YCC wants summer job applicants

Photo Courtesy USFS

Trail crew members roll a segment of a log cut by Stacey Snyder to clear the Hell’s Half Acre trail.

The McKenzie River and Middle Fork ranger districts are looking for young people to apply for summer jobs with the Youth Conservation Corps (YCC). Summer jobs are available for people born between August 9th, 1995 and June 17th, 1998.  Applications are now being accepted through February 15th.

YCC employees do conservation work on public lands and have opportunities to learn about and develop an appreciation of the natural environment. The program is an eight-week working session for area youth. The emphasis is on hands-on learning; tasks may include campground maintenance and renovation, trail building, noxious weed removal, planting, wildlife habitat enhancement and various other projects.

Last year, some projects included;

• Improving habitat for elk and deer through invasive species removal

• Clearing, brushing and reconstructing hiking trails

• Hand piling wood and slash for fuel reduction treatments

• Improving recreational sites by construction and repairs

• Removing trash dumped in the forest

“I learned that I could work hard,” said 16-year-old Alexa Flack, who worked as a youth leader on the Middle Fork Ranger District last summer. “I like being responsible and making sure everyone is safe. It’s kind of cool.”

The number of people who will be hired will be dependent on available funding and differs by ranger district. In both locations selections for crewmembers are picked in a random drawing, while still ensuring roughly equal numbers of male and female participants. The McKenzie River Ranger District will hire up to two crews of four youth each, and the Middle Fork Ranger District in Westfir will hire up to seven crews of three to five youth each. The crews will be staffed with an adult crew leader and a youth leader. Wages for crewmembers are the minimum wage of $8.95/hour; wages for youth leaders are $10.29 per hour.

Workers will report to the ranger station each morning, with transportation out to the field sites provided by the Forest Service. Employment will begin June 17th and end on August 9th. If more funding becomes available, some additional weeks of work may be offered.

Crewmembers are required to have proper work boots (contact the ranger district before buying boots), work clothes and lunches. The will also perform rigorous outdoor work under potentially adverse weather conditions in rough terrain.

Interested youth may obtain an application at their high school, the ranger district offices. Applications are available on the web at: http://www.fs.usda.gov/goto/willamette/ycc. However, applications must be signed and submitted in hardcopy to the respective ranger districts. For further information contact the McKenzie River Ranger District near McKenzie Bridge at 541-822-3381 or the Middle Fork Ranger District in Westfir at 541-782-2283.