CONSERVATION LEGACY ANCESTRAL LANDS FY2017 NATIONAL PARK SERVICE REPORT CONSERVATION LEGACY ANCESTRAL LANDS FY2017 NATIONAL PARK SERVICE REPORT ANCESTRAL LANDS NATIONAL PARK SERVICE REPORT FY2017 Report Term: October 2016–September 2017 Master Agreement: P15AC00024 Task Agreement: P17AC00675 CONTACT INFO FOR CONSERVATION LEGACY: Ron Hassel, Executive Director Southwest Conservation Corps 301 Camino del Rio, Suite 101 Durango, Colorado 81301 Email: [email protected] Phone: 970-749-3960 FOR THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE: Alex Tremble Youth Employment Programs Coordinator 1201 I Street NW Washington DC, 20005 Email: [email protected] Phone: 202-513-7159 WWW.ANCESTRALLANDS.ORG 1 CONTACT INFORMATION..................................... 1 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS......................................... 2 CONSERVATION LEGACY OVERVIEW.................. 3 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY........................................... 4 STATEMENT OF PURPOSE....................................... 5 DEMOGRAPHICS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS...... 6 PARK LOCATIONS.................................................. 6 OVERVIEW OF PROGRAM SUCCESS.................... 7 HIGHLIGHTS............................................................9 PARTNER AND PARTICIPANT EXPERIENCE.......... 17 CONCLUSION........................................................ 19 Conservation Corps Minnesota and Iowa APPENDIX A: PRESS AND MEDIA......................... 20 Conservation Lands Foundation APPENDIX B: FINANCIALS................................... 20 Crow Nation Eastern Shoshone Tribe APPENDIX C: PROJECTS....................................... 21 El Malpais National Monument APPENDIX D: INTERN BIOS................................... 21 El Malpais National Conservation Area APPENDIX D: INTERN SURVEY RESULTS............... 23 El Morro National Monument Escalante River Watershed Partnership Flagstaff Area National Monuments Glen Canyon National Recreation Area Grand Canyon National Park CONSERVATION LEGACY STAFF CONTRIBUTORS: Grand Staircase Escalante Partners Jesse Reeck, Chako, Ryan Aguilar, Aaron Lowden, Marshall Masayesva, Grand Teton National Park and Mike Wight. Gulf Islands National Seashore Hopi Tribe Hubbell Trading Post National Historic Site ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Joshua Tree National Park KEEN© Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site Conservation Legacy would like to thank the National Park Service La Plazita Institute staff, Cooperators and Partners who have made the Ancestral Lands McCune Foundation Conservation Corps a continued success. We absolutely could not Mesa Verde National Park do this without you! Mississippi River National River and Recreation Area Montana Conservation Corps NPS WASO Leadership Staff Muir Woods National Monument NPS WASO Youth Programs Division Staff National Fish and Wildlife Foundation NPS WASO Agreements Staff Navajo Nation NPS Intermountain Regional Office Nebraska National Forest and Grasslands NPS CIRCLE Northern Arapahoe Tribe Northern Arizona University Apostle Islands National Lakeshore Northwest Youth Corps Arapaho Nation The Outdoor Foundation Arizona Conservation Corps Pecos National Historical Park Aztec Ruins National Monument Petrified Forest National Park Acoma Pueblo Petroglyph National Monument Blackfeet Nation Pueblo of Acoma Bandelier National Monument Pueblo of Zuni Bighorn Canyon National Recreation Area Rio Grande Del Norte National Conservation Area Bureau of Indian Affairs River Restoration Adventures for Tomorrow BIA Navajo Nation Saguaro National Park BIA Navajo, Southwest and Western Regions Society of American Indian Government Employees Bureau of Land Management Southwest Conservation Corps- Ancestral Lands Bureau of Reclamation United State Forest Service Canyon de Chelly National Monument US Fish and Wildlife Casa Grande Ruins National Monument Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge Chaco Canyon National Historical Park White Mountain Apache Tribe Chimney Rock National Monument Zuni Pueblo 2 INTRODUCTION Conservation Legacy is a national organization dedicated to fostering conservation service in communities and ecosystems by