H.R. 1612: Public Lands Service Corps Act of 2009 Press Conference, 7/22/2009
WASHINGTON, DC – Two DC Conservation Crews joined SCA staff and an ensemble of nonprofit leaders and youth volunteers outside the Capitol on Wednesday, July 22 to lend support to the passage of the Public Lands Service Corps Act of 2009 (“PLSC”).
Representative Raul Grijalva of Arizona, who is sponsoring the bill, said that “this act is about making an investment in one of the precious resources of this nation, which is its young people.” The PLSC legislation would expand service-learning opportunities for high school, college, and graduate students to serve on the nation’s public lands. Read the full text of H.R. 1612 here (via GovTrack).
“We have an obligation to provide the opportunity [for young people to serve]…if public lands are to survive, we must develop a new constituency,” Grijalva further added. He went on to praise SCA for its members’ involvement in moving the bill, saying that their testimony went a long way in convincing his colleagues that this was a necessary step to support this important piece of legislation.
Talita Sueldo, an alumnus of SCA’s community programs and current Environmental Education Intern at DC’s Urban Tree House, spoke about how her SCA experiences have affected her interests and educational direction towards conservation service. Conservation service programs like the SCA are “a gateway to opportunity,” she said.
Flip Hagood, SCA’s Sr. Vice President for Strategic Initiatives and Business Development was on-hand to reiterate SCA’s support for the legislation, which would allow SCA to engage more youth and increase the stewardship of our public resources – cultural, natural, and recreational.
Other guests at the press conference included Sally Prouty, President & CEO of the Corps Network; Craig Obey, Senior Vice President of Government Affairs at the National Parks Conservation Association; Jackie Ostfeld, National Youth Representative for the Sierra Club; and young members of the Earth Conservation Corps.
Daniel Parr, Office Manager, SCA Mid-Atlantic Region