IIB 
111TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 1612 
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 
MARCH 26 (legislative day, MARCH 25), 2010 
Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural 
Resources 
AN ACT 
To amend the Public Lands Corps Act of 1993 to expand 
the authorization of the Secretaries of Agriculture, Com-
merce, and the Interior to provide service opportunities 
for young Americans; help restore the nation’s natural, 
cultural, historic, archaeological, recreational and scenic 
resources; train a new generation of public land man-
agers and enthusiasts; and promote the value of public 
service. 
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(A) in the section heading, by striking 
‘‘PUBLIC
LANDS
CORPS’’ and 
inserting 
‘‘PUBLIC LANDS SERVICE CORPS’’; and 
(B) in the heading of subsection (a), by 
striking ‘‘PUBLIC LANDS CORPS’’ and inserting 
‘‘PUBLIC LANDS SERVICE CORPS’’; 
(4) in the heading of paragraph (2) of section 
210(a), by striking ‘‘PUBLIC LANDS CORPS’’ and in-
serting ‘‘PUBLIC LANDS SERVICE CORPS’’; 
(5) by striking ‘‘conservation center’’ each place 
it appears and inserting ‘‘residential conservation 
center’’; and 
(6) 
by 
striking 
‘‘appropriate 
conservation 
projects’’ each place it appears (except in paragraph 
(1) of section 204(e) as so redesignated) and insert-
ing ‘‘appropriate natural and cultural resources con-
servation projects’’. 
(b) FINDINGS.—Section 202(a) of the Act is amend-
ed as follows: 
(1) In paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘the natural 
and cultural’’ and inserting ‘‘natural and cultural’’. 
(2) By redesignating paragraphs (2) and (3) as 
paragraphs (4) and (5), respectively, and by insert-
ing after paragraph (1) the following: 
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‘‘(2) Participants in conservation corps receive 
meaningful training and their experience with such 
corps provides preparation for careers in public serv-
ice. 
‘‘(3) Young men and women who participate in 
the rehabilitation and restoration of our Nation’s 
natural, 
cultural, 
historic, 
archaeological, 
rec-
reational, and scenic treasures will gain an increased 
appreciation and understanding of our public lands 
and heritage, and of the value of public service, and 
are likely to become life-long advocates for those val-
ues.’’. 
(3) In paragraph (4) (as so redesignated), by 
inserting ‘‘, cultural, historic, archaeological, rec-
reational, and scenic’’ after ‘‘Many facilities and nat-
ural’’. 
(4) By adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(6) The work of conservation corps can benefit 
communities adjacent to public lands and facilities 
through renewed civic engagement and participation 
by corps participants and those they serve; improved 
student achievement; and restoration and rehabilita-
tion of public assets.’’. 
(c) PURPOSE.—Section 202(b) of the Act is amended 
to read as follows: 
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‘‘(b) PURPOSES.—The purposes of this Act are to— 
‘‘(1) introduce young men and women to public 
service while furthering their understanding and ap-
preciation of the Nation’s natural, cultural, historic, 
archaeological, recreational, and scenic resources; 
‘‘(2) facilitate training and recruitment oppor-
tunities in which service is credited as qualifying ex-
perience for careers in public land management; 
‘‘(3) instill in a new generation of young men 
and women from across the Nation, including those 
from diverse backgrounds, the desire to seek careers 
in natural and cultural resource stewardship and 
public service by allowing them to work directly with 
professionals in agencies responsible for the manage-
ment of the Nation’s natural, cultural, historic, ar-
chaeological, recreational, and scenic resources; 
‘‘(4) perform, in a cost-effective manner, appro-
priate natural and cultural resources conservation 
projects where such projects are not being performed 
by existing employees; 
‘‘(5) assist governments and Indian tribes in 
performing research and public education tasks asso-
ciated with natural and cultural resources; 
‘‘(6) expand educational opportunities by re-
warding individuals who participate in national serv-
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ice with an increased ability to pursue higher edu-
cation or job training; and 
‘‘(7) promote public understanding and appre-
ciation of the individual missions and natural and 
cultural resources conservation work of the Federal 
agencies through training opportunities, community 
service 
and 
outreach, 
and 
other 
appropriate 
means.’’. 