operating and FOSTERING supporting programs that provide service and work opportunities for a diverse group of individuals to complete important conservation and CONSERVATION community projects for the public benefit. Founded in 1998 to continue the legacy of the Civilian Conservation Corps SERVICE IN of the 1930s, Conservation Legacy programs include Arizona Conservation Corps, Conservation Corps New Mexico, Great Appalachian Valley SUPPORT OF Conservation Corps, Southeast Conservation Corps, Southwest Conservation Corps, Stewards Individual Placement Program and Preserve America Youth Summits. In addition to the these programs, Conservation Legacy manages COMMUNITIES unique program models such as Ancestral Lands, Corps River Restoration and the Veterans Fire Corps. & ECOSYSTEMS CONSERVATION LEGACY IS DEDICATED TO: LOCAL ACTION. ENDURING IMPACT. ENGAGING YOUNG AMERICANS AND VETERANS IN SERVICE: Conservation Legacy provides service, training, education and employment opportunities for community members, including low income and disadvantaged youth and veterans. Each of its programs engages a diverse set of participants, reflective of their community. CONSERVING, PROTECTING AND PROMOTING EACH COMMUNITY’S GREATEST GIFTS: Conservation Legacy maintains, restores and enhances public and tribal lands and waters as well as natural, cultural, and historical resources and treasures that meet locally identified needs. BUILDING AMERICA’S FUTURE: Conservation Legacy helps develop a generation of skilled workers, educated and active citizens, future leaders, and stewards of natural and cultural resources and communities. 3 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: Providing paid opportunities to serve communities and La Plazita Institute. Our Arizona Conservation Corps ecosystems, partnered with personal and professional de- program operates programming out of the White Moun- velopment– authentic on-the-job experience– has prov- tain Apache community. Through the support of the Na- en to be successful in supporting individuals in building tional Park Service, Conservation Legacy partners with a foundation for future employment and success. Rooted other corps to provide opportunities across the coun- in the culture and heritage of local tribal communities, try. 2017 corps partners include Montana Conservation the power and impact of Ancestral Lands programming is Corps working with Blackfeet, Shoshone and Arapahoe, due to the community investment and support for each Conservation Corps Minnesota and Iowa working with program tribally and locally, combined with the network Ojibwe and urban native youth, and Northwest Youth of operational support from Conservation Legacy. Ances- Corps working with Warm Springs, Yakima, Umatilla, and tral Lands supports local offices that are staffed and oper- Nez Perce. ating crews directly connected with a tribal community, supports external corps programs that are implementing Ancestral Lands Crews and VISTAs work at various park tribal crews and places VISTAs working to develop pro- units in collaboration with local or adjacent tribal lands grams where there is interest and need. to develop partnerships, coordinate Youth Play Learn Serve (YPLS) events for native youth, and determine po- Conservation Legacy’s Southwest Conservation Corps tential for continued service, education, and local com- operates Ancestral Lands offices supporting young peo- munity engagement. Conservation crew work builds off ple from the Pueblo of Acoma, the Pueblo of Zuni, Na- of relationships which 2016 Ancestral Lands interns de- vajo Nation, Hopi Nation, and in Albuquerque, NM with veloped at various sites, and where connections between partners and Native communities have been established. 