In response to the authorization of the American Climate Corps announced by the White House yesterday, American Forests President and CEO Jad Daley released the following statement:
The Biden-Harris administration continues to build upon their legacy as the most equity- and climate-conscious leadership the country has ever had, providing urgently needed capacity through the creation of the American Climate Corps. The Corps will expedite delivery of the forest-climate provisions authorized through the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021, getting more trees where they’re needed most, sooner.
Through this momentous act of leadership, America’s natural resource agencies will have greater resources and expertise to maximize the power of nature-based climate solutions in mitigating climate change, mobilizing more than 20,000 Americans within the first year of the program.
In addition to the creation of the American Climate Corps, AmeriCorps and the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service announced the Forest Corps, a five-year, $15 million agreement to engage young adults in wildfire risk reduction and recovery activities. This first interagency partnership under the American Climate Corps will advance the Forest Service’s Wildfire Crisis Strategy and restore landscapes while providing more equitable on-ramps to gain technical expertise that facilitates careers in natural resource management, forest health and climate resilience. The Department of Interior also announced a $15 million commitment to expand the Indian Youth Service Corps, furthering the capacity of the Corps and supporting the next generation of conservation and climate stewards.
These federal programs are bolstered by the statewide climate corps programs led by California, Colorado, Maine, Michigan and Washington and now joined by new initiatives announced in Arizona, Utah, Minnesota, North Carolina and Maryland. These state-led programs, funded by private-public partnerships, ensure communities are at the forefront of climate change decision making and will bolster the economies and health of local communities alike.
American Forests has been working to create a more equitable forestry workforce to help scale up capacity to meet the needs of the climate justice movement for decades, working with President Franklin D. Roosevelt 90 years ago to create the initial Civilian Conservation Corps. The need for a skilled workforce to combat climate change has never been greater, which is why we launched the Career Pathways program, which aims to recruit, train and retain people living in disadvantaged communities, including youth, for urban forestry careers; and the Seed Corps and Cone Corps, which are building the pool of technicians available to address barriers to the reforestation supply chain and meet the scale of restoration needed across large landscapes. We’ve been advocating for a Civilian Climate Corps for years and are thrilled that together these public and private efforts to build our workforce will heal our forests.
This triumphant announcement by the Biden-Harris administration delivers on their promise to build the natural climate solutions workforce of the future, prioritizing youth populations most in need of these economic opportunities. The vital work of planting and caring for trees is a proven job creator and sustainer, both in urban neighborhoods and across large landscapes, and by authorizing the American Climate Corps, the Biden-Harris administration is making good on a greener tomorrow.