Heinrich Unveils Plan To Establish 21st Century Conservation Corps, Invest In Wildfire Resiliency
U.S. SENATE News:
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), the first AmeriCorps alum to serve in the Senate and a member of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, has unveiled legislation to expand national service programs to help address the historic COVID-19 joblessness crisis by establishing a 21st Century Conservation Corps.
“As a former natural resources AmeriCorps Member who worked primarily in rural New Mexico, I know firsthand the value of conservation work in rural communities,” Heinrich said. “National service members make a major difference by conserving our public lands, building resilient landscapes, and helping grow the outdoor economy, which was fueling some of the fastest job growth in rural communities before the onset of the pandemic. When he established the original Civilian Conservation Corps during the Great Depression, President Franklin Roosevelt understood that a generation of out-of-work Americans were not without worth, but rather that they could leave an indelible mark on our country. We need to expand national service opportunities in this moment to provide a new generation of Americans with the opportunity to get back to work, leave their mark, and play a major role in our national recovery.”