Kelly Forks Residential Youth Conservation Corps

Kelly Forks Residential Youth Conservation Corps

We are now accepting applications! Kelly Forks Residential Youth Conservation Corps Applications Will Be Accepted Until March 15, 2024

photo collage consisting of four photos of young people outdoors on trails in mountains and a stump.

Program Overview

 

The Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests is proud to host the Kelly Forks Residential Youth Conservation Corps (KFRYCC) program - a conservation and education work-based program for youth between the ages of 15 and 18.

The Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests will offer one six-week KFRYCC session from Mid-June through Mid-August, 2024. Four youth will be selected to participate in the program, and will be stationed at the beautiful Kelly Forks Work Center, deep in the heart of the Clearwater Mountains, for the duration of the program.

The Youth Conservation Corps (YCC) is a youth program designed to develop awareness and understanding of our nation's natural resources and heritage – resources that belong to you! The U.S. Forest Service welcomes youth from around the country and from all social, economic, ethnic, and racial backgrounds for YCC.

young people shot from behind at a cabin

five young people posing for a picture in a foresttwo young people in front of a rushing river

The Work: What will you be doing?

If selected, you will be based out of the Kelly Forks Work Center on the North Fork Ranger District of the Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forests. You and your crew will work together with a Forest Service crew leader and Forest Service program staff to complete conservation projects that are pivotal to the agency's success. These projects may include: hazardous fuels reduction, timber sale preparation, wildlife and fisheries data collection, trail maintenance and construction, campground and cabin maintenance, landscape restoration projects, visitor support services, and a wide variety of other projects. Some of the summer’s projects will be based out of Kelly Forks Work Center, while some more remote projects will require crews to backpack and camp at primitive sites.

The Kelly Forks Residential Youth Conservation Corps is proud to work and assist in a variety of resource areas and with a variety of partner groups and agencies. In 2023 the program participants provided support in trail maintenance, data collection for the wildlife program, invasive weeds removal and more!

four young people ride a raft down a rivera young person climbs a tree using ropes

The Play: Opportunities

Additionally, you will have the opportunity to participate in evening and weekend recreational activities such as hiking, rafting, and fishing. You'll take trips exploring the local area while discovering the diverse options for careers in the Forest Service and other land management agencies. These opportunities will show you the recreational value of public lands and the intersection of recreation with other forest functions.

A long single story building with a sloped roof and a multi-vehicle garage in the background sit amongst mountains covered by thick evergreen forests.

Kelly Forks Work Center

The Place: Where will you stay?

KFRYCC participants are required to live on location at the Kelly Forks Work Center, located 25 miles north of Pierce, Idaho at the confluence of the North Fork Clearwater River and Kelly Creek. The facility provides lodging for Forest Service staff and seasonal crews and is the springboard to reach some of the remote areas on the forest's North Fork Ranger District. The Kelly Forks Work Center is a remote duty station with the nearest services, including phone signal, located three hours away. Housing at the Work Center is a mixed-gender bunkhouse (dormitory style living).

Program Benefits: Connect yourself to YOUR National Forest lands

This program is challenging – be prepared to work in a variety of weather and terrain conditions while completing high-priority conservation projects for the forest. With that hard work will come a strength you didn’t know you had, new leadership skills, and a strong sense of self-esteem knowing you have done a job well. You will learn firsthand about natural resource and conservation issues, meet new people and be immersed in the rich heritage and incredible natural beauties of this vibrant landscape.

KFRYCC participants work 40 hours per week at the rate of $15.00 per hour.

Program Requirements

  • No previous wilderness or backcountry experience is required, but a willingness and ability to work in a physically demanding outdoor program, live in a remote duty station for six weeks, cooperate in a team setting, and maintain a positive attitude in the face of challenges are characteristics essential for success.
  • Applicants must be 15 years of age by the start of the program in Mid-June but not over 18 years of age by the end in Mid-August. Participants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents of the United States, its territories, or its possessions. A valid U.S. Social Security Number is also required.
  • You must provide your own work clothing and work boots

 

A deep, clear mountain stream runs by slopes densely forested with evergreen trees.

Kelly Creek

HOW TO APPLY

Applications will be accepted until March 15, 2024! Apply today! Just fill out this form and e-mail it to the contacts below!

Questions?

Please contact Joseph Loehner via email at joseph.loehner@usda.gov or call (208) 476-8293 with questions about the Kelly Forks Residential Youth Conservation Corps.

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