(d) DEFINITIONS.—Section 203 of the Act is amend-
ed as follows: 
(1) By amending paragraphs (1) and (2) to 
read as follows: 
‘‘(1) APPROPRIATE
NATURAL
AND
CULTURAL 
RESOURCES
CONSERVATION
PROJECT.—The term 
‘appropriate natural and cultural resources conserva-
tion project’ means any project for the conservation, 
restoration, construction, or rehabilitation of nat-
ural, cultural, historic, archaeological, recreational, 
or scenic resources on public lands. 
‘‘(2) CORPS
AND
PUBLIC
LANDS
SERVICE 
CORPS.—The terms ‘Corps’ and ‘Public Lands Serv-
ice Corps’ mean the Public Lands Service Corps es-
tablished under section 204 of this title.’’. 
(2) By striking paragraphs (3) and (8). 
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(3) By redesignating paragraphs (4), (5), (6), 
(7), (9), (10), (11), (12), and (13) as paragraphs 
(3) through (11), respectively. 
(4) By amending paragraph (7) (as so redesig-
nated) to read as follows: 
‘‘(7) PUBLIC LANDS.—The term ‘public lands’ 
means any lands or waters (or interest therein) 
owned or administered by the United States, includ-
ing those areas of coastal and ocean waters, the 
Great Lakes and their connecting waters, and sub-
merged lands over which the United States exercises 
jurisdiction, except that such term does not include 
any Indian lands.’’. 
(5) In paragraph (8) (as so redesignated)— 
(A) in subparagraph (B), by striking 
‘‘and’’ at the end; 
(B) in subparagraph (C), by striking the 
period and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(C) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(D) makes available for audit for each fis-
cal year for which the qualified youth or con-
servation corps receives Federal funds under 
this Act, information pertaining to the expendi-
ture of the funds, any matching funds, and par-
ticipant demographics.’’. 
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(6) In paragraph (10) (as so redesignated)— 
(A) in subparagraph (A), by striking 
‘‘and’’ at the end; 
(B) in subparagraph (B), by striking the 
period and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(C) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(C) with respect to the National Marine 
Sanctuary System, coral reefs, and other coast-
al, estuarine, and marine habitats, and other 
lands and facilities administered by the Na-
tional Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 
the Secretary of Commerce.’’. 
(7) By adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(12) 
RESIDENTIAL
CONSERVATION
CEN-
TERS.—The term ‘residential conservation centers’ 
means the facilities authorized under section 205. 
‘‘(13) CONSULTING INTERN.—The term ‘con-
sulting intern’ means a consulting intern selected 
under section 206. 
‘‘(14) PUBLIC LANDS SERVICE CORPS PARTICI-
PANT.—The term ‘Public Lands Service Corps par-
ticipant’, ‘Corps participant’ or ‘participant of the 
Corps’ means an individual who is enrolled in the 
Public Lands Service Corps pursuant to section 
204(b).’’. 
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(e) PUBLIC LANDS SERVICE CORPS PROGRAM.—Sec-
tion 204 of the Act is amended as follows: 
(1) In subsection (a)— 
(A) in the heading, by adding at the end 
‘‘PROGRAM’’; 
(B) by striking ‘‘and the Department of 
Agriculture a’’ and inserting ‘‘, the Department 
of Agriculture, and the Department of Com-
merce a service and training program titled 
the’’; and 
(C) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘The Secretary of the Interior shall establish a 
department-level office to coordinate Public 
Lands Service Corps activities within the De-
partment of the Interior. The Secretary of Agri-
culture shall establish within the U.S. Forest 
Service an office to coordinate Public Lands 
Service Corps activities within that agency. The 
Secretary of Commerce shall establish within 
the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Admin-
istration an office to coordinate Public Lands 
Service Corps activities within that agency. The 
Secretary of each department shall designate a 
Public Lands Service Corps coordinator for 
each agency within that department that ad-
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ministers Public Lands Service Corps activi-
ties.’’. 
(2) By amending subsection (b) to read as fol-
lows: 
‘‘(b) PARTICIPANTS.—The Secretary may enroll in 
the Public Lands Service Corps individuals between the 
ages of 16 and 25, inclusive, who are either hired by an 
agency under the Secretary’s jurisdiction to perform work 
authorized under this Act or who are members of a quali-
fied youth or conservation corps with which the Secretary 
has entered into a cooperative agreement to perform work 
authorized under this Act. The Secretary may also enroll 
resource assistants and consulting interns. All enrollees 
shall be considered Public Lands Service Corps partici-
pants, and may be enrolled for a term of up to 24 months 
of service, which may be served over more than two cal-
endar years. The individuals may be enrolled without re-
gard to the civil service and classification laws, rules, or 
regulations of the United States. The Secretary may es-
tablish a preference for the enrollment in the Corps of in-
dividuals who are economically, physically, or education-
ally disadvantaged.’’. 
