DepartmentalHighlights DH-43 EngagingtheNextGeneration

SecretaryJewellisleadingaholisticanddynamiceffort with bold goals of getting millions of theNation’syouthactive,outdoors,andconnectedtonature.Inordertoreachthesegoals,Interiorisforg-ingnewpublic-privatepartnershipsandworkinginpartnershipwithitsCongressionallyauthorizedfoundations—theNationalParkFoundationandtheNationalFishandWildlifeFoundation—tosecureprivatephilanthropyintheDepartment’sprogramandplan.Todate,theSecretaryhasreceivedsupportfromAmericanEagleOutfitters,Coca-Cola,Camel-Bak,TheNorthFace,REI,Thule,andtheJohnsonOhanaCharitableFoundationtonameafew.

AkeypriorityforSecretaryJewell is theengage-mentofthepublicinInterior’smission,particularlyAmerica’syoungpeople.ThefutureofAmerica’spubliclandsdependsuponyoungpeoplebecom-ingactivestewardsoftheenvironmentthroughouttheir lives. Interiorhas auniqueopportunity toharnessthestrongspiritoftheNation’syouth,andencouragethemtousetheirtime,energy,andtalenttoplay,learn,serve,andworkonourpubliclandsandculturaltreasures.

TheDepartment of the Interior plays a key rolein improvingtheNation’s futureby introducing,involving,andencouragingthenextgenerationasstewardsofculture,history,land,water,andwildlife.InthisdynamicandchangingNation,moreandmorepeopleareisolatedfromtheoutdoorsincitiesandlargeurbanareas.Youngpeopleareincreasinglydrawn indoors and are becoming inactive. TheDepartment’suniqueassetsprovidegreatoppor-tunitiestoconnectthisgenerationtotheoutdoorsandtheNation’snaturalandculturalresourcesinexcitingandmeaningfulways.

Toaddressthegrowingdisconnectbetweenyoungpeopleandtheoutdoors,Interiordevelopedstrate-gies to promote public-private partnerships andcollaborativeeffortsacrossalllevelsofgovernmenttoconnectyoungpeoplewiththelandandinspirethemtoplay,learn,serve,andworkoutdoors.Theresultwillmaximizeopportunitiesforyouththroughvisitor and educational programs, partnerships,volunteerism,andemployment.Theseeffortscanbeleveragedthroughsocialmediaandtechnologicalenhancements toexpandopportunities for travelandtourismandlife-longlearning.

Children across our Nation are increasingly disconnected from nature, yet playing outside and learning about the natural world is fun, healthy, and creates lifelong connections to nature.

Sally Jewell, Secretary of the InteriorJuly 28, 2015

EngagingtheNextGeneration

prioriTy goal youTH employmenT and

Training

GOAL:Buildthenextgenerationofconser-vationandcommunityleadersbysupportingeffortstogetyoungpeopletoplay,learn,serve,andworkoutdoors.

METRIC:BySeptember30,2017,theDepart-mentoftheInteriorwill:• Involve10millionchildrenin

outdoorrecreationprograms.• Engage10millionyouthinenvi-

ronmentaleducationprograms.• Supportonemillionvolunteersannu-

allyinserviceprojectsonpubliclands.• Provide100,000workandtraining

opportunitiesforyoungadultsonpubliclandsbetween2013-2017.

EngagingtheNextGeneration DH-44 DepartmentalHighlights

TheDepartmentsetthegoaltoprovide40,000workandtrainingopportunitiesduring2014and2015foryoungadults toward the Interiorgoalof 100,000by2017.Interiormetitsprioritygoalbyprovid-ing 52,596work and training opportunities overthepasttwoyears.Collaborativeeffortsacrossalllevelsofgovernmentandmobilizationofthe21stCentury Conservation Service Corps resulted inseveralhighimpactinitiatives,includingtheLatinoHeritageinternship,anengineeringinternshippilotinthefieldofmaterialsandcorrosion;developingthe Next Generation of Conservationists grants;continuing the AmeriCorp Environmental Sum-merStewardprogram;andexpansionoftheUrbanWildlifeConservationProgram.TheseinitiativesenabledsignificantprogresstowardsInterior’sgoaltoprovide100,000workandtrainingopportunitiestoyoungpeopleandveteransbytheendof2017.

