Polis, Ruiz Introduce Legislation Aimed at Employing Veterans in Restoration and Protection of our Public Land and Waters

Press Release

Today Representative Jared Polis (CO-02) and Raul Ruiz (D-CA) introduced the Veterans Conservation Corps Act of 2015. The measure targets service members who served after 9/11-- veterans facing an upwards of 17 percent unemployment rate when returning home from service.

Modeled after the Civilian Conservation Corps of the 1930s, the bill would provide transitional assistance to these separating service members, employing them on projects designed to leverage skills developed in the military in fields such as water safety, construction, GIS mapping, and as park rangers. Studies have shown the extensive benefits associated with employing veterans in public service and outdoor engagement.

By training and employing veterans in these fields, the Veterans Conservation Corps Act will also address critical gaps in conservation and natural disaster assistance nationwide. That includes addressing the $11.4 billion maintenance backlog in our national parks, controlling and mitigating against the over 3,000 deaths and 17,000 injuries that result from wildfires annually, and protecting our national, state, and tribal forests, coastal areas, wildlife refuges, and cemeteries.

"Veterans deserve a voice -- as do our endangered lands and waters," Polis said. "Our bill targets modern threats to public and environmental safety while also ensuring we effectively support those who have put their lives on the line in service to our country."

The initiative has been widely praised by veteran and environmental activists alike, including the Vet Voice Foundation, National Military Family Association, Sierra Club, Corporation for National Community Service (CNCS), and National Parks Conservation Association.

"Public lands belong to us all," Saud Andrea Sandoval, Operation Iraqi Freedom Veteran, said. "As veterans, we want to see these lands protected for future generations. After all, we served overseas to ensure these lands and this country remain free for all to enjoy."

"Many veterans have a natural love of the outdoors…And getting outdoors is a wonderful way to reintegrate when we return home from war," Jon Soltz, U.S. Army, said.

"We must keep the places we love to hunt and fish in good condition, so that our kids and future generations of vets will have the same opportunities to enjoy them that we have today," Major General Donald Edwards, U.S. Army, said.

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