Youth corps to focus on trails

By Jim Tiffin
Cibola County Bureau

Editor's note: Second in a two-part series on the Youth Conservation Corps in Grants and Gallup.

GALLUP — The Youth Conservation Corps in Gallup is a seasonal program.

The corps is sponsored by the City of Gallup and has students aged 14-20 working on projects of a "lasting value," a requirement by the state program in order to receive funding.

Karl Lohmann, of Connections, said his company has a contract with the city to operate the corps in addition to providing workforce development and other programs.

"We (corps) are currently working on a 23-mile high desert bicycling trail," he said. The trail has been built during the past three years.

Age limit
"Those who work for the corps may only work for four years," Lohmann said.

After graduation some of the graduates have returned to work as supervisors, he said.

Connections received a $149,000 grant for this year's corps and Lohmann said he expects to employ 48 more students in addition to the 12 he already has in place.

He said 80 percent of the grant funding has to go to wages for the students in the program with 10 percent going toward training and the other 10 percent in protective equipment, such as gloves, goggles and hard hats.

The city, as a partner in the corps, has to provide in-kind services, such as supplies, materials and supervision.

Doing more
Lohmann said in addition to the 23 miles of trail, the corps will be constructing an additional 25 miles of trail to help make Gallup a tourist destination for mountain biking and hiking adventures.

In addition to working on the trails, corps students are creating and maintaining retaining walls to help prevent erosion.

"We are also removing invasive plants, such as Russian Thistle and Salt cedar, and putting in native plants," he said.

Part of the trails will be "urban trails" through the city, providing shortcuts and bringing neighborhoods together, he said.

Lohmann said employing those who have worked in the program previously is a main goal and he will be soon advertising for positions.

Students have to be in school, have a 2.5 grade average and pass a drug screening, he said.

Corps workers have also removed 324 tons of alcohol-related trash, primarily 40 ounce beer bottles, Lohmann said.

For information on the corps, call (505) 979-2837 or (505) 863-1215.

To contact reporter Jim Tiffin, call (505) 287-2197 or e-mail: jtiffin.independent@yahoo.com.