Youth engagement objectives continue to be apriorityforInteriorbureaus.In2017,thebudgetproposestofund$102.5millionforyouthprogramsintheBureauofLandManagement,OfficeofSur-faceMiningReclamationandEnforcement,BureauofReclamation,U.S.GeologicalSurvey,FishandWildlifeService,NationalParkService,andBureauofIndianAffairs—acollective$37.7millionincreaseoverthe2016enactedfundinglevels.

The2017request includesa$2.6million increasewithinUSGSforhiring,mentoring,andengagingyoungpeopleinthesciences.ThroughtheUSGSCooperativeResearchUnitsprogram,USGSscien-tistsadvisedandmentored534science,technology,engineering,andmathgraduatestudentsin2015.TheUSGSalsosponsorsundergraduateandgradu-ateeducationprograms—suchastheDorisDukeConservation Scholars Program—that focus onminoritystudentrecruitmentandcareertraininginnaturalresourcestoincreasethenumberofunder-graduatestudentsfromgroupsunderrepresentedintheworkforcewhochoosetopursuestudiesandacareerinconservation.Theeducationalcomponentof the National Cooperative Geologic MappingProgram,EdMap,iseducatingsciencestudentsintheskillsofgeologicfieldmappingandscientificresearch, while providing necessary experiencesforsuccessinSTEMcareers.

Annually, theMendenhallResearchFellowspro-grambringsoutstandingstudentscientistsunderthementorshipofUSGSseniorscientists.Otheryouthprograms,suchastheStudentInternsinSupportof NativeAmerican Relations, target and attracta wide range of diverse and incredibly talented

youngpeople tocultivate interest in thesciencesandaddtoafoundationofscienceforAmerica’sfutureworkforce.ParticipantsintheNativeYouthinScience–PreservingOurHomelandssummercampprogram–learnhowintegratingscienceandtraditionalecologicalknowledgecanprotectandpre-servetheecosystemsandhomelandsoftheirTribe.

Intheleaduptothe100thbirthdayoftheNationalParkServicein2016,theAdministrationlaunchedtheEveryKidinaParkinitiativeasacalltoactiontogetallchildrentovisitandenjoyAmerica’sun-paralleledoutdoors.Todaymorethan80percentofAmericanfamiliesliveinurbanareasandmanylackeasyaccesstosafeoutdoorspaces.Atthesametime,kidsarespendingmoretimethaneverinfrontofscreensinsteadofoutside.A2010KaiserFamilyFoundationstudyfoundyoungpeoplenowdevoteanaverageofmorethansevenhoursadaytoelec-tronicmediause,orabout53hoursaweek—moretimethanafull-timejob.

America’spubliclandsandwatersofferspacetogetoutsideandgetactive,andarelivingclassroomsthatprovideopportunitiestobuildcriticalskillsthroughhands-onactivities.ToinspirethenextgenerationtodiscoverallAmerica’spubliclandsandwatershavetooffer,all4thgradestudentsandtheirfamilieswill receive free admission to allNational ParksandotherFederallandsandwatersforafullyear,startingwiththe2015-2016schoolyear.

The2017budgetincludesa$20.0millionincreasefortheEveryKidinaParkinitiative.Ofthisincrease,$11.5millionwillbeforeffortstointroduceannuallytonearbynationalparksatleastonemillion4thgradestudentsfromelementaryschoolsservingdisadvan-tagedstudentsinurbanareas.Theremaining$8.5millionwillensureparkunitshaveprogrammingtailoredforyoungpeopleandtheirfamilies,espe-ciallyathighvisitationandurbanparks.

WithinBIA,thebudgetincludesanadditional$2.0million to supportyouthparticipation innaturalresources programs that focus on theprotection,enhancement, and conservation through science,education,andculturallearning.Programsaimedattribalyouthwillopendoorstofuturejoboppor-tunities,instillingrespectfortheresourcesandanappreciationof their importance to tribal cultureand livelihood. The request supportsnew tribalyouthprojectsandtrainingprogramsthroughoutIndian Country and supplements the existingtrainingprogramswithintheForestry,Water,andAgricultureprograms.