4 STATEMENT OF PURPOSE An all-Native American Ancestral Lands pro- Through Ancestral Lands programming, Conservation Legacy supports the self-em- gram was established within Conservation powerment of Native American communities through the further development of Legacy in 2008 based at Pueblo of Acoma, New program models across Indian Country that provides jobs and experience for local Mexico, and has supported the expansion and Native American youth, connects youth to their heritage and cultural values, com- replication of that program to multiple Native pletes important conservation and interpretation projects at National Park Service American communities since. Ancestral Lands units and for native communities and exposes Native American youth to potential programs complete projects that include tra- careers with public land management agencies. ditional farming, riparian restoration, invasive vegetation assessment, inventory and moni- The purpose of the Ancestral Lands approach is to build a solid foundation for creat- toring, invasive species removal and habitat ing sustainable native-led programming in tribal communities across the nation. This restoration, fuels mitigation, trail construction, year, WASO funding supported crew and VISTA projects at 20 National Park Service historical and pre-historical preservation and project sites. This funding has been leveraged with other partner funding to support cultural/language immersion. Total funding in young adults working in 16 additional National Park Service sites and 22 partner addition to the $562,500 ALCC NPS WASO con- projects. tribution in 2017 exceeds 2.2 million dollars in partner and in-kind contributions. NATIVE YOUTH LEADING OUR NATIONS BACK TO ECOLOGICAL AND CULTURAL WELL-BEING 5 PARTICIPANTS: TOTAL UNIQUE OPPORTUNITIES TO SERVE ON ALL ANCESTRAL LANDS PROJECTS IN 2017: PROJECT SITES OPPORTUNITIES ON ANCESTRAL LANDS NPS PROJECTS: PAID POSITIONS: 83 UNPAID YOUTH PARTICIPANTS: 39 TOTAL 2017 ANCESTRAL LANDS 122 NPS PARTICIPANTS: DEMOGRAPHICS: PARK LOCATIONS GENDER: Including current and planned WASO funded and leveraged Male: 59% projects and special event sites. Female: 41% AZTEC RUINS NATIONAL MONUMENT BANDELIER NATIONAL MONUMENT PROJECTS CANYON DE CHELLY NATIONAL MONUMENT CASA GRANDE RUINS NATIONAL MONUMENT TOTAL NPS WASO FUNDED CHACO CANYON NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK PROJECTS: EL MALPAIS NATIONAL MONUMENT EL MORRO NATIONAL MONUMENT FORT VANCOUVER NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE TOTAL NPS SUPPORTED ANCESTRAL FORT LARAMEE NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE LANDS PROJECTS: GLACIER NATIONAL PARK GLEN CANYON NATIONAL RECREATION AREA GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK OTHER PROJECTS/PARTNERS/ GRAND TETON NATIONAL PARK LOCATIONS: HUBBELL TRADING POST NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE INTERMOUNTAIN REGIONAL OFFICE JOSHUA TREE NATIONAL PARK KALAUPAPA NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK KNIFE RIVER INDIAN VILLAGE NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE ADDITIONAL PARTNERS: Bureau of Indian Affairs, U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, MESA VERDE NATIONAL PARK the Confederated Tribe of Siletz, Wind River, Fort Hall, Zuni Pueblo, MISSISSIPPI RIVER NATIONAL RECREATION AREA Acoma Pueblo, Hopi Tutskwa Permaculture Institute, National Fish MUIR WOODS NATIONAL MONUMENT and Wildlife Foundation, the Bureau of Reclamation, Fort Apache, White Mountain Tribe and the Arizona Game and Fish Department, NAVAJO NATIONAL MONUMENT Conservation Lands Foundation, Colorado Plateau Foundation, McCune PECOS NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK Foundation, The Outdoor Foundation, La Plazita Institute, Crow Nation PETRIFIED FOREST NATIONAL PARK Eastern Shoshone Tribe, Nebraska National Forest and Grasslands, Northern Arapahoe Tribe, Northern Arizona University, Rio Grande PETROGLYPH NATIONAL MONUMENT Del Norte National Conservation Area, River Restoration, Adventures RAINBOW BRIDGE NATIONAL RECREATION AREA for Tomorrow, United States Forest Service, US Fish and Wildlife, SAGUARO NATIONAL PARK Northwest Youth Corps, Montana Conservation Corps, Conservation Corps Minnesota and Iowa, Arizona Conservation Corps. YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK 6 OVERVIEW OF PROGRAM SUCCESS 2017 was another incredible year for Ancestral Lands Programs. In collaboration with Arizona Conservation Corps, Southwest Conservation Corps, Montana Conservation Corps, Conservation Corps Minnesota and Iowa, Northwest Youth Corps, Rocky Moun- tain Youth Corps-Taos and La Plazita Institute, Native American youth and young adults were engaged through the following pro- grams: ARIZONA CONSERVATION CORPS CREW AND VISTA PROGRAM: AZCC fielded a crew