I 

111TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1612 

To amend the Public Lands Corps Act of 1993 to expand the authorization 

of the Secretaries of Agriculture, Commerce, and the Interior to provide 

service-learning opportunities on public lands, help restore the Nation’s 

natural, cultural, historic, archaeological, recreational, and scenic resources, train a new generation of public land managers and enthusiasts, 

and promote the value of public service. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MARCH 19, 2009 

Mr. GRIJALVA (for himself and Mr. RAHALL) introduced the following bill; 

which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources, and in addition to the Committees on Agriculture and Education and Labor, for a 

period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for 

consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

A BILL 

To amend the Public Lands Corps Act of 1993 to expand 

the authorization of the Secretaries of Agriculture, Commerce, and the Interior to provide service-learning opportunities on public lands, help restore the Nation’s natural, cultural, historic, archaeological, recreational, and 

scenic resources, train a new generation of public land 

managers and enthusiasts, and promote the value of 

public service. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 


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1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Public Lands Service 

3 Corps Act of 2009’’. 

4 SEC. 2. REFERENCE. 

5 A reference in this Act to ‘‘the Act’’ is a reference 

6 to the Public Lands Corps Act of 1993 (16 U.S.C. 1721 

7 et seq.; title II of Public Law 91–378). 

8 SEC. 3. AMENDMENTS TO THE PUBLIC LANDS CORPS ACT 

9 OF 1993. 

10 (a) NAME AND PROJECT DESCRIPTION CHANGES.— 

11 The Act is amended— 

12 (1) by striking ‘‘Public Lands Corps’’ each 

13 place it appears and inserting ‘‘Public Lands Service 

14 Corps’’; 

15 (2) by striking ‘‘conservation center’’ each place 

16 it appears and inserting ‘‘residential conservation 

17 center’’; and 

18 (3) by striking ‘‘appropriate conservation 

19 projects’’ each place it appears and inserting ‘‘ap20 propriate natural and cultural resources conservation 

21 projects’’. 

22 (b) FINDINGS.—Section 202(a) of the Act is amend23 ed as follows: 

24 (1) In paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘the natural 

25 and cultural’’ and inserting ‘‘natural and cultural’’. 


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1 (2) In paragraph (2), by inserting ‘‘, cultural, 

2 historic, archaeological, recreational and scenic’’ 

3 after ‘‘Many facilities and natural’’. 

4 (3) By adding at the end the following: 

5 ‘‘(4) Young men and women who participate in 

6 the rehabilitation and restoration of our nation’s 

7 natural, cultural, historic, archaeological, rec8 reational, and scenic treasures will gain an increased 

9 appreciation and understanding of our public lands 

10 and of the value of public service, and are likely to 

11 become life-long advocates for those values. 

12 ‘‘(5) The work of conservation corps can benefit 

13 communities adjacent to public lands, through im14 provement of civic engagement and participation 

15 among corps participants and those they serve, im16 proving student engagement, student achievement, 

17 graduation rates, and college attendance rates, and 

18 the improvement and rehabilitation of public assets, 

19 including parks, forests, trails, rivers, estuaries, and 

20 coastal and marine areas.’’. 

21 (c) PURPOSE.—Section 202(b) of the Act is amended 

22 as follows: 

23 (1) In paragraph (3), by striking ‘‘natural re24 sources’’ and inserting ‘‘natural, cultural, historic, 

25 archaeological, recreational and scenic resources’’. 


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1 (2) In paragraph (4), by striking ‘‘and’’ at the 

2 end. 

3 (3) By amending paragraph (5) to read as fol4 lows: 

5 ‘‘(5) instill in a new generation of young men 

6 and women from across the nation, including those 

7 from diverse backgrounds, the desire to seek careers 

8 in natural and cultural resource stewardship and 

9 public service by allowing them to work directly with 

10 conservation professionals in land management 

11 agencies; and’’. 

12 (4) By inserting after paragraph (5), the fol13 lowing: 

14 ‘‘(6) promote public understanding and appre15 ciation of the mission and work of the federal land, 

16 coastal, and ocean management agencies.’’. 

17 (d) DEFINITIONS.—Section 203 of the Act is amend18 ed as follows: 

19 (1) By amending paragraph (1) to read as fol20 lows: 

21 ‘‘(1) APPROPRIATE NATURAL AND CULTURAL

22 RESOURCES CONSERVATION PROJECT.—The term 

23 ‘appropriate natural and cultural conservation 

24 project’ means any project for the conservation, res25 toration, construction, or rehabilitation of natural, 


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1 cultural, historic, archaeological, recreational, or sce2 nic resources.’’. 