DepartmentalHighlights DH-45 EngagingtheNextGeneration

engaging THe nexT generaTion(dollars in millions)

2016 2017 Enacted Request ChangeBureauofLandManagement........................................................ 1.0 1.0 .0OfficeofSurfaceMiningReclamationandEnforcement.......... .0 1.0 +1.0BureauofReclamation................................................................... 3.5 3.5 .0U.S.GeologicalSurvey................................................................... 23.7 26.3 +2.6FishandWildlifeService................................................................ 13.5 19.0 +5.5NationalParkService..................................................................... 18.2 38.2 +20.0BureauofIndianAffairs................................................................. 5.0 13.5 +8.6ToTal, engaging THe nexT generaTion ............................ 64.8 102.5 +37.7

[NPS Recreation Fees] ....................................................................... [6.4] [6.4] [0]

TheBureauof IndianEducationbudget includesa $6.6million increase for scholarships for post-secondary education with a focus on recipientsseekingdegreesinscience,technology,engineering,andmathematicsfields.Theavailabilityofadvancededucation opportunities for tribal members is ahighpriorityforTribes.AneducatedandskilledtribalmemberworkforceisseenbyTribesasakeyelementofeconomicdevelopment.ThisincreaseispartoftheAdministration’slaunchofGenerationIndigenous, focused on removing the barriers tosuccessforNativeyouthbytakingacomprehensive,culturally-appropriate approach to help improvethelivesandopportunitiesforNativeyouth.Thisgovernment-wide initiative builds on work theDepartmentandotheragencieshavebegunwithTribestoimplementeducationreformsandaddressotherissuesfacingNativeyouth.

ThroughtheUrbanWildlifeConservationProgram,FWSisinvitingcitydwellerstoenjoytheoutdoorsbycreatingopportunitiesnearurbancommunities.Anadditional$5.5millionisrequestedinthe2017budgettoextendsuccessfulpartnershipsinBalti-more,Maryland,andAlbuquerque,NewMexico,tootherrefugesacrosstheCountry.TheFWSwillusethisincreasetocreateadditionalurbancommu-nitypartnershipstoengageyouthinnature-relatedactivitiesandprograms.AlongwithcommunitiesandpartnersnearDenver,Colorado,FWSisworkingwithkidstohelpturnadegradedretentionpondinanunderservedneighborhoodintoalocalpark

thatconnectstothenearbyRockyMountainArsenalNationalWildlifeRefuge.Thiswillallowahealthywatershed toflourish, bridging the gapbetweenyoungpeopleandthegreatoutdoors.

TheOSMREbudgetincludesanincreaseof$1.0mil-liontoexpandtheuseofreforestationtechniquesincoalminereclamationandprovideopportunitiesforyouthengagementwiththeoutdoors.Refores-tationefforts,manyinvolvingtheNation’syouth,haveprovidedanopportunity toreintroducetheAmericanchestnuttree.TheAmericanchestnutwaskingoftheforestovermuchoftheEasternUnitedStatesandan importantpartof culturalheritageuntildestroyedbyAsianfungusblightinthefirsthalfofthetwentiethcentury.

EngagingtheNextGeneration DH-46 DepartmentalHighlights

preparing THe nexT generaTion of ouTdoor sTewards–one CiTy aT a Time

Thevalueandbenefitsoftimespentoutsidearewelldocumented,although,unfortunately,agrowingdisconnectexistsbetweenyoungpeopleandthegreatoutdoors.AspartofInterior’sboldyouthinitia-tivetoengagethenextgenerationofoutdoorstewardsandinspiremillionsofyoungadults,SecretaryJewelllaunchedanationwideeffortin50U.S.citiestoincreaseawareness,support,andparticipationinoutdoorprograms.

TheAmericanExpressFoundationjoinsInterior’s50CitiesInitiativeandinvestsinthecreationoflocalcoalitionsin50citiesacrosstheCountrytohelpachievethesegoals.Theinitiativewasstartedin25citiesin2015andprogramsintheremaining25citieswillbeginin2016.

Using our public lands as living classrooms is one of the ways the Obama Administration is working to ensure all students have the tools they need for a bright future.

Sally Jewell, Secretary of the InteriorNovember 18, 2015