A program that gives environmental and conservation-based jobs to Wisconsin underprivileged youth may be reinstated if a bill in the state Legislature gains support.

The Wisconsin Conservation Corps would employ young people ages 18-25 from lower-income backgrounds who may not have the opportunity to attend college. At least 50 percent of the members of WCC work crews must have no post-secondary education and a family income below 200 percent of the federal poverty line.

The bill aims to teach youth the value of hard work in a natural setting, providing employment training and career pathways.

After having been a successful program in Wisconsin for roughly two decades, the program was ended in 2003 because of budget reasons, said Rep. Spencer Black, D-Madison, and member of the committee who held a hearing on the bill Wednesday.

If reinstated, the program would be funded by a combination of a state trust funds coming from federal land grants and project sponsors. The program would be overseen by a WCC Board, which would make policy and be connected to the State Department of Administration.

WCC is modeled on the old Civilian Conservation Corps, a program enacted as a part of the New Deal legislation, Black added.

Similar to the Conservation Corps program, Civilian Conservation Corps employed otherwise jobless men to work to conserve and develop natural resources.

Paul Gabriel, spokesperson for the Wisconsin Technical College Districts Board Association, echoed Black’s stance on the issue, saying the program would serve as a vehicle for young people interested in natural resources, giving them the opportunity to work and visit technical colleges.

Individuals working for the WCC would also be taken on college visits as part of the program. Since projects are across the state, it gives the workers a broader look at colleges they may not have had access to otherwise, Gabriel added.

“This goes beyond helping simply the youth … it has a public benefit as well in that it improves these natural resource places,” Gabriel said. “It is just a neat opportunity and a worthwhile job for the right person coming out of high school.”

The program is especially designed for people who care about the environment. It would improve parks and wildlife areas through trail building projects and restoration of these areas, Gabriel said.

“They are just cool outdoor opportunities for those interested,” he added.

In terms of those involved with the program, many people remember it as a meaningful experience for those who otherwise might not have had a job coming out of high school, Gabriel said. The program was held in high regard and many were sad to see it end in 2003.

Although the WTC District Boards Association would appoint two members to the WCC board, they did not play a part in trying to reinstate the program, Gabriel said.

“It was all about the people who were interested in the Corps,” he said.