In partnership with the Colorado Youth Corps Association (CYCA), GOCO offers funding for our partners to hire conservation service corps for outdoor recreation and natural resource stewardship projects.
CYCA is a statewide coalition of eight accredited conservation service corps. These organizations employ and train youth, young adults, and veterans (typically ages 14–25) to address important conservation and stewardship issues. Through this work, young people contribute to their communities while gaining valuable job skills and leadership experience, preparing them for future natural resource careers. Most corpsmembers receive a stipend and an AmeriCorps education award for college tuition or to reduce student loans. Together, CYCA-accredited corps serve more than 1,700 participants a year.
Conservation service corps crews complete various projects, including:
- Trail construction and maintenance
- Tamarisk, Russian olive, and other invasive species mitigation (chainsaw crews and/or pesticide/herbicide application available)
- Fence installation and deconstruction
- Wildlife habitat improvement
- Riparian restoration
- Beetle kill hazard mitigation (chainsaw crews available)
- Forest health activities (chainsaw crews available)
The GOCO board currently invests about $2.5 million each year through this program. That total includes $1.75 million for Conservation Service Corps grants, $115,000 for program administration, and nearly $600,000 through GOCO’s partnership investments with Colorado Parks and Wildlife.