Published: September 07, 2009 08:06 pm      

JOBS: State conservation corps benefits parks, kids

As part of the newly formed State Parks Conservation Corps, some 200 area youths have been working this summer in five regional parks in Niagara and Erie counties.

State Parks Commissioner Carol Ash said the state Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation established the program to bring green-collar job training to young people and make long overdue improvements at state parks and historic sites.

The state Department of Labor also provided $3.3 million, through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, to help create a path to permanent employment for qualified youths, ages 16 to 24.

“From the Civilian Conservation Corps to the Student Conservation Association, the state parks has a long tradition of hosting young workers who sharpen their skills and talents in our parks system,” Ash said.

State Labor Commissioner M. Patrick Smith said: “Youth are the future of this state, but too many are being left behind in the wake of this economic crisis. We need to be aggressive in stemming the tide of unemployment among youth, and no one has done more in this regard than Gov. Paterson.”

Earlier this year, Paterson announced that 50,000 youth jobs had been created through a combination of stimulus funding and existing resources.

Crews of eight to 12 members have been working under the direction of the Student Conservation Association, a national organization that operates conservation corps and green-collar training programs. The SCA has many decades of experience in community-based programs that link hands-on learning and job training for diverse urban youth.

“Through an expanded partnership with the state parks, together we will protect our precious natural and cultural resources while preparing a new generation to prosper in a green economy,” said SCA President Dale Penny.

The crews have been authorized to work through Sept. 30. Their projects have included trail clearing and maintenance along the Niagara Gorge, beach cleanup, work at Knox Farm, East Aurora, and Beaver Island and Buckhorn State Park on Grand Island.

Other crews are working at Allegany State Park in Cattaraugus County and at Letchworth State Park in the Genesee Park Region.

State parks spokesperson Eileen Larrabee said that work crews also have been deployed in several regions across the state including Long Island, New York City, and the Taconic and Palisades areas of the Hudson Valley.

Contact reporter Don Glynn at 282-2311, Ext. 2246.