This project will motivate youth and young adult involvement with cultural, natural, and historical resource protection locally and nationally by providing participants with hands-on, skills-based…

This Cooperative Agreement award from the National Park Service under the Youth and Veteran Organizations Conservation Activities program (CFDA 15.931) provides $153,415.77 to the Student Conservation Association, Inc. (SCA) to engage youth and young adults in hands-on training and skills development for cultural, natural, and historical resource protection work. The project will rehabilitate and restore trail systems and structures within Prince William Forest Park, including clearing vegetation, replenishing trail tread, replacing drainage systems and steps, and installing new trail bridges. This work will improve safety and access through the park's trail network. The award period runs from December 31, 2024 to December 31, 2025.

This project will motivate youth and young adult involvement with cultural, natural, and historical resource protection locally and nationally by providing participants with hands-on, skills-based training in these fields. These trade skills are highly sought after in both private and public industry and allow for expanded employment opportunities for participants who complete the program. Exposure to this work and skill development will foster a resource stewardship in participants. The NPS receives the indirect benefit of completing cultural, natural, and historical resource protection projects through this project activity. Specifically the projects will begin to rehabilitate and restore the trail systems and structures within prince william forest park. Vegetation and debris will be cleared within the trail prism, the trail tread will be replenished and restored, drainage systems and steps will be replaced and installed, and trail bridges will be replaced, providing improved safety and ease of access through this portion of the trail system.