Conservation Corps recruits Native youth
Eli Herb talks wiht Hopi High students Monday about the jobs available for them wiht theSouthwest Conservation Corps. [courtesy photo]

By Stan Bindell
For the Independent

POLACCA, Ariz. — When Eli Herb recently became recruitment coordinator for the Southwest Conservation Corps, he noticed that the organization wasn’t working with Hopi youth so he set out to change that. Herb meet with Hopi High students Monday to tell them about the jobs available for them with the Southwest Conservation Corps.

The SWCC has a place-based naturalist program designed to acquaint members with local and global environmental issues while introducing them to careers in recreation and resource management. The program also teaches life skills development such as conflict resolution, appreciation of diversity and civic responsibility. The SWCC hires 17- to 25-year-olds to build or repair trails.

Herb is based out of Durango, Colo., but there are also offices in Alamosa, Colo; Acoma, and Tucson, Ariz. Herb estimated that 130 people work out of the Durango office.
“We also train youth to be crew leaders and firefighters,” he said.

The SWCC hires front-country and back-country workers. The front-country work on trails in either state or national parks where they can usually drive right up to the trails.

The back-country workers have to hike in to work on their trails. Either way, the youth work 11 days at a time and then get three days off. The front-country workers get $290 per week while the back-country workers get paid $310 per week. Both are paid more than minimum wage. Herb noted that while the trail workers are on the job they don’t have any place to spend their money, so they are essentially saving money while they work.

“You get to go to beautiful places, get in good shape and make money,” he told the students.

They may find themselves building trails or bridges. Crew members also work on fencing, revegetation, fire fuels reduction, wetland rehabilitation, erosion control, sign installation and wildlife habitat improvement.

“A lot of the people we train go onto work for the forest service or the BLM (Bureau of Land Management),” he said.
Herb said one third of SWCCs work force is Native American including several from Navajo and Zuni.

“When I was hired I realized that SWCC had never come to Hopi and it hit me that we needed to do that,” he said.

Herb said the workers may end up working on trails anywhere in the Four Corners area. He noted that one contingent is currently working on the Continental Divide that goes right through New Mexico. He said students have the option of working for four weeks, eight weeks or all summer.

Information: Herb, (970) 403-0141 or by e-mail: eli@sccorps.org