The
Montana Conservation Corps (MCC) is a young adult development program modeled after the
Civilian Conservation CorpsThe Civilian Conservation Corps was a public work relief program for unemployed men, providing vocational training through the performance of useful work related to conservation and development of natural resources in the United States from 1933 to 1942. As part of the New Deal legislation...
of the 1930s, using conservation projects to foster citizenship and personal growth in its members. The MCC operates crews in six towns throughout Montana: Missoula, Kalispell, Great Falls, Helena, Billings, and Bozeman, which also serves as the program’s central office.
These projects, or “spikes”, take the form of trail construction and maintenance, but also include fencing, noxious weed control, habitat restoration, tree planting, fuels reduction, historical building renovation, and campground improvements.
The
Montana Conservation Corps (MCC) is a young adult development program modeled after the
Civilian Conservation CorpsThe Civilian Conservation Corps was a public work relief program for unemployed men, providing vocational training through the performance of useful work related to conservation and development of natural resources in the United States from 1933 to 1942. As part of the New Deal legislation...
of the 1930s, using conservation projects to foster citizenship and personal growth in its members. The MCC operates crews in six towns throughout Montana: Missoula, Kalispell, Great Falls, Helena, Billings, and Bozeman, which also serves as the program’s central office.
These projects, or “spikes”, take the form of trail construction and maintenance, but also include fencing, noxious weed control, habitat restoration, tree planting, fuels reduction, historical building renovation, and campground improvements. Working for Montana state agencies and federal agencies such as the
National Park ServiceThe National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
, the U.S. Forest Service, and the
Bureau of Land ManagementThe Bureau of Land Management is an agency within the United States Department of the Interior which administers America's public lands, totaling approximately 264 million acres or one-eighth of the landmass of the country. Most public lands are located in western states...
, members not only have the opportunity to develop vocational and interpersonal skills but also spend their summer amid the landscapes of Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, and North Dakota.
MCC crews are managed by a pair of co-leaders and consist of four to five Corpsmembers, all of whom are also
AmeriCorpsAmeriCorps is a U.S. federal government program that was created under President Bill Clinton by the National and Community Service Trust Act of 1993 Later expanded by 50 percent under President George W. Bush...
volunteers. The Crew Leader terms last from February to November, while the Corpsmember terms last from May to October. Those who join the MCC come from assorted backgrounds: college graduates;
Peace CorpsThe Peace Corps is an American volunteer program run by the United States Government, as well as a governmental agency of the same name. Each program participant, or Peace Corps Volunteer, is an American citizen who commits to working abroad in an assignment for the organization for a period of...
graduates; other
AmeriCorpsAmeriCorps is a U.S. federal government program that was created under President Bill Clinton by the National and Community Service Trust Act of 1993 Later expanded by 50 percent under President George W. Bush...
Programs; environmental educators; individuals who want to work with the Forest Service or Park Service; and individuals who want to do something different with their lives.
In addition to field crews, the MCC operates a youth program called YES (Youth Engaged in Service). This program is designed to serve Montana young adults, ages 14 to 17. YES crew members volunteer on conservation projects for five weeks during the summer and receive a monetary award upon completion.
MCC Mission Statement
(taken from the 2006 MCC Crew Leader Handbook)
“To equip young people with the skills and values to become vigorous citizens who improve our communities and environment.”
MCC History
• The organization was modeled after Franklin Roosevelt’s
Civilian Conservation CorpsThe Civilian Conservation Corps was a public work relief program for unemployed men, providing vocational training through the performance of useful work related to conservation and development of natural resources in the United States from 1933 to 1942. As part of the New Deal legislation...
of the 1930’s and centered around small teams, diverse conservation projects and life changing experiences.
• MCC was established in 1991, by the Human Resource Development Councils in Billings, Bozeman and Kalispell. At that time, it was primarily a summer program serving disadvantaged youth.
• In 1993, the
AmeriCorpsAmeriCorps is a U.S. federal government program that was created under President Bill Clinton by the National and Community Service Trust Act of 1993 Later expanded by 50 percent under President George W. Bush...
National Service Program began funding the Montana Conservation Corps and enabled the progression to a year-round program. In 1995, the Montana Board of Crime Control granted the MCC funds to develop CorpsLINK, a program aimed at utilizing Corpsmembers to supervise youth performing community service and to mentor at-risk youth. These programs began utilizing Corpsmember’s to perform service projects addressing community needs in addition to performing natural resource projects.
• A small staff in Bozeman manages the agency and a volunteer Board of Directors governs the organization. MCC crews do a variety of projects for natural resource agencies including: recreation area management, trail construction and repair, fence building, cave restoration, wildlife habitat improvement, stream rehabilitation, and playground construction. Community service projects performed by MCC crews include repairing senior citizen homes, distributing food to the needy, and building community gardens.
• Support for the MCC comes from many individuals and organizations that have a keen interest in the energy and enthusiasm of our young people. Over 200 public and private agencies sponsor MCC projects each year, with most of the financial support coming from City, County, State and Federal land management agencies.
AmeriCorpsAmeriCorps is a U.S. federal government program that was created under President Bill Clinton by the National and Community Service Trust Act of 1993 Later expanded by 50 percent under President George W. Bush...
funding through the Governor’s Office of Community Service accounts for a little over half the budget with project sponsors providing the bulk of the remainder.
• MCC dispatched crews to hurricane relief in Florida in 2003 and 2004, and to
Hurricane KatrinaHurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was the costliest hurricane, as well as one of the five deadliest, in the history of the United States...
relief in 2005.