BLM-MT, Youth Natural Resources Education, Montana State Office

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Background: The BLM has a long history of working with non-Federal partners to engage young people in projects that protect, restore, and enhance public lands. BLM's youth strategy envisions getting young people involved from an early age in learning and recreating on public lands. This project will support work and training opportunities for young people across a broad range of resource programs. These programs provide educational opportunities in the natural classrooms that our public lands provide.For the past 30 years, the Montana Natural Resources Youth Camp has provided Montana youth an opportunity to study in an outdoor classroom the scientific principles, economic realities, historic heritage, and social perspectives of today to help future leaders and citizens in their quest to gain natural resources perspective that is informed and progressive. The camp includes youth ages 14-18, providing the opportunity to get kids outside where they learn about, understand and instill appreciation for the natural amenities that Montana has to offer. The camp provides the opportunity for youth to be involved with natural resources work alongside a variety of professional natural resource specialists.Objectives: 1. To expose youth to natural resource management while furthering their understanding and appreciation of Montana's natural and cultural resources. 2. Stimulate interest among the participating youth in conservation careers by exposing them to the common natural resource career paths. An example of how these objectives can be met is through the Montana Natural Resource Youth Camp. The camp objectives are to:a) Provide an enjoyable outdoor learning experience to all participating students.b) Provide educational instruction and experiential learning about forests, rangeland, soils, watersheds, wildlife, recreation, geology and land ownership.c) Demonstrate management alternatives, from utilization to preservation, and their potential consequences on the environment and the economic well-being of Montana landowners and communities. d) Promote an individualâ¿¿s desire to learn and enjoy the natural resources as well as develop self-esteem, leadership skills and responsible citizenship. e) Give a historical perspective of natural resources conservation and management.f) Challenge students in making real land-use management decisions through teamwork that incorporates a variety of management strategies and illustrates the variety of environmental economic, legal and social concerns.g) Examine the long-term consequences of land use management decisions. This Agreement shall also be utilized for additional, future youth educational training opportunities. Public Benefit: Youth development, training and participation in accomplishing conservation-related work. Specifically, the Montana Natural Resource Youth Camp promotes and stimulates education, job training, development of responsible citizenship, productive community involvement, and further the understanding and appreciation of natural and cultural resources through the involvement of youth in the care and enhancement of public natural resources. As the youth gain experience in natural and cultural resource management, they will also develop an appreciation for public lands and learn about conservation-related career fields. Students will be better informed as citizens and community leaders to make well informed future decisions of how natural resources will be managed.

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