3 (2) By striking paragraph (8). 

4 (3) By redesignating paragraphs (9), (10), 

5 (11), (12), and (13) as paragraphs (8), (9), (10), 

6 (11), and (12), respectively. 

7 (4) By amending paragraph (8) (as so redesig8 nated) to read as follows: 

9 ‘‘(8) PUBLIC LANDS.—The term ‘public lands’ 

10 means any lands or waters (or interest therein) 

11 owned or administered by the United States, includ12 ing those areas of coastal and ocean waters, the 

13 Great Lakes and their connecting waters, and sub14 merged lands over which the United States exercises 

15 jurisdiction, except that such term does not include 

16 any Indian lands.’’. 

17 (5) In paragraph (9) (as so redesignated)— 

18 (A) in subparagraph (B), by striking 

19 ‘‘and’’ at the end; 

20 (B) in subparagraph (C), by striking the 

21 period and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 

22 (C) by adding at the end the following: 

23 ‘‘(D) makes available for audit for each fis24 cal year for which the qualified youth or con25 servation corps receives Federal funds under 


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1 this Act, all information pertaining to the ex2 penditure of the funds, any matching funds, 

3 and participant demographics.’’. 

4 (6) In paragraph (11) (as so redesignated)— 

5 (A) in subparagraph (A), by striking 

6 ‘‘and’’ at the end; 

7 (B) in subparagraph (B), by striking the 

8 period and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 

9 (C) by adding at the end the following: 

10 ‘‘(C) with respect to the National Marine 

11 Sanctuary System, coral reefs, and other coast12 al, estuarine and marine habitats, and other 

13 lands and facilities administered by the Na14 tional Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 

15 the Secretary of Commerce.’’. 

16 (7) By adding at the end the following: 

17 ‘‘(13) RESIDENTIAL CONSERVATION CEN18 TERS.—The term ‘residential conservation centers’ 

19 means the facilities authorized under section 205. 

20 ‘‘(14) CONSULTING INTERN.—The term ‘con21 sulting intern’ means a consulting intern selected 

22 under section 205.’’. 

23 (e) PUBLIC LANDS SERVICE CORPS PROGRAM.—Sec24 tion 204 of the Act is amended as follows: 

25 (1) In subsection (a)— 


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1 (A) by striking ‘‘and the Department of 

2 Agriculture’’ and inserting ‘‘, the Department 

3 of Agriculture, and the Department of Com4 merce’’; and 

5 (B) by adding at the end the following: 

6 ‘‘The Secretary of the Interior shall establish a 

7 department-level office to coordinate Public 

8 Lands Service Corps activities within the De9 partment of the Interior. The Secretary of Agri10 culture shall establish within the U.S. Forest 

11 Service an office to coordinate Public Lands 

12 Service Corps activities within that agency. The 

13 Secretary of Commerce shall establish within 

14 the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Admin15 istration an office to coordinate Public Lands 

16 Service Corps activities within that agency. The 

17 Secretary of each department shall designate a 

18 Public Lands Service Corps coordinator for 

19 each agency within that department that ad20 ministers eligible service lands.’’. 

21 (2) In subsection (b), by inserting ‘‘for a period 

22 of not more than 2 years’’ after ‘‘who are enrolled’’. 

23 (3) In subsection (c)— 

24 (A) by striking ‘‘priority’’ each place it ap25 pears; 


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1 (B) by redesignating paragraph (2) as 

2 paragraph (3); and 

3 (C) by inserting after paragraph (1) the 

4 following: 

5 ‘‘(2) RECRUITMENT.—The Secretary shall un6 dertake, or contract for, a program to attract eligi7 ble youth to the Corps by publicizing Corps opportu8 nities through high schools, colleges, employment 

9 centers, and other appropriate institutions.’’. 

10 (4) By redesignating subsection (d) as sub11 section (e). 

