U.S. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland has recently announced a new set of guidelines for a New Mexico initiative that intends to develop employment opportunities for young Native Americans, according to a KOB 4 report.
This new program, The Indian Youth Service Corps, will also strive to connect these youth to nature through conservation projects during their employment.
“I want everyone to have that profound connection to the great outdoors that I was gifted, and we can help more people access nature no matter where they’re from or what their background,” Haaland told reporters, “We will help lift up the next generation of stewards for this Earth.”
This program is the most recent addition to the Biden administration's efforts to create a 21st-century equivalent of the New Deal's Civilian Conservation Corps.
The Indian Youth Service Corps will be funded by federal government organizations, including the U.S. Forest Service, to help create employment opportunities for young Native Americans while simultaneously protecting lands that were originally cared for by Native American Tribes.
KOB 4 reports that the Interior Department will provide $3.3 million in 2022 to the Bureau of Indian Affairs, National Park Service, and Bureau of Reclamation to form the Indian Youth Service Corps.
In addition, the U.S. Forest Service will provide around $5 million due to its existing cooperation with the corps while the National Park Foundation will provide $1 million.
These funds will be also used to preserve tribal lands, reforestation efforts and clean up wildfire damage in New Mexico.