PRESS RELEASE:

VYCC AND THE STATE OF VERMONT PUT CLEAN WATER FUNDS AND YOUTH TO WORK

Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation (VTDEC) Funding Backs 27 Weeks Of VYCC Crews

February 18, 2019

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Llu Mulvaney-Stanak, VYCC Officer of Community Engagement

802-434-3969 ext. 100 || Llu@VYCC.org || PDF version

Richmond, VT – During the 2018 field season, supported by funding from the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation (VTDEC), Vermont Youth Conservation Corps (VYCC) youth and young adult crews completed 27 weeks of work to directly address erosion and nutrient pollution in surface water across the state. These issues directly contribute to the deteriorating health of Vermont’s rivers, ponds, and lakes and are what the state’s Clean Water Act was created to address.

“Aligning (VYCC’s) work with the goals of the Clean Water Act has allowed for the completion of dozens of high-priority water quality projects,” says VYCC Chief Program Officer Daniel Schmidt. “These are projects that both reduce phosphorus loading in our lakes and rivers while also providing opportunities for young people to learn about watershed science through hands-on work.”

Each year, the VTDEC offers grant opportunities that allow access to the state’s Clean Water funds, and give organizations like VYCC the ability to place these dollars directly on the ground across the state.

VYCC’s work in 2018 represents a commitment by Vermont’s only youth to address numerous shared state goals: water quality, meaningful youth and young adult employment and on the job training, and instilling a collective sense of responsibility for being stewards of Vermont’s natural resources. The partnerships between state, regional, and local partners, made possible through VTDEC funding, showcases the power of collaboration and results in keeping Vermont’s water resources clean.

More info about VYCC: 

Vermont Youth Conservation Corps is a 501c3 nonprofit youth development organization with a mission to teach young people personal responsibility through meaningful work that connects us to the land, community, and one another. For more than 30 years, VYCC has instilled the values of personal responsibility, hard work, education, and respect for the environment in young people. VYCC Corps Members, young adults 15-24, work, live, and learn together in small groups, completing priority conservation and agriculture projects throughout Vermont under the guidance of highly trained Crew Leaders. www.vycc.org

##END###