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Moulton, McSally Join Forces on Bipartisan National Service Legislation to Preserve 21st Century Conservation Service Corps Program

April 28, 2016
Bill aims to protect conservation efforts and expand national service opportunities for Americans
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Washington, D.C. - Today, Congressman Seth Moulton (D-MA) and Congresswoman Martha McSally (R-AZ) introduced a bipartisan bill, the 21st Century Conservation Service Corps (21CSC) Act, to help facilitate restoration projects on public lands and expand service opportunities for Americans. Moulton and McSally’s bill enables federal agencies, like the National Park Service (NPS), to enter into partnerships with national service corps organizations to complete projects faster and at no additional cost to taxpayers.
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“Enjoying the outdoors and our great national parks is a quintessentially American experience, but it’s one that more and more Americans are losing out on because of the mounting backlog of National Parks Service projects,” said Moulton. “We need innovative solutions and the 21CSC is just that -- it codifies public-private partnerships between conservation groups and our park services, while affording young people and veterans meaningful work experience. This bipartisan bill effectively joins service with stewardship, and in doing so, it will make our country a better place. I was proud to work with Congresswoman McSally on this effort to protect 21CSC and promote conservation and national service opportunities at the same time.”
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“In Arizona, natural beauty is all around us,” said McSally. “The problem is that a backlog of needed restoration projects on our public lands is restricting access for Arizonans and tourists alike to our parks and public areas. Additional resources provided to reduce this backlog have failed to make a dent in it, which is why we need better solutions. My bill leverages existing resources in a smarter way to get these projects moving and ensure the public can once again fully enjoy our national parks.”
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Under an executive order, federal agencies like the National Park Service are encouraged to partner with national service corps organizations to fill available positions on national service restoration projects. Moulton and McSally’s bill codifies this program under law and expands it to allow additional federal agencies to use corps volunteers to complete projects. Additionally, the bill streamlines the process in which private donations can be used for park reconstruction activities.
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Today, restoration projects on public lands around the country are significantly backlogged and in need of serious repair. This bill aims to engage 100,000 young Americans in conservation service per year by 2018. Moulton and McSally’s legislation has garnered substantial bipartisan support in Congress.
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To learn more about Congressman Moulton, visit www.moulton.house.gov  or find the Congressman on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram, or Medium.
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