Our Washington Conservation Corps (WCC) kicked off a new program year in October with more than 270 AmeriCorps members restoring habitat, building trails, and improving forest health across the state. Our members and staff have also participated in three deployments to support disaster relief efforts locally and across the country. It’s been a busy few months and we're excited to share some project highlights!
Celebrating decades of service at Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge
In December, WCC received the 2024 Clarice McCartan Award to honor more than two decades of service at Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge.
Clarice McCartan was a founding member of Friends of Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge Complex (Friends), a non-profit organization providing education, interpretation, and outreach programs at the refuge. In 2015, Friends established an award in Clarice's name to recognize volunteer service at the refuge.
WCC members and staff accept the 2024 Clarice McCartan award at the volunteer recognition luncheon on Jan. 8.
WCC has partnered with the Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge since the late 1990s on a wide variety of facility and habitat improvement projects. Over the years, our crews have repaired boardwalks, managed invasive species, and installed thousands of native plants at the refuge.
Shelia McCartan, Clarice’s daughter and a former refuge employee, shared, "[Clarice] would have been particularly pleased with WCC receiving the award, knowing how much each and every crew, made up of young people, have contributed over the past 25 years."
WCC is honored for this recognition and grateful for the many members and crew supervisors who have served at the refuge.
Supporting communities impacted by disaster
This November, WCC responded after a bomb cyclone hit the Puget Sound area and left many in King County with extensive damage to their homes and property. The State Emergency Operations Center requested WCC to assist with debris removal, and we activated three local crews for a one-week local deployment. Our crews removed fallen and hazardous trees from residential properties south of Tiger Mountain.
WCC members remove storm debris from November's bomb cyclone in King County. Photo by Aidan Manzanares.
"The cyclone took down a ton of trees and branches in the Mirrormont neighborhood near Issaquah, and we were sent out to help homeowners move debris off their property to be collected by the county,” said Aidan Manzanares, a deployed crew member. “It was a lot of hard work, but it was an unforgettable experience to help these homeowners!"
WCC members cover damaged roofs with plywood and tarps while on deployment in Asheville, N.C. Photo by Paul Love.
On a national level, WCC has deployed on two waves of hurricane relief efforts. After deploying to St. Lucie County, Florida, to support Hurricane Milton relief in November, WCC joined the third wave of Hurricane Helene relief efforts in Asheville, North Carolina.
On Jan. 10, WCC deployed 15 members and five supervisors to the Asheville area for a one-month deployment. Our crews helped community members regain access to their homes through a process called "muck and gut.” This involves removing mud and flood debris from structures, followed by tearing out water-damaged materials like drywall and cabinetry.
Our crews also cleared hazardous trees and installed roof tarping on damaged structures to protect them from rain and water damage. In total, our crews removed nearly 800 cubic yards of debris and over 40 hazard trees for impacted communities.
Reconnecting habitat after wildfire
Our crews support forest health at all stages — from minimizing wildfire risk through forest thinning to responding to active wildfires and restoring habitat after a wildfire hits.
WCC members testing out a newly installed wildlife crossing over the Yakima-Tieton irrigation canal. Photo by Erika Courtney.
The Rimrock Retreat fire last summer burned over 45,000 acres of forest and grassland between Rimrock Lake and Tieton. The burned area included much of the 12-mile-long Yakima-Tieton irrigation canal which has served farmers in the upper Yakima Valley for over a century.
The fire also damaged critical wildlife infrastructure like wildlife crossings and ramps which are necessary for wildlife to move between habitat on either side of the canal. After the fire, the Yakima-Tieton Irrigation District reached out to WCC to help repair some of the wildlife infrastructure.
One of our Skagit County-based crews traveled to Yakima to spend eight days rebuilding wildlife crossings over the canal. The crew used lumber donated from the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation to construct 21 structures. These wildlife crossings reduce the negative impacts of habitat fragmentation — especially in a post-wildfire landscape — and provide a safe crossing for wildlife in search of critical resources like food and water.
Keeping trails safe and accessible
WCC's trail crews provide essential maintenance year-round to the state's network of recreational trails. In the fall, our crews increased public access and safety as part of two key bridge projects on the Olympic and Kitsap peninsulas.
A WCC member uses a rigging system to pull a new log bridge into place along Peabody Creek. Photo by Dylan Wolcott.
In partnership with Olympic National Park, our Port Angeles-based crew replaced a footbridge along the Peabody Creek trail near the Olympic National Park Visitor Center. Hikers and trail runners use this 2.8-mile route year-round, and it serves as an environmental education classroom for local students.
A WCC member preps the sill that will hold the new log footbridge along Peabody Creek. Photo by Mari Johnson.
Members removed the old footbridge and then set up a complex rigging system to lower a new log in its place. Once the log was positioned just right, the crew drilled rebar on both ends to hold the log in place. They added a handrail and steps leading up to the approach as finishing touches.
The crew returned to Peabody Creek to improve the long-term sustainability of the trail by constructing a new trail around a muddy section. They also added a series of cedar, gravel-filled boxes on the trail tread. The boxes provide a raised platform for hikers keeping the trail drier and mitigating natural erosion by allowing water to flow underneath.
Meanwhile, on the Kitsap peninsula, our Belfair-based crew has been busy improving trails across Green Mountain and Tahuya State Forest in partnership with the Washington Department of Natural Resources. Tahuya is home to over 80 miles of multi-use trails and campsites that serve hikers, bikers, equestrians, and off-road vehicle users. These trails withstand a lot of wear and tear, and one bridge — the Tommy bridge — was due for a refresh. While the bridge was still structurally sound, the wooden decking needed replacement to withstand many more years of feet, wheels, and hooves traveling overtop.
The crew spent a week measuring and cutting 36 new, weather-treated boards and hauling them to the bridge site. Once at the site, they removed all the old decking, hauled it out for removal, and installed all the new boards. Check out an installation timelapse on our Instagram.
Join WCC!
Washington Conservation Corps, an AmeriCorps program, provides hands-on experience, job training, and networking opportunities for young adults (ages 18 to 25) and military veterans. Applications for our quarter-term summer positions open in April – learn more about our AmeriCorps member positions and join our email list to be notified when our applications go live.