Last week, Senators Chris Coons, Martin Heinrich, and Ben Ray Luján introduced the Civilian Climate Corps Act. Reps. Joe Neguse and Abigail Spanberger introduced the House companion. The bill would establish a Civilian Climate Corps to put Americans to work during the COVID-19 pandemic and help communities address climate change. The bill codifies President Biden’s vision for a climate-focused national service program by authorizing the administration to utilize existing national service programs to create the Corps and to coordinate with federal and non-federal entities. Moreover, it would prioritize Corps projects that help disadvantaged communities build resilience to climate change. Click here to read a press release on the Civilian Climate Corps Act.
This week, the White House also announced support for $10 billion to mobilize the next generation of conservation and resilience workers and establish a Civilian Climate Corps as part of the American Jobs Plan. This follows an Executive Order issued by President Biden on January 27th that called for the Secretaries of Interior, Agriculture, and other relevant agencies to, within 90 days, propose a plan for establishing a Civilian Climate Corps. That plan is anticipated later this spring.
The state-based and national climate-focused AmeriCorps programs we serve — among them TerraCorps, Mt. Adams Institute’s AmeriCorps program, American Conservation Experience’s programs — continually demonstrate exceptional impact and phenomenal leadership. There’s no doubt why programs like these are a part of the vision to help train and mobilize the next generation of conservation and resilience workers.
Three cheers to President Biden and congressional leadership for recognizing the ROI that can be created by investing in national service in this area!