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Enrique Ballén and Western Colorado Conservation Corps crew leader Eric Hughes move a heavy rock Thursday while rebuilding Otto’s Trail on Colorado National Monument. Another crew member, Levi Bassett, watches from behind.
GRAND JUNCTION — When the roofing company Brett Burdette worked for last winter went out of business, the 21-year-old applied to Western Colorado Conservation Corps for a job that included cutting down tamarisk trees and building and maintaining trails.
“I found out their mission and thought it was pretty awesome,” Burdette said.
Western Colorado Conservation Corps offers youth and young adults conservation-oriented paid employment along with education and the opportunity to earn scholarships for college.
Thursday, 11 crew members concluded a four-day project restoring Otto’s Trail on Colorado National Monument. The job included hauling huge stones from a park quarry to the trailhead, where the rocks were taken down the trail in wheelbarrows, broken up with pick hammers and rolled into place.
Connie Castro and Kayla Wright muscled a huge rock a little way down the hill, near where 17-year-old Henry Dresen slung a pick axe to break up the rocks into smaller pieces.
Castro began working for WCCC last February.
“I love it. I like all the crews I’ve been on. I’ve learned a lot,” said the 18-year-old Castro. “They sent me to all these trainings: OSI (Outward Stewardship Institute) crew leader, first aid and, right now, energy audit training.”
Since February, Castro has earned a college scholarship funds ($2,362) for 900 hours of service through AmeriCorps, and is in the process of acquiring a second award ($1,250) for 450 hours. She plans to use the scholarship money to attend an art school somewhere on the East Coast.
“When she (Castro) first came to the Conservation Corps she was painfully shy,” said WCCC Assistant Director Sarah Reed. “And now she’s able to unlock some of that in other people.”
The heavily-used Otto’s Trail (40,000 people a year) is located about a quarter-mile from the monument’s visitor center near the west entrance.
The National Park Service contracted with WCCC to repair as much of the trail as possible in the four-day period.
There were obstacles for hikers, “big drop-offs” where stone steps needed to be built, said NPS Trail Crew Leader Jim Palmer.
“They’ve (WCCC) done a great job,” Palmer said.
****
Roosevelt roots
Western Colorado Conservation Corps was formed under the umbrella of Mesa County Partners in 1999. The organization was modeled after the Civilian Conservation Corps, started by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1933 as part of the New Deal to combat growing unemployment during the Great Depression.
At the request of Fruita and Grand Junction business people, CCC crews came to Colorado National Monument in the 1930s to build a road from one end of the park to the other.
Using “dynamite, hand tools and lots of muscle,” according to Park Ranger Eric Sandstrom, CCC crews built 15 miles of Rim Rock Drive, 25 campsites, a comfort station, caretaker’s residence, garage, utility buildings, the Devils Kitchen picnic shelter, and miles of fencing and trails.
The Western Colorado Conservation Corps has also worked extensively in the monument.
“We take young people and get them outdoors to do meaningful work in the community,” said WCCC Director Rusty Lloyd. “We target any youth 16 to 25.”
In addition to a starting wage of $7.25 an hour, employees can earn AmeriCorps college scholarships, paid educational development, which includes such things as CPR and energy auditing, plus food and transportation to work sites.
In addition to making Otto’s Trail safer for hikers, WCCC also worked this week to make the vegetation near the trail safe from hikers.
Workers lined the edges of the trail with rocks to discourage hikers from wandering off the trail and destroying vegetation.
“People tend to stay on the trail a lot more if it’s defined,” Palmer said.
****
Personal stories
Enrique Ballén, originally of Ecuador, went to Partners to apply to volunteer in its One-to-One Mentoring program. At the time, the 23-year-old was not fluent in English and he ended up with an application to work for WCCC. He interviewed, started working and found he liked the job.
“I learned a lot more English on WCCC,” Ballén said. “I’m grateful for this. I learned a lot.”
Henry Dresen, 17, is too young to operate a chainsaw, but he’s learned at WCCC how to clean and maintain them.
“He’s brilliant mechanically with the chainsaws,” Reed said.
Dresen has earned two AmeriCorps scholarships and plans to go to a trade school someday, possibly for motorcycle mechanics, or culinary school, he said.
Burdette also earned an AmeriCorps scholarship and is now working toward his second one so he can return to college.
