Indian Youth Service Corps
Tribal Ecological Trainees from Klamath Tribes and affiliates work as part of the Tribal Ecological Forestry Training Program on the Lomakatsi Restoration Project in Oregon.
Members of a Hopi Ancestral Lands Crew construct fencing on the Kaibab National Forest in Arizona.
Trained Tribal members have already found high-paying careers performing survey work in the Sonoran Desert.
The Indian Youth Service Corps provides you paid experience and meaningful education, employment, and training opportunities through conservation projects on public and Indian lands – placing you on a path to a Federal career.
Eligibility
You must be between the ages of 16 and 30, or up to 35 years old if you are a veteran.
Indian youth receive preference.
Benefits
Receive hands-on training opportunities in a variety of career fields while earning a stipend, living allowance or wage.
Gain skills necessary to embark on a path to a rewarding career, either in the public or private sector.;
Work 640 hours (about 4 months) to earn a 2-year non-competitive hiring authority. This authority gives you an advantage when applying for job opportunities with the Forest Service and other federal agencies.
Project Types
Trail building
Climate mitigation and resilience
Reforestation
Landscape and seascape conservation that protects species and ecosystems
Invasive species removal
Erosion control
Fire fuels reduction and wildfire protection
Wildlife surveys
Habitat restoration
Farming and gardening
Water and soil sampling
Historic structures and artifacts preservation
Restoration and rehabilitation of facilities
Interpretive services (traditional ecological knowledge input)
Tribal relations management
National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) work
Program Length
At least 4 months in length. You must work 640 hours to earn a Public Lands Corps non-competitive hiring authority.
How to Apply
Reach out to your regional Tribal Relations contact.
Use the Find a Forest tool to find a Forest Service location that you are interested in working for. Call to find out if they have a project involving the Indian Youth Service Corps.
Visit the Corps Network website to find a corps and then reach out to your local Conservation Corps, Tribes, and Tribal organizations.
Check out opportunities with the Ancestral Lands Conservation Corps.
Contact Information
Use the map or Forest Service regions and then find the contact information in the list below.
Northern Region (R1)
Twelve National Forests spread across North Idaho, Montana, and a sliver of northeastern Washington. The 4 National Grasslands of the Dakota Prairie Grasslands are in North Dakota and northwestern South Dakota.
Jeffrey Miller: jeffrey.m.miller@usda.gov
Rocky Mountain Region (R2)
Region 2 encompasses national forests and grasslands in Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, and most of South Dakota and Wyoming.
Chandra Allred: chandra.allred@usda.gov
Southwest Region (R3)
Includes six national forests in Arizona, five national forests and a national grassland in New Mexico, and one national grassland each in Oklahoma and the Texas panhandle.
Greg Schuster: greg.schuster@usda.gov
Intermountain Region (R4)
Includes twelve National Forests which are located in Utah, Nevada, western Wyoming, southern and central Idaho, as well as one National Grassland in Idaho and the Rocky Mountain Research Station in Colorado.
Bill Lyons: william.lyons@usda.gov
Pacific Southwest Region (R5)
Includes lands in California, Hawaii, and the U.S. Affiliated Pacific Islands.
Taylor Livingston: taylor.livingston@usda.gov
Pacific Northwest Region 6 (R6)
Contains 17 National Forests, a National Scenic Area, a National Grassland, and two National Volcanic Monuments, all within the States of Oregon and Washington.
Rachel Lamedica: rachel.lamedica@usda.gov
Southern Region (R8)
Includes forests in Alabama, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Puerto Rico, South Carolina Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia.
Krista Langley: krista.langley@usda.gov
Meredith Casper: meredith.casper@usda.gov
Juliana Defriese: juliana.defriese@usda.gov
Brenna Kelly: brenna.kelly@usda.gov
Eastern Region (R9)
Includes 20 states in the northeast and Great Lakes areas.
Joshua Keenan: joshua.keenan@usda.gov
Alaska Region (R10)
All of Alaska.
Don MacDougall: donald.macdougall@usda.gov
Program Completion
If you work 640 hours in the program, you can earn a Public Land Corps non-competitive hiring authority. This gives you an advantage when competing for career opportunities with the Federal government.
How to Use Your Hiring Authority
Search USAJOBS.gov for a career opportunity. Note on the filters such as agency and hiring paths. The Public Lands Corps (PLC) authority is under Hiring Paths and Special Hiring Authorities. You can select these filters to narrow your career search to opportunities open to your authority. You can also reach out to a regional recruiter directly.
Make sure that you apply with a robust Federal resume and that you include all required documents such as your PLC Certificate.
The USDA is an Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer