Veterans Conservation Corps
VETERANS CONSERVATION CORPS
"Any Country that is worth defending is worth preserving."
What is the Veterans Conservation Corps?
The primary mission of the Veterans Conservation Corps is to assist veterans by providing volunteer opportunities on projects that help protect and restore Washington’s rivers, streams, lakes, marine waters and open lands.
Who Can Participate?
All Veterans are eligible. Veterans who choose to participate will be added to the Veterans Conservation Corps list and in return, veterans will have an opportunity to help the environment, contribute to the community and earn valuable job skills in the environmental field.
This would be a great opportunity for veterans returning to school or work as an internship, an apprenticeship, VA work-study participant, or as a volunteer. Participants will earn valuable work experience that would enhance a resume, provide excellent work references and in some cases college credits.
What Type of Work Does the Veterans Conservation Corps Do?
Veterans will work on habitat restoration or protection projects across Washington State.
Activities could include:
Stream Restoration & Monitoring
Re-vegetation of native plants
Restoration of watersheds, forest's, prairies or native grasslands
Outdoor Labor
Office or Clerical Duties
Environmental or Community Education
Other Protection or Restoration Activities
Who Can I Call for More Information?
For more information, contact Mark Fischer at
1-800-562-2308 / 360-725-2224 / or markf@dva.wa.gov.
Or mail in an Interest Form to:
WDVA Attn:Mark Fischer
PO Box 41155
Olympia, Wa.98504-1155.
You may also contact your local WDVA Post Traumatic Stress Disorder contract counselor or other WDVA office personnel.
VCC Field Coordinators:
Central Sound / Kitsap / King Co.
Mark Seery - seery_mark@yahoo.com
Central and Southeast WA
Barry Lawrence 509-460-8653
or wa_natureguy@yahoo.com
Clallam/Jefferson Counties
Ed Bowen 360-452-8008.
Aberdeen Area
Steve Boerner - 360-593-0401.
Vancouver, WA
Doug Robberson 360-909-2999.
Skagit/Whatcom/Snohomish Counties
Gordy Graham 425-609-0107.
North East WA
Seth Maier Email: sethmaier@hotmail.com
Grays Harbor, Pacific, and Lewis Counties
Aidan Murray 360-480-6200 or aidanm@dva.wa.gov
Pierce County and the Warrior Transition Program
Patty Fisher 253-332-0349 pattyf@dva.wa.gov
Description:
We are three tiers:
First, we recruit our nation's veterans who wish to have more involvement in their community and wish to contribute a positive result in helping our Earth heal.
Second, we recruit conservation related organizations that are in need of volunteers. Without volunteers, these organizations will never meet their worthwhile goals. We match these volunteer opportunities with veterans who are seeking volunteer opportunities.
Third, the Veterans Conservation Corps has been expanded to the Veterans Environmental Academy to provide training opportunities to our returning warriors from Iraq and Afghanistan that will lead the veteran into a Green Job field that will provide a comfortable living wage. To help ensure the veteran who participates in this training endeavor are set up for success from the start, the Washington Department of Veterans Affairs is offering a $1000 per month living stipend while the veteran is enrolled in the 9-10 month program. This is in addition to any benefits received from MGIB, VA Voc. Rehab. Tuition waivers, Worker Retraining funds, and unemployment benefits (as this academy is Commissioner Approved Training) if such benefits are available.
Returning veterans seeking vocational training in environmental restoration:
The Veterans Conservation Academy is in operation at Green River Community College, with the support of Renton Technical College. It has room for 30 returning veterans from OIF/OEF/ONE, and is filled for the 2007 school year. We will be taking applications now for the 2008 school year. The program is placed within the Natural Resources Department at Green River Community College and there are four choices within that department: natural resources; GIS/GPS; water and waste-water management, and fire science. In addition to the program at Green River CC we hope to be able to help fund veterans in different environmental and natural resource programs around the state of Washington in the future.
The VCC also has an interest in assisting veterans who would like to find “green collar” careers. Examples can be industries and occupations such as: alternative energy, fish hatchery work, forestry, recycling, aquaculture, agriculture, low impact development, green building, heavy equipment operation around environmentally sensitive areas, erosion control specialist, etc. We are also looking into the possibility of specialty craft careers and small businesses in the field of historic building restoration and preservation. The green “win” with these skills are that the carbon saving on restoring rather than tearing down a building is immense.
Other Natural Resource Training Opportunities
The Veterans Conservation Corps is enrolling returning veterans from OIF, OEF, and ONE in the Natural Resources programs.
Green River Community College, program for the next training session. A grant is provided through the Veterans Conservation Corps to assist students with their living costs. The college is very dedicated to helping returning veterans through their financial aid packages as well. The link for Green River’s Natural Resource program is listed here: www.naturalresourceseducation.com
Renton Technical College is partnering with the VCC and GRCC by providing some course work and certification programs as well as being available to veterans for small business development. Their web site is: www.rtc.edu
Olympic College in Bremerton will have 12 slots open for the 2008 school year for returning veterans in an environmental training program. Please contact Mark Fischer (usual contact info.) or Jeff Reyes at jeff_r_vcc@msn.com.
A living stipend is available to help those veterans with school and additionally the veteran may be eligible for worker retraining funds to help with tuition and books.
Spokane Community College will also have 12 slots open for the 2008 school year for returning veterans in a Natural Resources program. Please contact Mark Fischer or Seth Maier at sethmaier@hotmail.com.
A living stipend is available to help those veterans with school and additionally the veteran may be eligible for worker retraining funds to help with tuition and books.
For more information, contact Mark Fischer at
1-800-562-2308 / 360-725-2224 markf@dva.wa.gov.
History:
With the passage of Senate Bill 5164 in the 2007, and some additional funding in 2008 legislative sessions, the Veterans Conservation Corps expansion: Veterans Environmental Academy and the Washington Department of Veterans Affairs will be co-sponsoring Natural Resources training programs located at Community Colleges across the State of Washington.
Contact people:
Address:
 |
1810 N. Greene StreetSpokane, WA 99217(See a map) |
Web Site: http://www.dva.wa.gov/vet_conservation_corps.html
Directions:
|
Spokane Community College: Home of the Veterans Environmental Academy and Spokane Region Veterans Conservation Corps Coordinator: Seth Maier - (509) 869-4236 or sethmaier@hotmail.com |
| Last updated on November 16, 2009 |
