This program utilizes qualified non-profit youth- and veteran-serving organizations to carry out appropriate natural and cultural resource conservation, education, volunteer service and education…

Conservation Legacy, operating as Southwest Conservation Corps, received a $274,210.67 cooperative agreement awarded July 2, 2025, by the National Park Service under the Youth and Veteran Organizations Conservation Activities program (CFDA 15.931) to establish a youth internship program at Pinnacles National Park in Paicines, California. The program extends through July 31, 2027, and will deliver comprehensive conservation services and workforce development opportunities for local youth participants. Key deliverables include habitat restoration activities, wildlife monitoring, visitor engagement services, and public education programming that directly support park resource management objectives.

The internship program incorporates structured professional development components, including mentorship, training workshops, and hands-on experience in natural resource management. By deploying trained youth crews to perform conservation work while building career competencies in resource stewardship, the initiative simultaneously addresses critical park resource needs and provides meaningful employment and career pathway opportunities for participants. The program is designed to enhance visitor experiences, strengthen community engagement, and inspire future conservation careers among local youth and surrounding communities.

This program utilizes qualified non-profit youth- and veteran-serving organizations to carry out appropriate natural and cultural resource conservation, education, volunteer service and education projects on department of the interior lands through authorized national park service programs. This project aims to establish a youth internship program at pinnacles national park that promotes conservation efforts while providing job opportunities for local youth. Participants will restore habitat, monitor wildlife, and speak with the public, thus providing a valuable impact on park resources for future generations and visitor experiences now. The program will include mentorship, training workshops, and hands-on experience in natural resource management. By enhancing visitor experiences and fostering community engagement, the project will benefit local youth and the surrounding communities, ultimately inspiring future careers in conservation.beneficiaries include private non-profit institutions and organizations public and private non-profit academic institutions state and local government agencies quasi-public non-profit institutions and organizations that support youth and young adult career training and development, and education in the areas of natural and or cultural resource conservation and management. Individuals families students and the general public will receive a benefit from the development and execution of these programs and projects.