Purpose of awardsummary of project-specific activities: support for resource protection and restoration at zion national park; specifically, vegetation management activities (thinning, exotic plant…

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 support upkeep of historic irrigation ditches. This project aims to provide public service and employment opportunities for youth in conservation work while aiding park management goals such as revegetation, exotic plant control monitoring, and preservation of historic sites highly visited by Zion National Park's over 5 million annual visitors.

Purpose of awardsummary of project-specific activities: support for resource protection and restoration at zion national park; specifically, vegetation management activities (thinning, exotic plant control, native plant material collection and production, revegetation) and historic structure preservation.performance goals including milestones and expected outcomes: through this agreement corps members will receive hands-on training in resource protection and restoration in national parks, including seed collection, seed cleaning, out-planting, exotic plant treatments, fire break preparation and maintenance of historic irrigation ditches. The goal is to provide opportunities for public service and youth employment and training in conservation-related work. Expected outcomes include revegetation of historic and high visitor-use areas, maintenance and monitoring assistance of existing areas with exotic plant management and revegetation efforts, and maintenance of the structural integrity of historic sites.beneficiaries: because the projects involving the american conservation experience (ACE) are in such visible and high-visitation areas, beneficiaries include the visitors to zion NP (exceeding 5 million people annually), zion NP managers, and the corps members themselves, who receive the opportunity to learn new skills, interact with people from across the globe, and experience land-management efforts and project completion.