Conservation Program to Introduce Youth to Natural Resource Conservation Careers

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) intends to award funds to the Student Conservation Association (SCA) for a period not to exceed five years. The funds are intended to provide an introductory developmental educational experience of natural resource careers to young people, including culturally, ethnically and economically diverse students, through training, hands-on experience and mentoring at a variety of USFWS programs including, but not limited to, national wildlife refuges, fish hatcheries, and ecological services offices. Under this program, individuals and/or groups of youth and young adults will be introduced to natural resources careers through hands-on work with, and training by, natural resource professionals employed by the USFWS. Region 5, the Northeast region, recently received funds in support of Hurricane Sandy through the Disaster Relief Appropriations Act of 2013, Public Law 113-2 and will be utilizing this Conservation Program to support the Hurricane Sandy Recovery efforts. Through Hurricane Sandy resiliency projects, Region 5 will provide developmental educational experience for natural resource careers to young people, to include culturally, ethnically, and economically diverse students, and will provide hands-on experience and mentoring at national wildlife refuges, fish hatcheries, and ecological services offices. The CFDA for Hurricane Sandy SCA awards will be 15.677.