Secretary Salazar, Joined by White House Advisor Valerie Jarrett, Lays Groundwork for 21st Century Youth Conservation Corps

Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar was joined by Senior White House Advisor Valerie Jarrett and several hundred schoolchildren taking part in a youth fishing event on the National Mall today where he signed a Secretarial Order establishing an Office of Youth in Natural Resources at the Department of the Interior.

The Office of Youth in Natural Resources will coordinate present and future youth initiatives, the signature program of which will be a 21st Century Youth Conservation Corps. The corps will be modeled after the Civilian Conservation Corps that provided 3 million men with jobs in the 1930s. By comparison, the 21st Century Youth Conservation Corps will include women as well as men and strive for greater diversity.

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Secretary Salazar made his announcement on the National Mall directly to hundreds of young Americans that may one day benefit from the Office of Youth in Natural Resources in the Department of the Interior. Left to right are Valerie Jarrett, Senior White House Advisor, Secretary Salazar and Tom Strickland, Assistant Secretary for Fish, Wildlife and Parks. [Photo Credit: Tami A. Heilemann DOI]

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Secretary Salazar and White House Senior Advisor Valerie Jarrett pose with two success stories from when the Secretary was the Director of Natural Resources for the state of Colorado and created the Colorado Youth in Natural Resources program. On the left are Scott Gilmore and on the right Stacey Gilmore. The Gilmores cofounded Environmental Learning for Kids, thanks to training and inspiration they received in the youth program. [Photo Credit: Tami A. Heilemann DOI]

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Nearly 300 kids from D.C. area schools came to Constitution Gardens on the National Mall for a day of fishing sponsored by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and many other organizations. Secretary Salazar applauded them for getting outdoors. [Photo Credit: Tami A. Heilemann DOI]

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Secretary Salazar took a moment to see how the fishing is going for the kids. In addition to job creation, the Office of Youth in Natural Resources will engage thousands of young people in outdoor programs in the coming months through stimulus funds, increased appropriations, new youth programs and expansion of existing programs. [Photo Credit: Tami A. Heilemann DOI]

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An elementary school student tells Secretary Salazar where he caught a fish earlier. [Photo Credit: Tami A. Heilemann DOI]

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Mounted U.S. Park Police stopped to let their horses visit with some of the nearly 300 school children from Melvin C. Sharp Health School, Ross and John Eaton Elementary Schools who enjoyed a day of fishing on the National Mall. [Photo Credit: Tami A. Heilemann DOI]

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