The Agriculture Department and AmeriCorps on Monday unveiled the Working Lands Climate Corps, a program aimed at recruiting more than 100 young people to provide outreach and technical assistance for farmers looking to implement conservation practices.
The program, done in partnership with the Corps Network and the National Association of Conservation Districts, will recruit and train applicants to "conduct outreach and education around the availability of climate-smart agriculture assistance and support conservation technical assistance and resilient planning activities for working farms and ranches," USDA said in a news release.
The program is going to include at least 100 members and "potentially many more," depending on term lengths, participating organizations and other factors,Corps Network CEO Mary Ellen Sprenkel told reporters on a press call Monday.
"When we are saying at least 100, the number will much likely be quite a bit larger, but we won't know until we see what the applications look like, what the terms of service look like and how intense the positions would be," Ellen Sprenkel said.
The Corps Network is seeking proposals from organizations looking to host one or more members. It set a March 8 deadline for applications.
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Eligible entities will work with state and county-level NRCS staff to "facilitate and track the climate work of WLCC members," and are "highly encouraged to provide a living allowance or training stipend of $15 per hour, the request for proposals says. The minimum living stipend in the program is $11 per hour.
Projects, according to the request for proposals, are "expected to begin no later than Sept. 30, 2024."
The initiative, Deputy Agriculture Secretary Xochitl Torres Small told reporters, will be able to provide assistance farmers concerned they may "miss out" on USDA programs due to a lack of assistance or unfamiliarity with how to apply. In addition, she said the program would offer young people a chance to pave a pathway into agriculture.
"This provides an opportunity for students regardless of their background to be able to be part of the next generation of agriculture and to take on some of these challenges that we all face together," Torres Small told reporters.
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