12 (5) By inserting after subsection (c) the fol13 lowing: 

14 ‘‘(d) TRAINING.—The Secretary shall establish a 

15 training program based at appropriate residential con16 servation centers or at other suitable regional Federal or 

17 other appropriate facilities or sites to provide training for 

18 Corps members. The Secretary shall— 

19 ‘‘(1) ensure that the duration and comprehen20 siveness of the training program shall be commensu21 rate with the projects Corps members are expected 

22 to undertake; 

23 ‘‘(2) develop department-wide standards for the 

24 program that include training in— 

25 ‘‘(A) resource stewardship; 


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1 ‘‘(B) health and safety; 

2 ‘‘(C) ethics for those in public service; 

3 ‘‘(D) teamwork and leadership; and 

4 ‘‘(E) interpersonal communications; 

5 ‘‘(3) direct the National Park Service, the Bu6 reau of Land Management, and the U.S. Fish and 

7 Wildlife Service in the case of the Department of the 

8 Interior, the U.S. Forest Service in the case of the 

9 Department of Agriculture, and the National Oce10 anic and Atmospheric Administration in the case of 

11 the Department of Commerce, to develop agency12 specific training guidelines to ensure that Corps 

13 members enrolled to undertake projects for a specific 

14 agency are appropriately informed about matters 

15 specific to that agency, including— 

16 ‘‘(A) the history and organization of the 

17 agency; 

18 ‘‘(B) the agency’s core values; and 

19 ‘‘(C) any agency-specific standards for the 

20 management of natural, cultural, historic, ar21 chaeological, recreational, and scenic resources; 

22 and 

23 ‘‘(4) take into account training already received 

24 by Corps members enrolled from qualified youth or 

25 conservation corps.’’. 


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1 (6) In subsection (e) (as so redesignated)— 

2 (A) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘The 

3 Secretary may utilize the Corps or any qualified 

4 youth or conservation corps to carry out appro5 priate’’ and inserting ‘‘The Secretary may use 

6 the Corps or any qualified youth or conserva7 tion corps to carry out, under appropriate su8 pervision and training, appropriate natural and 

9 cultural resource’’; and 

10 (B) by striking ‘‘on public lands.’’ insert11 ing the following: ‘‘on eligible service lands. 

12 Such projects may include, but are not limited 

13 to, the following: 

14 ‘‘(A) Protection, restoration, or enhancement of 

15 ecosystem components to promote species recovery, 

16 improve biological diversity, enhance productivity 

17 and carbon sequestration, and enhance adaptability 

18 and resilience of public lands and resources in the 

19 face of climate change and other natural and human 

20 disturbances. 

21 ‘‘(B) Promoting the health of forest and public 

22 lands and coastal and marine areas, including— 

23 ‘‘(i) protection and restoration of water24 sheds and forest, riparian, estuarine, grassland, 

25 coral reef, intertidal, or other habitat; 


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1 ‘‘(ii) reduction of wildfire risk and mitiga2 tion of damage from insects, disease, and disas3 ters; 

4 ‘‘(iii) erosion control; 

5 ‘‘(iv) control or removal of invasive, nox6 ious, or non-native species; and 

7 ‘‘(v) restoration of native species. 

8 ‘‘(C) Collection of biological, archaeological, and 

9 other scientific data, including monitoring of cli10 matological information, species populations and 

11 movement, habitat status, and other factors. 

12 ‘‘(D) Assisting in historical and cultural re13 search, museum curatorial work, oral history 

14 projects, documentary photography, and activities 

15 that support the creation of public works of art re16 lated to public lands. 

17 ‘‘(E) Construction, repair, rehabilitation and 

18 maintenance of roads, trails, campgrounds, and 

19 other visitor facilities, and employee housing, his20 toric sites and structures, and facilities that further 

21 the purposes of the Public Lands Service Corps.’’. 

22 (C) By redesignating paragraphs (2) and 

23 (3) as paragraph (4) and (5), respectively. 

24 (D) By inserting after paragraph (1) the 

25 following: 


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1 ‘‘(2) VISITOR SERVICES.—The Secretary may— 

2 ‘‘(A) enter into or amend an existing coop3 erative agreement with a cooperating associa4 tion, educational institute, friends group, or 

5 similar non-profit partner organization for the 

6 purpose of providing training and work experi7 ence to Corps members in areas including, but 

8 not limted to, sales, office work, accounting, 

9 and management provided that the work experi10 ence directly relates to the protection and man11 agement of the public lands; and 

12 ‘‘(B) allow Corps members to help provide 

13 information and orientation services that pro14 mote visitor safety and enjoyment of public 

15 lands, and assist in the gathering of visitor use 

16 data. 

17 ‘‘(3) INTERPRETATION.—The Secretary may 

18 not assign Corps members to provide interpretation 

19 or education services for the public. However, under 

20 the direct and immediate supervision of an agency 

21 employee, Corps members may— 

22 ‘‘(A) provide orientation and information 

23 services to visitors; 

24 ‘‘(B) assist agency employees in the deliv25 ery of interpretive or educational programs 


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1 where audience size, environmental conditions, 

2 safety, or other factors make such assistance 

3 desirable; 

4 ‘‘(C) present programs that relate the per5 sonal experience of the Corps member for the 

6 purpose of promoting public awareness of the 

7 Corps, its role in public land management agen8 cies, and its availability to potential partici9 pants; and 

10 ‘‘(D) create non-personal interpretive prod11 ucts, such as website content, Junior Ranger 

12 program books, printed handouts, and audio13 visual programs.’’. 

