Creating Conservation-Based Employment

Rocky Mountain Youth Corps

Addressing barriers to employment among New Mexico’s youth, Rocky Mountain Youth Corps (RMYC) was established in 1995 to provide seasonal, conservation-based employment opportunities for at-risk youth in northern New Mexico. RMYC recruits local youth from underserved communities and provides them with on-the-job training in forest restoration to support priority management projects on public lands. Corps members work alongside staff from federal, state, local and tribal land managing agencies to develop job-specific skillsets and work ethic in preparation for full-time employment with land management entities such as the US Forest Service (USFS). RMYC is revitalizing communities, preserving and restoring the environment, and building civic spirit through service.

The Taos Ski Valley Foundation has supported RMYC collaborating with the Taos County Wildfire Protection Plan, Taos County Watershed Alliance and the Rio Grande Water Fund to build strategies that combat environmental threats across Northern New Mexico. Work has included RMYC’s Rio Hondo Corridor project, which reduced forest fuels threats along Highway 150, while empowering at-risk youth from the Taos community by educating them in forest health and engaging them in forest management activities.