Youth Conservation Corps Completes Trail Work in Big South Fork

Youth Conservation Corps Completes Trail Work in Big South Fork

Wednesday, August 13, 2014

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Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area announced yesterday that high school students from Tennessee and Kentucky have recently completed volunteer work while working with one of two Youth Conservation Corps teams.

Eight high school students from Fentress and Scott counties in Tennessee, as well as eight students from McCreary County, spent the summer working on a number of projects, which included more than 20 miles of trail rehabilitation, clearing brush from the area around an old Civilian Conservation Corps cabin, repairing retaining walls and steps, cleaning up picnic areas, and repainting numerous park directional signs. Their work also focused on rehabilitating sections of the popular Yahoo Falls Trail.

The Youth Conservation Corps is a summer employment program for young men and women, ages 15 through18, to work on projects to protect public lands. The Youth Conservation Corps program is one that trains young people and provides outdoor work that is supervised by a trained crew leader. Participants gain valuable professional experience working on National Park Service lands, and get to learn how to use tools, safe work habits, team work, and how conservation projects benefit the environment, and protect cultural and historical resources.

For further information about this program and its accomplishments, please call Dave Carney at (423) 569-9778.


Jeff
Hiking in the Smokies

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YCC Crew Finishes Their 2012 Assignment in BSF

YCC Crew Finishes Their 2012 Assignment in BSF

Friday, August 17, 2012

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This past summer, Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area (NRRA) received funding for a Youth Conservation Corps (YCC) crew to help with performing trail maintenance activities within the Big South Fork area. A crew of eight students from one of the local high schools (Alvin C. York Agriculture Institute) was selected for the project.

The project was set up to perform a wide range of trail maintenance activities such as repair and replacement of water bars to prevent soil loss and erosion along trail routes; repair, painting and installation of trail signs; and rehabilitation and leveling of trail tread to make smooth, sure footing for trail users. Clearing of overhanging limbs and overgrown vegetation along the trails was also accomplished.

The YCC crew was also responsible for cleaning and repainting the Honey Creek Overlook which had been recently vandalized. Their efforts helped support a quality visitor experience at this popular location.

"We at Big South Fork NRRA are very happy to have had such a hard working crew of young people to help with all these projects, and the accomplishments they completed are something to be proud of," said Superintendent Niki Stephanie Nicholas.


Jeff
Hiking in the Smokies

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