14 (E) In paragraph (5) (as so redesignated), 

15 by striking ‘‘Appropriate conservation projects’’ 

16 and inserting ‘‘Appropriate natural and cultural 

17 resources conservation projects’’. 

18 (7) By adding at the end the following: 

19 ‘‘(h) OTHER PARTICIPANTS.—The Secretary may 

20 allow volunteers from other programs administered by the 

21 Secretary to participate as volunteers in projects carried 

22 out under this section on such terms as the Secretary con23 siders appropriate.’’. 


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1 (f) RESIDENTIAL CONSERVATION CENTERS AND

2 PROGRAM SUPPORT.—Section 205 of the Act is amended 

3 as follows: 

4 (1) In subsection (a)— 

5 (A) by amending paragraph (1) to read as 

6 follows: 

7 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Secretary may establish 

8 residential conservation centers for— 

9 ‘‘(A) such housing, food service, medical 

10 care, transportation and other services as the 

11 Secretary deems necessary for the Public Lands 

12 Service Corps; and 

13 ‘‘(B) the conduct of appropriate residential 

14 conservation projects under this Act.’’; 

15 (B) in paragraph (4), by striking ‘‘with 

16 State’’ and inserting ‘‘with another Federal,’’ 

17 (C) by striking paragraph (2); and 

18 (D) by redesignating paragraphs (3) and 

19 (4) as paragraphs (2) and (3), respectively. 

20 (2) In subsection (b)— 

21 (A) by striking ‘‘The Secretary’’ and in22 serting the following: 

23 ‘‘(1) The Secretary’’; and 

24 (B) by adding at the end the following: 


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1 ‘‘(2) The Secretary may make arrangements 

2 with other Federal agencies, States, local govern3 ments, or private organizations to provide temporary 

4 housing as needed and available. 

5 ‘‘(3) In project areas where Corps members can 

6 reasonably be expected to reside at their own homes, 

7 the Secretary may fund or provide transportation to 

8 and from project sites.’’. 

9 (3) By redesignating subsection (d) as sub10 section (g). 

11 (4) By inserting after subsection (c) the fol12 lowing: 

13 ‘‘(d) FACILITIES.—The Secretary may, as an appro14 priate natural and cultural resources conservation project, 

15 direct Corps participants to aid in the construction of resi16 dential conservation center facilities, including housing. 

17 ‘‘(e) GREEN BUILDINGS.—The Secretary may seek 

18 the assistance of the Secretary of Energy in identifying 

19 and using solar and other green building technologies and 

20 modular housing designs that may be adapted for residen21 tial conservation center facilities, including— 

22 ‘‘(1) designs from the Department of Energy’s 

23 Solar Decathlon competition; and 

24 ‘‘(2) logistical support, assistance and training 

25 from Solar Decathlon participants. 


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1 ‘‘(f) MENTORS.—The Secretary may recruit from 

2 programs, such as agency volunteer programs, and from 

3 veterans groups, military retirees, and active duty per4 sonnel, such adults as may be suitable and qualified to 

5 provide training, mentoring, and crew-leading services to 

6 Corps participants.’’. 

7 (5) In subsection (g) (as so redesignated), by 

8 striking ‘‘that are appropriate’’ and all that follows 

9 through the period and inserting ‘‘that the Secretary 

10 determines to be necessary for the residential con11 servation center.’’. 

12 (g) RESOURCE ASSISTANTS AND CONSULTING IN13 TERNS.—Section 206 of the Act is amended as follows: 

14 (1) In subsection (a), by striking ‘‘The Sec15 retary is authorized, to provide individual place16 ments of resource’’ and inserting the following: ‘‘The 

17 Secretary is authorized, to provide individual place18 ments of the following: 

19 ‘‘(1) Resource’’. 

20 (2) In subsection (a)(1) (as so designated), by 

21 striking ‘‘law, rule regulations’’ and inserting ‘‘laws, 

22 rules, or regulations’’. 

