Engage youth in community conservation and recreation by providing an internship opportunities and conservation corps assistance to NPS rivers, trails and conservation assistance program projects

The project will improve the capacity of NPS rivers, trails and conservation assistance (rtca) and american youthworks (hereafter AYW) to engage communities by contacting community leaders and researching potential recreation and conservation project and provide assistance to communities in texas and oklahoma by offering recreation planning and trail building services. Through the partnership, AYW and rtca will identify and reach out to communities that would benefit from recreation and conservation planning and project implementation by creating two joint internship positions and providing texas conservation corps assistance to past rtca project collaborators.purpose of award (summary of the goals and objectives of the project):1. Engage communities identified in strategic outreach plans developed by rtca texas field office and texas conservation corps by contacting community leaders and municipal organizations to promote the park services community programs and identify potential rtca and txcc projects.2. Develop and fill one thirty-two-week americorps position focused on conducting outreach and scoping potential rtca and texas conservation corps projects. 3. Develop and fill one thirty-two-week americorps position to focus on conservation and recreation planning.4. Implement conservation and recreation improvements through the texas conservation corps, to include trail planning, trail building, and invasive species removal on two ongoing rtca projects in texas or oklahoma. Potential projects include: a. Flour bluff recreation enhancements project (trail design and trail building) b. Sandy creek park improvement project (trail design and trail building) c. 1093 rail-to-trail project (trail clearing and invasive species removal) d. Owen park planning project (trail maintenance and invasive species removalsummary of project specific activities:1. Create database of communities to benefit from rtca and texas conservation corps assistance 2. Provide texas conservation corps on-the-ground assistance to two communities.3. Provide program support for rtca staff and internsperformance goals including milestones and expected outcomes:goal 1: recruit and select candidates for internship. Goal 2: train intern to create database of potential projects.goal 3: supervise and review interns work products.goal 4: provide texas conservation corps on-the-ground support to two communities.expected outcomes: a database and list of contacts for potential rtca and txcc projects, planning assistance on three to four ongoing rtca projects, and physical improvements to conservation or recreation areas on two project sites.beneficiaries: NPS rtca texas field office american youthworks and the texas conservation corps public