American Climate Corps Echoes New Deal Programs

A new federal program titled the American Climate Corps (ACC) models itself on the Depression-era Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), which created tens of thousands of jobs and built thousands of small and large infrastructure projects around the country.

The ACC will focus on climate resilience, explains Brooke Larsen in High Country News. “The jobs they do will vary, from wildland firefighters and “lawn busters” to urban farm fellows and traditional ecological knowledge stewards. Some will work on food security or energy conservation in cities, while others will tackle invasive species and stream restoration on public land.” The positions available are generally staffed through state and local non-profits that partner with federal agencies. “In New Mexico, for example, members of Conservation Legacy’s Ecological Monitoring Crew will help the Bureau of Land Management collect soil and vegetation data.”

Larsen notes that “AmeriCorps and conservation corps programs have been criticized for offering low wages and few benefits” and excluding people of color and low-income communities. “While the administration aims for all positions to pay at least $15 an hour, the lowest-paid position in the West is currently listed at $11 an hour. Benefits also vary widely, though most include an education benefit, and, in some cases, health care, child care and housing.”