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              Public Lands Service Coalition Partnership Impact Evaluation Final Report
      Back
                The Corps Network (TCN) places AmeriCorps members with organizations and government agencies to contribute to environmental stewardship projects in communities across the country. TCN members build and maintain trails, campgrounds, boat docks, and other outdoor recreation facilities. They eliminate invasive species, remove hazardous fuels, and restore critical ecosystems and habitats at national and state forests and parks.

**Study Goals**
The goal of this study is to examine the impact of TCN’s participating AmeriCorps conservation corps programs as well as the impact on hosting agencies’ capacity. The primary outcome-related goals are to determine whether there is evidence that TCN’s host partners demonstrate higher levels of engagement, efficiency, and environmental stewardship than similar non-hosting agencies. The comparison group comprised USFS and State Parks units that use alternative methods (e.g., agency crews, volunteer groups, contractors) and the treatment group comprised sites utilizing AmeriCorps members.

**Research Questions**

The research questions were:

Do the TCN partnerships increase partners’:

Capacity to engage communities compared to non-host agencies as indicated by perceived higher levels of engagement and higher hours of volunteer engagement.
	Efficiency compared to non-host agencies as indicated by fewer organizational resources committed to trail/habitat work and higher perceived quality of trail/habitat work.
	Natural resource enhancement compared to non-host agencies as indicated by increased miles of trails improved/created and acres of habitat improved?**Findings**

The evaluation found that:

Conservation Corps were frequently reported partners among public land managers.
	Land management agencies who partnered with Conservation Corps accomplished more than agencies who didn’t.
	Many partners working with state and federal land management agencies experienced declines in work performed in 2020, possibly due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Work rates variably rebounded in 2021.
	Across all partner types, Conservation Corps’ contribution to resource enhancement was rated highest.
	Land managers rated the quality of work performed by Conservation Corps as high (4 out of 5), tied for the highest amongst partner types.

      Full report
      

      Full Report
            Public Lands Service Coalition Partnership Impact Evaluation_Final Report_508.pdf
        Further information
    



      Program/Intervention
                        AmeriCorps Conservation Corp Program
  

      Implementing Organization
                        American Cons. Experience, CO Youth Assn, Cons. Corps of MN & IA, Cons. Legacy, DE State Parks Veterans Cons. Corps, Kupu HI, MT Cons. Corps, NW Youth Corps, Rocky Mountain Youth Corps (NM), the SCA, American Youthworks (TXCC & LACC), UT Cons. Corps
  

      Intermediary(s)
                        Participating Public Lands Service Coalition corps and The Corps Network
  

      AmeriCorps Program(s)
            AmeriCorps State and National
  

      Outcome Category
            At-risk ecosystems
  

      Study Design(s)
            Quasi-experimental (QED)
  

      Level of Evidence
            Strong
  

      Researcher/Evaluator
                        Allie McCreary, Michael Edwards, Molly McKenna, Erin Seekamp, and Samantha Lockwood
  

      Published Year
                        2022
  

      Study Site Location (State)
            Colorado
                  Delaware
                  Hawaii
                  Minnesota
                  Montana
                  New Mexico
                  Utah Back to main content Sign up to hear about our latest news, events, and opportunities.
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