Youth Conservation Services
Active
- Assistance listing
- 12.010
- Agency
-
Department of the Army
Department of Defense
- Grant awards
- 171 $45,063,241 in federal obligations
Program facts
- Assistance types
-
- Cooperative Agreement
- Project Grant
- Treasury account
-
- 96-3123-0-1-301
- More information
Program details come from SAM.gov Assistance Listings. Updated . Grant award figures come from USAspending.gov.
About this program
The Department of the Army funds conservation and recreation management education through cooperative agreements at water resources development projects under its jurisdiction, with most recent awards made as of September 1, 2026 under Assistance Listing 12.010. The program is active and stable, disbursing 171 total federal awards since 2009, with a recent uptick to 38 awards in 2026 after averaging 15–19 annually in prior years. Grant opportunities are posted regularly; five solicitations closed in May 2026 and one in March 2026, all for natural resource management education and training at specific USACE project sites.
The program funds conservation and recreation internship positions, work crews, and education partnerships that deliver habitat restoration, invasive species removal, trail maintenance, wildlife management, boundary line inspection, visitor services, and ranger assistance at Army Corps of Engineers water resource projects. Recent awards also support natural resources training and education programs targeting youth, veterans, displaced workers, and college students in ecological restoration, park maintenance, vegetation management, fisheries habitat work, and interpretive services. The program is predominantly Cooperative Agreements (99 percent of awards), with a single Project Grant comprising the remaining one percent.
The Department of the Army dominates funding, obligating $23.6 million across 27 awards. The Army Corps of Engineers Engineering District Portland follows with $8.6 million across 33 awards, and Fort Worth District contributed $4.5 million across 39 awards. Twenty sub-organizations and districts collectively account for the remaining funding across a long tail of smaller contributors. Total federal obligation stands at $45.1 million with combined federal and non-federal dollars at $45.7 million, indicating minimal matching requirements from recipients.
Representative awards span small to mid-sized engagements: Kalapuya Conservation Corps received $30,000 for restoration and management at Lane County projects in Oregon (June 30, 2026); Walama Restoration Group–Eugene Youth Services received $50,000 for natural resource education and training (June 26, 2026); conservation interns at Pittsburgh District provided labor and maintenance assistance across multiple projects for $365,381 (May 15, 2026); and conservation interns at Sacramento District supported outreach and ranger assistance for $247,632 (May 1, 2026). Award magnitudes range from approximately $14,000 to $394,000 with typical mid-range awards between $50,000 and $200,000.
Current open opportunities solicited through May 2026 include natural resource management education and training for youth in Lane County and Eugene, Oregon (targeting at-risk youth and students in Lane County Juvenile Justice), botanically sophisticated restoration workers at Willamette Valley projects, and natural resources training and education at Dworshak Dam and Mill Creek in Idaho and Washington. Applicants must be non-Federal public or nonprofit entities, youth service or conservation corps organizations, or school districts with documented experience in resource management, conservation, and youth education; proof of non-profit status is required, and organizations must demonstrate alignment with formal post-high school education and job training.
Objective and description
- Objective
To further training and educational opportunities at water resources development projects under the jurisdiction of the Secretary, the Secretary may enter into cooperative agreements with non-Federal public and nonprofit entities for services relatin
- Description
This cooperative agreement will assist Portland District (NWP) in fulfilling environmental stewardship responsibilities consisting of restoration and management of native and wildlife habitat at NWP Projects.
Eligibility
- Credentials and documentation
Documentation that an organization's purpose is strongly related or solely for the purpose of youth/student/veteran education in an conservation oriented environment. Proof of past performance in the areas of resource management, conservation, recreation management, visitor services and cultural resources and assistance to youth. Proof of non-profit status is required. Each organization submitting an application will be required to follow the grants.gov registration requirements in advance of submitting an application.
- Uses of assistance
Provide young adults and veterans with real life work experiences in the stewardship of the environment in all fifty states by offering opportunities for education, leadership and personal development to the Recipient's participants, while providing a high quality public service in natural resources/recreation management and conservation.
- Length and time phasing of assistance
Individual requirements will specified in the coopeative agreement issued by the Grants Officer.
How to apply
- Application procedure
Portions of 2 CFR 200, Uniform Adminstrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards apply in accordance with 2 CFR 1103.100. The Department of Defense Grants and Cooperative Agreements Regulations apply.
- Criteria for selecting proposals
Criteria for selection proposals will be provided in the the opportunity announcement on www.grants.gov
- Award procedure
The Government will perform an initial review to determine that the applicant is (1) eligible in accordance with the announcement; (2) all information required by the announcement has been submitted; and (3) all mandatory requirements are satisfied. The specific review and award criteria are identified in the announcement.
Grant opportunities
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Latest 50 listed here. See the rest on GovTribe.
Grant awards
Latest 10 of 171 listed here. See the rest on GovTribe.
Top recipients by federal obligations
| Rank | Recipient | Federal obligations | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Texas A&M Agrilife Research | $17,273,300 | 38% |
| 2 | The Student Conservation Association, Inc. | $14,369,363 | 32% |
| 3 | The Pennsylvania State University | $2,996,834 | 7% |
| 4 | Washington State Department Of Fish & Wildlife | $2,056,385 | 5% |
| 5 | Northwest Youth Corps | $1,915,769 | 4% |
| 6 | Colorado State University | $901,307 | 2% |
| 7 | State Of Oregon Department Of Fish And Wildlife | $793,858 | 2% |
| 8 | County OF, Skamania | $568,285 | 1% |
| 9 | The Walama Restoration Project | $558,673 | 1% |
| 10 | Oyster Recovery Partnership, Inc. | $488,596 | 1% |
10 of 29 recipients listed here. See the rest on GovTribe.
Federal obligations by fiscal year
| Fiscal year | Federal obligations |
|---|---|
| FY2026 | $4,663,540 |
| FY2025 | $1,463,576 |
| FY2024 | $1,724,277 |
| FY2023 | $1,724,971 |
| FY2022 | $2,845,762 |
| FY2021 | $1,270,779 |
| FY2020 | $1,596,025 |
| FY2019 | $2,309,707 |
| FY2018 | $19,087,444 |
| FY2017 | $2,796,450 |
| FY2016 | $2,524,567 |
Show all 11
Quick answers
What is Assistance Listing 12.010?
Assistance Listing 12.010 is Youth Conservation Services, a federal grant program run by Department of the Army (Department of Defense).
What is the CFDA number for Youth Conservation Services?
Its CFDA number is 12.010: Assistance Listing numbers were called CFDA numbers before 2018.
How much funding has Assistance Listing 12.010 awarded?
171 grant awards under 12.010 have obligated $45,063,241 in federal funds to 29 recipients.
Who receives the most funding from 12.010?
The recipients obligated the most under Youth Conservation Services are Texas A&M Agrilife Research ($17,273,300), The Student Conservation Association, Inc. ($14,369,363) and The Pennsylvania State University ($2,996,834).
How much did 12.010 obligate in fiscal year 2025?
Grants under 12.010 obligated $1,463,576 in federal funds in fiscal year 2025.
Are there open grant opportunities under 12.010?
None of the latest 50 opportunities under 12.010 is open now. The latest, Dworshak Natural Resource Training and Education, was posted on April 30, 2026.
On GovTribe
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