of eight participants from White Mountain Apache working at Petrified Forest National Park. The crew in- stalled over a mile of new, wildlife permeable fence and repaired over four miles of existing fence, protecting park resources and visitors from encroaching cattle. The crew also constructed a Yurt deck that will support years of future project staff performing ad- ditional protection or research work in a remote part of the park. Arizona Conservation Corps is supporting one Tribal Resiliency AmeriCorps VISTA in at Saguaro National Park. CONSERVATION CORPS MINNESOTA AND IOWA CREW PROGRAM: In 2017 the Conservation Corps worked very closely with the American Indian community in the Twin Cities to provide a unique opportunity for Native youth. The new program, called the “Restoring Relations Youth Corps”, utilized the infrastructure of NORTHWEST YOUTH CORPS the Conservation Corps and the knowledge of Indigenous best CREW AND VISTA PROGRAM: practices for youth development of partners in the community. As a result, five Native youth and one young adult leader completed Northwest Youth Corps has partnered with the Fort Vancouver a variety of work and educational projects. National Monument and local tribes and affiliated agencies to pro- vide a conservation work and education program to ten Native MONTANA CONSERVATION CORPS American youth in the Portland area. In addition, Northwest Youth CREW AND VISTA PROGRAM: Corps plans to support an individual placement at Fort Vancouver National Monument in late 2017. Montana Conservation Corp placed one crew at Grand Teton Na- tional Park and one crew at Glacier National Park. These crews ROCKY MOUNTAIN YOUTH CORPS-TAOS worked on a variety of projects on trails and with cultural and VISTA PROGRAM: preservation teams within the park. Montana Conservation Corps RMYC-Taos will place one Tribal Resiliency VISTA at Bandelier Na- also supported one Tribal Resiliency AmeriCorps VISTA placement tional Park in the spring of 2018. at Grand Teton National Park. “SO FAR, EACH JOB WE HAD EXCEEDED OUR PARTNER’S EXPECTATIONS. IN TUMACACORI THEY WERE EXPECTING US TO PULL INVASIVE PLANT SPECIES AND WATER COTTONWOOD TREES. LITTLE DID THEY KNOW THAT WE WOULD COMPLETE THOSE TASKS IN TWO DAYS WITH FOUR WORK DAYS TO SPARE.” -SHANE CLAW, ANCESTRAL LANDS CREW MEMBER 7 SOUTHWEST CONSERVATION CORPS CREW AND VISTA PROGRAMS: HIKING CLUBS: Acoma and Zuni youth took part in two hiking clubs over the summer months, providing culturally significant and immersive outdoor recreation programs in local Nation- al Parks units and on other sacred ancestral lands. These hiking clubs were supported and lead by two individual placements at each Acoma and Zuni program. ZUNI ROVING CREW: A five-person crew spent four weeks working at El Morro and El Malpais National Monuments completing historic preservation with the Vanishing Treasures Crew. HOPI ROVING CREW: The SCC Ancestral Lands Hopi Office will be fielding two crews utilizing WASO funding to reconnect youth and young adults with their traditional cultural properties. One crew will be spending a two week hitch at Navajo National Monument conducting trail repair on a histor- ic section inside the monument. The second crew will be working at the Grand Canyon National Park for two weeks on the North Rim. LA PLAZITA INSTITUTE BARRIO CORPS: For the fourth year in a row, SCC-AL has partnered with La Plazita Institute to engage urban Native American youth and young adults in conservation work. La Plazita brings a strong background in working with people re- turning from or currently involved in the criminal justice system. They are a non-traditional leadership development program, that believes that our indigenous cultures and traditions offer us the communities and resources that we need to heal ourselves. This year, the Native Barrio Corps engaged 5 youth from 5 Tribes in 8 months of project work. Beginning in April, the crew helped to prepare certified-organic gardens that would provide free and low-cost produce to families in need, as well as to local schools and the detention centers that some of the crew have been incarcerated in. Funding for the early part of the program was from the Kellogg Foundation. The crew later moved to Petroglyph National Monument, where they completed