The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is one of the nation’s federal leaders in outdoor and water-based recreation. Volunteers are critical when it comes to operating and maintaining the recreation areas. Each year, thousands of people volunteer across the country serving as park and campground hosts, staffing visitor centers, conducting programs, cleaning shorelines, restoring fish and wildlife habitat, maintaining park trails and facilities, and more.
“Volunteers are essential to the operations and maintenance of our projects,” said Jeff Rose, Operations Project Manager for the USACE Rock Island District’s Des Moines River Area. “We have volunteers who donate their time, talents and services in our recreation and environmental stewardship programs.”
In fiscal year 2022, the Rock Island District was supported by nearly 575 volunteers across its lake and river projects. With a combined total of more than 46,000 service hours, these volunteers provided work valued at close to $1.4 million.
“With limited permanent staff and budgets, we are able to accomplish so much more operations and maintenance because of our great volunteers,” said Rose. “The number of hours and the dollar value of their services speak volumes to just how important volunteers are to us. We value every single one of them.”
Becoming a USACE volunteer is a relatively simple process and opportunities are available year-round in many areas of the country. An interagency volunteer portal, which houses opportunities with the Department of Interior, Department of Agriculture, Department of Commerce, and Department of Defense, is available online at: www.voluneer.gov. Volunteers can also call 1-800-VOL-TEER to learn more.
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