21CSC Member Organization Benefits & Caveats

    Through this ``notice of interest'' process, all respondents that 
currently meet each of the criteria listed in all 21CSC principles will 
be designated as a 21CSC member organization. Designation as a 21CSC 
member organization is not a commitment of funding or future 
partnership opportunities, however this designation may result in the 
following benefits to and limitations for member organizations and the 
Federal agencies represented on the 21CSC National Council.
    1. Access to a national network of 21CSC member organizations.
    2. Identification on a Web site as a 21CSC member organization.
    3. Ability to utilize the 21CSC brand to promote affiliation as a 
member organization.
    4. Career and youth development opportunities with Federal agencies 
for participants of member organizations, where available.

[[Page 76301]]

    5. Opportunities to participate in webinars and other outreach to 
agency field staff to increase awareness of how agency natural, 
cultural or historic resource management needs can be supported or met 
by youth and veterans conservation corps, where appropriate.
    6. Neither this announcement, nor letters of interest submitted in 
response to this announcement, obligates any Federal agency represented 
on the 21CSC National Council to enter into a contractual agreement 
with any respondent.
    7. Federal agencies represented on the 21CSC National Council 
reserve the right to establish a partnership based on organizational 
priorities and capabilities found by way of this announcement or other 
searches, if determined to be in the best interest of the government.
    8. This Notice does not preclude any Federal agencies from entering 
into agreements or partnerships with non-21CSC organizations.
    9. The 21CSC National Council expects that aggregate data from all 
the participating Federal agencies regarding 21CSC accomplishments will 
be required for annual Performance Accountability Reports. 21CSC member 
organizations should be prepared to report informational data and 
accomplishments outcomes on an annual basis. Data collection may 
include information such as: Project/program type; project location; 
project outcomes; participant outcomes; funding amount/resources; age 
range of participants; number of youth engaged; number of veterans 
engaged; number of hours participants worked; number of participants 
converted to jobs, and so forth.
    Key Notice Dates & Highlights: An interagency team will review 
submissions as they are received and respond as quickly as possible. 
Organizations may be removed at any time by written request. Membership 
will last until otherwise notified; new information regarding 
membership will be posted in the Federal Register Notice and on the 
21CSC.org Web site. The 21CSC member organizations recognized through 
this process will be acknowledged by all signatories to the National 
Council Memorandum of Understanding.

    Dated: December 17, 2014.
Leslie A.C. Weldon,
Deputy Chief, National Forest System.
[FR Doc. 2014-29914 Filed 12-19-14; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3411-15-P