Date and time: Wednesday, August 7, 2024
Contact: Interior_Press@ios.doi.gov
WASHINGTON—The Department of the Interior today announced nearly $7 million to support Indigenous-led conservation projects across the United States through the Indian Youth Service Corps (IYSC). Launched by Secretary Deb Haaland in 2022, IYSC provides meaningful education, good-paying jobs, and training opportunities for Native American youth through conservation projects on public lands, tribal lands, and Hawaiian homelands. This is a partnership-based program that supports This latest set of projects is part of the Biden-Harris Administration’s effort to empower a diverse new generation of Americans to take on the climate crisis and become part of a growing clean energy and climate resiliency workforce. This will push the army further forward.
“Since time immemorial, Indigenous peoples have been stewards of our nation’s lands and waters,” Secretary Haaland said. “Through the Indian Youth Service Corps, the Department of the Interior prepares and supports the next generation of stewards who will make a lasting impact on people, environments, wildlife, and tribal communities across the country. When we invest in America, we are thrilled that President Biden’s investment policy invests so much in Native communities.”
Today’s project is part of a total of $15 million committed to strengthen IYSC and other Corps programs for underserved communities in President Biden’s Invest in America Plan. It is. With this investment, the IYSC partnership is expected to grow by 30% and reach more than 5,000 young people as part of America’s Climate Corps. Last year, the department formalized a memorandum of understanding (MOU) in collaboration with other federal agencies, including the Departments of Commerce, Agriculture, Labor and Energy, Environmental Protection Agency, and AmeriCorps, to establish the U.S. Climate Corps Executive Committee. . We provide leadership and consulting for these efforts.
“President Biden’s American Climate Corps is ensuring that the next generation of Americans is empowered to tackle our most pressing climate change challenges in communities across the country,” said White House National Climate Advisor Ali Zaidi. said. “From rising sea levels to prolonged drought conditions, Indigenous communities face some of the most severe impacts of the climate crisis. And the investments we are making today will empower Indigenous youth to create innovative climate solutions for their communities.” It will ensure that they are able to play a role in developing solutions that will put them on the path to a high-paying career.”
The projects announced today are funded through grants and financial assistance made to Tribal Nations, tribally affiliated nonprofit organizations, and other eligible youth-serving organizations working in partnership with Tribal Nations. This award supports the Department’s top natural and cultural resources mission priorities by developing tribal capacity in conservation, natural resource management, and climate resilience. It also provides financial resources to tribes and eligible youth nonprofit organizations to enable them to invest in, train, and recruit a new generation of skilled Indigenous workers.
The IYSC is conducted by the Departments of the Interior, Agriculture, and Commerce and follows guidelines established in consultation with Indian tribes, the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), and other stakeholders.
The IYSC project announced today will be funded through the Department’s BIA, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation, National Park Service, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service using funding from the Inflation Control Act and annual budget. A complete list of project awards is available on the Department’s website.
Last year, the department announced $3.5 million in IYSC grants for eight projects involving more than 20 tribes and tribal organizations. In June, Secretary Haaland met with members of the Barrio Youth Conservation Corps and the Ancestral Lands Conservation Corps at the La Plajita Institute in Albuquerque. The institute received $250,000 from last year’s award to support restorative justice programs and technical training in environmental conservation and natural resource management.
President Biden’s American Climate Change Corps is a groundbreaking initiative modeled after President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s civilian protection efforts. With the swearing-in of this year’s first corps members, ACC Hub has announced that more than 9,000 U.S. Climate Corps members are already serving across the United States, nearly half way through the first year’s goal of 20,000 members, and helping to protect the nation’s homeland. It is estimated that he is working on his recovery. These include conserving waters, strengthening community resilience, deploying clean energy, deploying energy-efficient technologies, and advancing environmental justice.
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