Cooperative Agreement P21AC11367

The American Conservation Experience will assist Great Smoky Mountains National Park staff through a $102,720 cooperative agreement awarded by the Department of the Interior National Park Service Southeast Region on May 31, 2021. The agreement will support ACE crew members rehabilitating the Abrams Falls Trail in Gatlinburg, Tennessee to reduce erosion and improve visitor safety. This award advances the Youth and Veteran Organizations Conservation Activities program administered by the...

The U.S. National Park Service has awarded a $140,000.12 Cooperative Agreement to American Conservation Experience (ACE), a non-profit organization, under the Youth and Veteran Organizations Conservation Activities program (CFDA 15.931). The project will create a "Pyramid of Opportunity" for underserved high school students to gain exposure to careers and skills for entry-level seasonal positions with land management agencies. Each year, the project will provide paid 6-week internships...

The U.S. National Park Service (NPS) awarded a $299,495.75 Cooperative Agreement to American Conservation Experience (ACE), a non-profit organization, under the Youth and Veteran Organizations Conservation Activities program (CFDA 15.931). The funding will provide ten internships for visitor services at Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The interns will deliver programs and services focused on the park's natural and cultural resources to increase opportunities for diverse audiences to learn...

The National Park Service awarded a $198,222.60 cooperative agreement to the American Conservation Experience under the Youth and Veteran Organizations Conservation Activities program (CFDA 15.931) to support resource protection and restoration efforts at Zion National Park from March 2022 through December 2026. Through hands-on training, ACE corps members will collect native plant materials, conduct seed cleaning and out-planting, treat exotic plants, prepare and maintain fire breaks, and...

The National Park Service awarded a $147,328 Cooperative Agreement under the Youth and Veteran Organizations Conservation Activities program (CFDA 15.931) to the American Conservation Experience (ACE), a non-profit organization, to fund temporary youth conservation corps members to assist park staff in completing ponderosa pine forest restoration projects to improve forest health, resiliency, and the park's ability to manage future wildfires. This project will take place at Bryce Canyon National...

The National Park Service (NPS) awarded a $478,928 Cooperative Agreement to American Conservation Experience (ACE), a non-profit organization, to carry out natural and cultural resource conservation, education, volunteer service, and education projects on Department of the Interior lands through the NPS's Youth and Veteran Organizations Conservation Activities program (CFDA 15.931). The project will educate youth by providing them with direct technical experience in managing native plant...

This Cooperative Agreement award from the National Park Service under the Youth and Veteran Organizations Conservation Activities program (CFDA 15.931) provides $166,666.67 to engage six interns from the non-profit organization Conservation Legacy, operating as the Southwest Conservation Corps, to perform natural and cultural resource conservation activities in Grand Teton National Park. The project aims to improve visitor safety and resource quality through educational outreach, vegetation...

This Cooperative Agreement award from the National Park Service's Youth and Veteran Organizations Conservation Activities program (CFDA 15.931) provides $157,369.81 to support a project by American Conservation Experience (ACE) in West Virginia. The project will hire nine interns to provide visitor services and assist with natural resource stewardship. Specific outputs include: (1) directly serving over 2,000 visitors per day at four park visitor centers, (2) assisting visitors and...

This $624,000.00 Cooperative Agreement awarded by the National Park Service under the National Trails System Projects program (CFDA 15.935) is intended to engage volunteers, partners, and youth organizations in preserving and protecting resources along the Appalachian National Scenic Trail (APPA). The recipient, the Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC), will execute deferred maintenance projects in the states of New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virginia. The work will rehabilitate critical...

This $223,986.66 Cooperative Agreement was awarded on May 13, 2025 by the National Park Service under the Youth and Veteran Organizations Conservation Activities program (CFDA 15.931). The funding will enable the non-profit organization Conservation Legacy, operating as the Southwest Conservation Corps, to carry out natural and cultural resource conservation projects on Department of the Interior lands. Specifically, the award will support two trail crews totaling 12 interns. One crew will...