Public Lands Service Coalition Partnership Impact Evaluation Final Report

The Corps Network (TCN) places AmeriCorps members with organizations and government agencies to contribute to environmental stewardship projects in communities across the country. TCN members build and maintain trails, campgrounds, boat docks, and other outdoor recreation facilities. They eliminate invasive species, remove hazardous fuels, and restore critical ecosystems and habitats at national and state forests and parks.

Study Goals
The goal of this study is to examine the impact of TCN’s participating AmeriCorps conservation corps programs as well as the impact on hosting agencies’ capacity. The primary outcome-related goals are to determine whether there is evidence that TCN’s host partners demonstrate higher levels of engagement, efficiency, and environmental stewardship than similar non-hosting agencies. The comparison group comprised USFS and State Parks units that use alternative methods (e.g., agency crews, volunteer groups, contractors) and the treatment group comprised sites utilizing AmeriCorps members.

Research Questions

The research questions were:

Do the TCN partnerships increase partners’:

1. Capacity to engage communities compared to non-host agencies as indicated by perceived higher levels of engagement and higher hours of volunteer engagement.
2. Efficiency compared to non-host agencies as indicated by fewer organizational resources committed to trail/habitat work and higher perceived quality of trail/habitat work.
3. Natural resource enhancement compared to non-host agencies as indicated by increased miles of trails improved/created and acres of habitat improved?

Findings

The evaluation found that:

1. Conservation Corps were frequently reported partners among public land managers. 
2. Land management agencies who partnered with Conservation Corps accomplished more than agencies who didn’t. 
3. Many partners working with state and federal land management agencies experienced declines in work performed in 2020, possibly due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Work rates variably rebounded in 2021. 
4. Across all partner types, Conservation Corps’ contribution to resource enhancement was rated highest. 
5. Land managers rated the quality of work performed by Conservation Corps as high (4 out of 5), tied for the highest amongst partner types.