Conservation Program Pairs Residents With Income Opportunities

AUSTIN, TX—Austin residents economically impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic are invited to an opportunity to earn income and conserve an area affected by the Halloween Floods of 2015. The Austin Civilian Conservation Corps has launched a conservation partnership with the American Youthworks Texas Conservation Corps to pair residents with work opportunities and help preserve portions of Austin's beloved greenspaces.

Project participants will work in the former Onion Creek buyout area managed by the City's Parks and Recreation and Watershed Protection Departments. This particular area along Onion Creek located within the Dove Springs community has been impacted by devastating floods, and promoted a voluntary City buyout program that began in 1999.

“The Austin Civilian Conservation Corps, like FDR’s Civilian Conservation Corps, was designed to strengthen our community through jobs, training and good works in a challenging time,” said Council Member Alison Alter, who authored the resolution creating the ACCC. “While over time the corps will work on projects across the city, I am proud that we are starting with the Onion Creek area which has been hit hard by the pandemic and is still recovering from the Halloween floods, and as a parks advocate I am thrilled that the ACCC will help improve our parklands for all to enjoy.”

Participants will have the opportunity to gain critical skills and experience that will enable them to advance into careers in environmental causes. Tasks are mostly related to urban forestry management such as tree pruning, brush clearing, and invasive species removal, and also include wildflower seeding, trash pick-up, fence building, trail repair and construction, native revegetation, and habitat restoration.

To learn more about becoming involved with the ACCC, program applicants and potential community partners are encouraged to explore the ACCC website or click HERE.