Summer Forest Jobs for Young Montanans
Monday, June 11, 2012
BOZEMAN, Mont. - The hiring sign is up for young Montanans looking for summer jobs. A grant from the U.S. Department of Interior means teens and young adults will get to work in the forests through the Montana Conservation Corps (MCC). Some crews are already training for conservation assignments, such as upgrading trails, removing invasive weeds and improving stream habitat, MCC president Jono McKinney says.
"It's really a variety of hands-on conservation experiences for young people. They will be introduced to careers in the natural resources, learning about our agencies and how to be a strong member of a crew."
Work will be done throughout the summer in the Flathead, Lolo and Helena national forests and the Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument. Their work will augment ongoing restoration work in the Southwestern Crown of the Continent Project and in the Northern Prairie grasslands of eastern Montana.
Gia Petito with AmeriCorps is a crew leader this year. She says one project will be highly visible.
"In West Yellowstone, we have a crew that's going to go out and make a trail that'll be the perimeter of the town, just to bring more people out into the outdoors there."
Petito says crews receive safety and instructional training before each project, and get a stipend when the project is completed.
Details on the DOI grants are available at http://on.doi.gov/LMXQsD.
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