important in- vasive species removal, fence repair, and fire mitigation. The crew also worked with the Valle de Oro National Wildlife Refuge to conduct commu- nity outreach and engagement and fence construction and repair. Later this fall, the Native Barrio Corps will complete trail work in Albuquerque’s Bosque, along the Rio Grande. Many of the participants of the Native Barrio Corps have been adjudicated or incarcerated. Through this program, they are able to complete valuable projects that help them connect in positive ways to their surrounding community, get valuable job experience, and receive healing for them- selves and their families. The program began in 2014 with a four week hitch, and has since expanded to an eight-month long program. We hope to continue to grow the program into a year-long experience and to add a component focused on engaging high-school youth. 8 INDIVIDUAL INTERN PLACEMENTS ANCESTRAL LANDS VISTA AND INDIVIDUAL PLACEMENT SITES: BANDELIER NATIONAL PARK EL MORRO AND EL MALPAIS NATIONAL MONUMENTS FORT LARAMIE NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE FORT VANCOUVER NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE GLEN CANYON NATIONAL RECREATION AREA GRAND TETON NATIONAL PARK the local level. As part of their service the VISTAs, similar to INTER-MOUNTAIN REGIONAL OFFICE previous interns, will introduce local Native American youth to KNIFE RIVER INDIAN VILLAGES NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE the National Park Service through Youth Play, Learn, Serve proj- KALAUPAPA NATIONAL HISTORICAL PARK ects. Additionally, VISTAs utilize relationships with local tribal MESA VERDE NATIONAL PARK members and agency partners, working to identify infrastruc- SAGUARO NATIONAL PARK ture necessary to catalyze Ancestral Lands Conservation Corps in their communities. In 2017 Conservation Legacy’s Stewards and Ancestral Lands Pro- The program supports the self-empowerment of Native Ameri- grams developed a partnership with the AmeriCorps Tribal Resil- can communities by providing jobs and experience for Native iency program to place 12 individual year-long Native American American youth, connecting youth to their heritage and cultural AmeriCorps VISTAs (Volunteer In Service To America) in sites values, completing critical conservation projects that directly across the Nation, nine of which were placed at NPS sites. These benefit the community and exposing Native American youth to VISTAs work to build relationships and capacity for National Park potential careers with public land management agencies. VISTA Units and Native American Communities of need. Many of these sites are identified through a joint effort between the NPS and VISTAS are hosted by National Park Units in partnership with lo- Conservation Legacy based on critical needs of the community cal conservation corps, who can offer assistance, guidance and and park unit, park unit and community willingness, readiness support on-site. In addition to learning about NPS park units and and ability to support and host the VISTA participants. providing project support, the VISTAs participated in a week of ori- entation with Conservation Legacy, the annual Society of American In addition to the Ancestral Lands VISTA Team, Ancestral Lands Indian Government Employees Conference and the Native Youth are also supporting three Ancestral Lands Internships in 2017. Community Adaptation and Leadership Congress. These interns are focused on personal career development within the National Park Service as well as connecting Ancestral VISTAs will spend the year learning about career opportunities Lands alumni to agency positions. They include: with the National Park Service, shadowing local corps programs • 1 Individual Placement serving at Knife River Indian and completing conservation projects at parks near their commu- Villages, Duration: 25 weeks nities. They will build support networks between potential tribal • 1 Individual Placement serving at Fort Laramie partners/communities and NPS sites to explore the potentials of National Historic Site, Duration: 26 weeks starting and supporting Native American focused programming at • 1 Individual Placement serving with the NPS Intermountain Regional Office in Denver, CO, Duration: 26 weeks. 9