Student Conservation Association

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Student Conservation Association

• Serving communities and natural resource agencies
  since 1957

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• What is SCA?
• National non-profit
• Volunteers for local, state and federal agencies
• Over 1.8 million hours of service in 2003
• Programs for high school students and adults

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3 Primary Programs

• Conservation Intern
• Individual Placements from 3-12 months
• Adults-generally recent college graduates
• Conservation Corps
• Inter-disciplinary teams focusing on a distinct
  resource issue
• Adults-generally a mix of recent college
  graduates and experienced young professionals
• Conservation Crew
• Teams of high school students
• Recruited nationally

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SCAs Wildland Fire Program Composed of 4
programmatic elements

• Conservation Interns
• Trained and supported by SCA based on agency
  needs
• GIS/GPS Conservation Associates
• Experienced in GIS/GPS supported by SCA
• Prescribed Burn Teams
• Jointly trained through agency host and SCA
• Fire Education Corps
• Team of volunteers trained and supported by SCA
  based on agency needs

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Conservation Interns

• Sometimes known as Individual Placements
• Trained and supported by SCA based on agency
  needs
• Available to assist on a variety of tasks
  including
• Fire Information
• Fire Monitoring
• Event Planning
• Fire support operations

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GIS/GPS Conservation Associates

• Pilot program in 2003- Salish Kootenai
  Confederated Tribes and SanDiego National
  Wildlife Refuge
• Interns with GIS/GPS experience are recruited and
  placed with agency partners
• Training in fuel load identification and mapping
  protocols is available through SCA
• SCA can provided administrative support

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Prescribed Burn Team

• Pilot Program in FY03 with US Fish Wildlife
  Service
• Highly mobile
• SCA Coordinated Red Card Certification
• SCA provides administrative support for Team

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Fire Education CorpsTypical Team Configuration

• 1 Team Leader
• 6-12 month intern
• Arrives 2-3 months in advance of Team Members
• Receives training
• Provides direction and leadership for team in
  collaboration with hosting agency
• 4 Team Members
• 3 month intern
• 7 day training
• Interdisciplinary

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• Fire Education Corps

1) Create awareness and educate local communities
about defensible space and wildfire dangers.
2) Conduct home evaluations and provide
recommendations to WUI homeowners regarding
defensible space.
3) Develop and implement a FireSafe/FIREWISE
community demonstration project.
4) Assist with fire prevention projects deemed
high priority by agency partners.
5) Collect GPS data and create GIS maps that will
serve as useful information for agency
partners.
6) Encourage homeowners to take actions that
will minimize risk to their property and to the
firefighters tasked to defend public and private
lands in the event of a wildland fire.
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Message to Communities

• Consistent with hosting agency
• Little Things Make a Big Difference
• Free Home Evaluations
• Defensible Space Within the Community

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SCAs Wildland Fire Program Accomplishments in
FY03

• Honored by the Department of Interior for
  Community Assistance
• Operated at 52 sites in 17 states
• 2 Sites in Arizona ( Fire Education Corps Team at
  the San Carlos Reservation and 2 Conservation
  Interns in a joint project with the National Park
  Service and US Forest Service in Flagstaff)
• Successfully piloted a GIS/GPS Fuel Load Mapping
  project
• Successfully piloted Prescribed Burn Teams with
  the Fish and Wildlife Service
• Involved in the Western Governors Association
  Annual Meetings Field Demonstration
• Provided GIS data in support of the Honeydew Fire
  
• More responsive to agency needs by offering a
  wider array of program elements and volunteer
  configurations

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Conclusion

• SCA is a federally recognized partner
• SCAs programs continue to evolve to better serve
  agency and community needs from single intern
  placements to Teams of interns
• We can provide a variety of training, logistical,
  and administrative support to interns and Teams

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Regional Contact Information
Arizona, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, California, New
Mexico, Hawaii Rick Covington Regional
Director [phone] ext. 302 rcovington_at_thesca
.org