“That’s another reason why I applied to the program,” Burdette said. “On top of that, they send you to get certifications” — CPR, wildland chainsaw usage and OSI crew leader training.
Reach Sharon Sullivan at ssullivan@gjfreepress.com.
“I found out their mission and thought it was pretty awesome,” Burdette said.
Western Colorado Conservation Corps offers youth and young adults conservation-oriented paid employment along with education and the opportunity to earn scholarships for college.
Thursday, 11 crew members concluded a four-day project restoring Otto’s Trail on Colorado National Monument. The job included hauling huge stones from a park quarry to the trailhead, where the rocks were taken down the trail in wheelbarrows, broken up with pick hammers and rolled into place.
Connie Castro and Kayla Wright muscled a huge rock a little way down the hill, near where 17-year-old Henry Dresen slung a pick axe to break up the rocks into smaller pieces.
Castro began working for WCCC last February.
“I love it. I like all the crews I’ve been on. I’ve learned a lot,” said the 18-year-old Castro. “They sent me to all these trainings: OSI (Outward Stewardship Institute) crew leader, first aid and, right now, energy audit training.”
Since February, Castro has earned a college scholarship funds ($2,362) for 900 hours of service through AmeriCorps, and is in the process of acquiring a second award ($1,250) for 450 hours. She plans to use the scholarship money to attend an art school somewhere on the East Coast.
“When she (Castro) first came to the Conservation Corps she was painfully shy,” said WCCC Assistant Director Sarah Reed. “And now she’s able to unlock some of that in other people.”
The heavily-used Otto’s Trail (40,000 people a year) is located about a quarter-mile from the monument’s visitor center near the west entrance.
The National Park Service contracted with WCCC to repair as much of the trail as possible in the four-day period.
There were obstacles for hikers, “big drop-offs” where stone steps needed to be built, said NPS Trail Crew Leader Jim Palmer.
“They’ve (WCCC) done a great job,” Palmer said.
****
Roosevelt roots
Western Colorado Conservation Corps was formed under the umbrella of Mesa County Partners in 1999. The organization was modeled after the Civilian Conservation Corps, started by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1933 as part of the New Deal to combat growing unemployment during the Great Depression.
At the request of Fruita and Grand Junction business people, CCC crews came to Colorado National Monument in the 1930s to build a road from one end of the park to the other.
Using “dynamite, hand tools and lots of muscle,” according to Park Ranger Eric Sandstrom, CCC crews built 15 miles of Rim Rock Drive, 25 campsites, a comfort station, caretaker’s residence, garage, utility buildings, the Devils Kitchen picnic shelter, and miles of fencing and trails.
The Western Colorado Conservation Corps has also worked extensively in the monument.
“We take young people and get them outdoors to do meaningful work in the community,” said WCCC Director Rusty Lloyd. “We target any youth 16 to 25.”
In addition to a starting wage of $7.25 an hour, employees can earn AmeriCorps college scholarships, paid educational development, which includes such things as CPR and energy auditing, plus food and transportation to work sites.
In addition to making Otto’s Trail safer for hikers, WCCC also worked this week to make the vegetation near the trail safe from hikers.
Workers lined the edges of the trail with rocks to discourage hikers from wandering off the trail and destroying vegetation.
“People tend to stay on the trail a lot more if it’s defined,” Palmer said.
****
Personal stories
Enrique Ballén, originally of Ecuador, went to Partners to apply to volunteer in its One-to-One Mentoring program. At the time, the 23-year-old was not fluent in English and he ended up with an application to work for WCCC. He interviewed, started working and found he liked the job.
“I learned a lot more English on WCCC,” Ballén said. “I’m grateful for this. I learned a lot.”
Henry Dresen, 17, is too young to operate a chainsaw, but he’s learned at WCCC how to clean and maintain them.
“He’s brilliant mechanically with the chainsaws,” Reed said.
Dresen has earned two AmeriCorps scholarships and plans to go to a trade school someday, possibly for motorcycle mechanics, or culinary school, he said.
Burdette also earned an AmeriCorps scholarship and is now working toward his second one so he can return to college.
“That’s another reason why I applied to the program,” Burdette said. “On top of that, they send you to get certifications” — CPR, wildland chainsaw usage and OSI crew leader training.
Reach Sharon Sullivan at ssullivan@gjfreepress.com.
