By Gale Norton and Richard Pombo
April 9, 2004

Maintaining public lands through volunteerism

As fire scorched more than 700,000 acres in Southern California last fall, the nation watched with gratitude as local, state and federal firefighters battled the blazes. What went less noticed was the tough, sometimes backbreaking work of volunteers who poured out to help restore the scarred lands after the embers cooled.

Through Take Pride in America, a national initiative to inspire volunteerism on public lands, volunteers pledged more than 400,000 hours to replant stream banks, stabilize soils, remove burned debris and help communities restore burned landscapes to health.

In 2002, President Bush called for all Americans to volunteer in their communities when he announced the creation of USA Freedom Corps, of which Take Pride in America is a component. To open up volunteer opportunities on public lands, we need new tools – in particular new legislation to extend the ability of the Department of the Interior's bureaus to work with volunteers on public lands.

The Department of the Interior, through several of its bureaus, currently benefits from the contributions of more than 200,000 volunteers each year at national parks, wildlife refuges and other public lands.

At Boston Harbor, for example, a local service organization redecorated the historic commandant's house, providing creativity, resources and hard work to help the National Park Service. At Golden Gate National Recreation Area in San Francisco, thousands of volunteers helped transform Crissy Field from pavement to park and wetlands. At Bureau of Reclamation dams, bass fishers have taught kids with disabilities to fish.

Elsewhere, trail associations clear trails; beachcombers work under supervision to clean beaches and cultural artifacts; and friends groups give bird-watching tips at wildlife refuges.

Volunteers across America help public land managers fix fences and trails, restore historic buildings, teach kids to fish, collect data and monitor bird populations. They provide hands, eyes and smiles to serve the American public and build a culture of responsibility. But volunteers could do even more if Congress provided Interior's bureaus with the right statutory tools.

Currently, just five of the Interior Department's eight bureaus have permission from Congress to accept volunteers as partners. Two of the five have limited authority to use volunteers. Some agencies cannot pay for incidental services or costs associated with volunteers, such as providing supplies or transportation to a work site. Some cannot use their budgets to train or supervise volunteers. Statutory provisions regarding the proper limitations on using volunteers are inconsistent or nonexistent.

To fill these statutory gaps, the Interior Department is working with Congress to pass new volunteerism legislation. The legislation would provide authority to all Interior's bureaus to work with volunteers and to support the renewal of the Take Pride in America program. The legislation would authorize Interior agencies to provide incidental services or costs for volunteers, which may include transportation, supplies, uniforms and recruitment and training.

The Interior Department's 70,000 employees help provide the nation with water, energy and recreation opportunities. They conserve some of America's most significant natural, cultural and historic places. In their efforts, they daily join with volunteers. These relationships are mutually beneficial – hard work gets done and volunteers achieve a sense of accomplishment, responsibility and community.

Nineteenth-century French writer Alexis de Tocqueville observed that the United States was a nation of voluntary associations. We need to make sure our 21st century laws keep this spirit of volunteerism alive. We plan to propose legislation that will secure the place volunteers have in helping the Department of the Interior serve Americans – whether by restoring charred lands, maintaining trails or teaching a child to fish. A bill will be introduced shortly in the U.S. House of Representatives. It will help us all to lend a hand.

Norton is secretary of the Interior. Pombo, a Republican who represents California's 11th Congressional District, is chairman of the House Resources Committee.