23 (3) By inserting after subsection (a)(1) (as so 

24 designated), the following: 


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1 ‘‘(2) Consulting interns with any Federal land, 

2 coastal, or ocean management agency under the ju3 risdiction of the Secretary to carry out management 

4 analysis activities on behalf of the agency. To be eli5 gible for selection as a consulting intern, an indi6 vidual must be a current enrollee and have com7 pleted at least one full year at a graduate or profes8 sional school that has been accredited by an accred9 iting body that has been recognized by the Secretary 

10 of Education. The Secretary may select consulting 

11 interns without regard to the civil service and classi12 fication laws, rules, or regulations of the United 

13 States.’’. 

14 (4) In subsection (b)— 

15 (A) by striking ‘‘Whenever’’ and inserting 

16 ‘‘(1) Whenever’’; and 

17 (B) by adding at the end the following: 

18 ‘‘(2) Whenever one or more nonprofit organiza19 tions can provide, in the judgment of the Secretary, 

20 appropriate recruitment and placement services to 

21 fulfill the requirements of this section, the Secretary 

22 may implement this section through such nonprofit 

23 organizations. Participating nonprofit organizations 

24 shall contribute to the expenses of providing and 

25 supporting the consulting interns through private 


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1 sources of funding, at a level equal to 10 percent of 

2 the total costs of each participant in the consulting 

3 internship program who has been recruited and 

4 placed through that nonprofit organization. Any 

5 such participating nonprofit organization shall be re6 quired, by the respective land, coastal, or ocean 

7 management agency, to submit an annual report 

8 evaluating the scope, size, and quality of the pro9 gram, including the value of work contributed by the 

10 consulting interns, to the mission of the agency.’’. 

11 (h) TECHNICAL AMENDMENT.—The Act is amended 

12 by redesignating sections 207, 208, 209, 210, and 211 as 

13 sections 208, 209, 210, 211, and 212, respectively. 

14 (i) GUIDANCE.—The Act is amended by inserting 

15 after section 206 the following: 

16 ‘‘SEC. 207. GUIDANCE. 

17 ‘‘Not later than 18 months after funds are made 

18 available for this purpose, the Secretaries shall issue 

19 guidelines for the management of the Public Lands Serv20 ice Corps programs for use by regional and State direc21 tors, and the supervisors of individual parks, forests, dis22 tricts, sanctuaries, reserves, and refuges.’’. 

23 (j) LIVING ALLOWANCES AND TERMS OF SERVICE.— 

24 Section 208 of the Act (as so redesignated) is amended— 


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1 (1) in subsection (a), by adding at the end the 

2 following: ‘‘The Secretary may— 

3 ‘‘(1) apply a cost-of-living differential to such 

4 allowances; and 

5 ‘‘(2) reimburse Corps members for travel costs 

6 at the beginning and end of their term of service if 

7 the Secretary deems appropriate.’’; 

8 (2) in the heading of subsection (c), by adding 

9 at the end ‘‘PREFERENCE AND FUTURE EMPLOY10 MENT’’; 

11 (3) in subsection (c)— 

12 (A) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘and’’ at 

13 the end; 

14 (B) by amending paragraph (2) to read as 

15 follows: 

16 ‘‘(2) provide to a former member of the Public 

17 Lands Service Corps noncompetitive hiring status 

18 for a period of not more than two years after the 

19 date on which the member’s service with the Public 

20 Lands Service Corps is complete, if the candidate— 

21 ‘‘(A) has served a minimum of 960 hours 

22 on an appropriate natural or cultural resource 

23 conservation project that included at least 120 

24 hours through the Public Lands Service Corps; 

25 and 


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1 ‘‘(B) meets Office of Personnel Manage2 ment qualification standards for the position to 

3 which the candidate is applying.’’; and 

4 (C) by adding at the end the following: 

5 ‘‘(3) provide to an individual who has success6 fully fulfilled the consulting internship program non7 competitive hiring status for a period of not more 

8 than two years after the date on which the indi9 vidual has completed a graduate degree from an ac10 credited institution; and 

11 ‘‘(4) provide, or enter into contracts or coopera12 tive agreements with qualified employment agencies 

13 to provide, alumni services such as job and edu14 cation counseling, referrals, verification of service, 

15 communications, and other appropriate services to 

16 members who have completed their Corps service.’’. 

17 (k) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—Section 

18 212 of the Act (as so redesignated) is amended— 

19 (1) in subsection (a), by striking ‘‘to carry out’’ 

20 and all that follows through the period and inserting 

21 ‘‘such sums as may be necessary to carry out this 

22 title’’; 

23 (2) by striking subsection (b); and 


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1 (3) by redesignating subsection (c) as sub2 section (b). 

Æ 


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