Recovery Act PMIS #134570 - National Park Service: Youth Conservation Trail Repair Along Canals at Lowell National Historical Park

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OVERVIEW Projects included in this Agreement include backlogged maintenance work, skilled trades training and work experiences, and youth educational programs to develop and promote responsible stewardship and productive community involvement. To accomplish this, the NPS will cooperate with CTI’s Spindle City Corps, a summer and year round program for high school-aged youth with funding from Youth Conservation Corps (YCC) through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA). YCC/ARRA funding will allow for the recruitment, training and employment of 12 students 16-18 years of age with 2 team leaders to complete backlogged maintenance projects during the summer along the park’s canals and walkways. Small trees, brush and heavy vines grow along the canal walls and, when not attended to on a regular basis, will grow into mortar joints and between granite blocks, ultimately destroying the canal walls. Cutting and removal of this vegetation is necessary in order to preserve the integrity of the historic canal walls. There are 11.2 miles of canal walls in the park. Additional backlogged maintenance work will be performed, to include weeding, mulching, trash removal, and minor landscaping along the Pawtucket Canal, Western Canal, Northern Canal, and Canalway walkways throughout the park. This type of work is a continuing need from year to year. In addition, the youth will assist with a hands-on project to study recycling, historic landscape preservation, and trail development. The funding will provide for the recruitment and employment of 5 vocational students in a job skills training program working on historic preservation projects in the park to develop skilled trades experience. These students will be provided on-the-job work experiences to further develop and practice their chosen career field in areas such as carpentry, painting, electrical, and other skilled trades. The students will work alongside NPS skilled maintenance staff and receive additional training and development opportunities by exposure to NPS historic preservation and cultural resource management practices. This program will serve as a link to the NPS “Massachusetts Area Parks Youth Internship Program” to recruit potential candidates interested in the area of skilled crafts and trades, reaching more youth with diverse interests, while building a future workforce for the NPS. Educational opportunities will be developed in conjunction with the NE Regional Cultural Resources office located in Lowell to further the students’ understanding and appreciation of cultural resources in the park and to promote stewardship. STATEMENT OF JOINT OBJECTIVES/PROJECT MANAGEMENT PLAN Youth employees will complete backlogged maintenance projects along the 11.2 miles of the park’s canals and walkways. Cutting and removal of vegetation is necessary in order to preserve the integrity of the historic canal walls. Additional backlogged maintenance work will be performed, to include weeding, mulching, trash removal, and minor landscaping along the Pawtucket Canal, Western Canal, Northern Canal, and Canalway walkways throughout the park. The youth will assist with a hands-on project to study recycling, historic landscape preservation, and trail development. Others will work on historic preservation projects in the park to develop skilled trades experience. RECIPIENT INVOLVEMENT Facilitate and manage the year round and summer employment programs to include recruitment, interviewing, hiring, counseling participants, all administrative functions including payroll processing and purchasing to employee 12 local youths to serve as part of a maintenance team and 2 team leaders to supervise an eight-week summer employment program, working 30 hours per week, to remove vegetation along canal walls and walkways in the park. Employ 5 youths from local vocational high schools on a part-time basis during the school year to participate in a skilled trades training and development program in the park; also provide full-time employment for the same youths for 12 weeks during the summer as part of an in-depth, skills training program in the park where they will work alongside NPS maintenance craftsmen on specific resource management projects. Provide on-the job transportation, uniforms and other equipment and supplies as needed in order to complete the assigned work projects. Conduct periodic evaluations of the program(s) and participant performance to identify strengths and weaknesses and develop creative solutions for future program growth and management. Submit timely and accurate financial, accounting and statistical reports as requested by the NPS and in accordance with federal funding requirements. NATIONAL PARK SERVICE INVOLVEMENT Provide staff for consulting with CTI program managers and team leaders on recruitment, interviewing candidates, recommending hiring selections, daily oversight, technical and safety training along with necessary equipment to complete projects. Provide NPS and cultural/environmental programs including park tours, educational programs and other similar programs in a variety of media. Coordinate among other NPS units in the Boston area to provide joint educational programs and field visits to NPS and other related sites in New England to further youth participants’ understanding and appreciation of park resources and career opportunities in the National Park Service.

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