(3) In subsection (c)— 
(A) in paragraph (1)— 
(i) by striking ‘‘contracts and’’; 
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(ii) by inserting ‘‘natural and cultural 
resources’’ after ‘‘appropriate’’; and 
(iii) by striking ‘‘subsection (d)’’ and 
inserting ‘‘subsection (e)’’; 
(B) by redesignating paragraph (2) as 
paragraph (3); 
(C) by inserting after paragraph (1) the 
following: 
‘‘(2) RECRUITMENT.—The Secretary shall un-
dertake, or enter into cooperative agreements to pro-
vide, a program to attract eligible youth to the 
Corps by publicizing Corps opportunities through 
high schools, colleges, employment centers, electronic 
media, 
and 
other 
appropriate 
institutions 
or 
means.’’; and 
(D) by amending paragraph (3) (as so re-
designated) to read as follows: 
‘‘(3) PREFERENCE.—For purposes of entering 
into cooperative agreements under paragraph (1), 
the Secretary may give preference to qualified youth 
or conservation corps located in a specific area that 
have a substantial portion of members who are eco-
nomically, physically, or educationally disadvantaged 
to carry out projects within the area.’’. 
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(4) By redesignating subsections (d) through 
(f) as subsections (e) through (g), respectively. 
(5) By inserting after subsection (c) the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(d) TRAINING.—The Secretary shall establish a 
training program based at appropriate residential con-
servation centers or at other suitable regional Federal or 
other appropriate facilities or sites to provide training for 
Corps participants. The Secretary shall— 
‘‘(1) ensure that the duration and comprehen-
siveness of the training program shall be commensu-
rate with the projects Corps participants are ex-
pected to undertake; 
‘‘(2) develop department-wide standards for the 
program that include training in— 
‘‘(A) resource stewardship; 
‘‘(B) ethics for those in public service; 
‘‘(C) principles of national service; 
‘‘(D) health and safety; 
‘‘(E) teamwork and leadership; and 
‘‘(F) interpersonal communications; 
‘‘(3) direct each participating agency to develop 
agency-specific training guidelines to ensure that 
Corps participants enrolled to undertake projects for 
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that agency are appropriately informed about mat-
ters specific to that agency, including— 
‘‘(A) the history and organization of the 
agency; 
‘‘(B) the agency’s core values; and 
‘‘(C) any agency-specific standards for the 
management of natural, cultural, historic, ar-
chaeological, recreational, and scenic resources; 
and 
‘‘(4) take into account training already received 
by Corps participants enrolled from qualified youth 
or conservation corps, including in the matters out-
lined in paragraph (2).’’. 
(6) In subsection (e) (as so redesignated)— 
(A) in paragraph (1)— 
(i) by striking ‘‘The Secretary may 
utilize the Corps or any qualified youth or 
conservation corps to carry out appro-
priate’’ and inserting ‘‘The Secretary may 
use Corps participants to carry out, under 
appropriate supervision and training, ap-
propriate natural and cultural resource’’; 
and 
(ii) by striking ‘‘law on public lands.’’ 
and inserting the following: ‘‘law. Such 
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projects may include, but are not limited 
to— 
‘‘(A) protection, restoration, or enhance-
ment of ecosystem components to promote spe-
cies recovery, improve biological diversity, en-
hance productivity and carbon sequestration, 
and enhance adaptability and resilience of pub-
lic lands and resources in the face of climate 
change and other natural and human disturb-
ances; 
‘‘(B) promoting the health of forests and 
public lands, refuges, and coastal and marine 
areas, including— 
‘‘(i) protection and restoration of wa-
tersheds and forest, riparian, estuarine, 
grassland, coral reef, intertidal, or other 
habitat; 
‘‘(ii) reduction of wildfire risk and 
mitigation of damage from insects, disease, 
and disasters; 
‘‘(iii) erosion control; 
‘‘(iv) control or removal of invasive, 
noxious, or non-native species; 
‘‘(v) restoration of native species; and 
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