Colorado U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper is seen in August 2024. (Hart Van Denburg/CPR News file)

Hickenlooper and stakeholders host roundtable to push back

Community organizations across Colorado and nationwide are reeling after the Department of Government Efficiency significantly reduced funding and staffing for AmeriCorps.

AmeriCorps – a federal agency dedicated to service and volunteerism – funds a broad spectrum of organizations committed to education, disaster relief, environmental conservation and more. It has a large reach in Colorado, with more than 700 sites, including youth centers, food banks, schools, veterans facilities and other nonprofit organizations.

In April, DOGE placed about 75% of full-time AmeriCorps employees on administrative leave and terminated millions of dollars in funding.

Colorado Sen. John Hickenlooper, along with stakeholders from various groups, have called for a reversal of the cuts.

Hickenlooper was among a bicameral group of legislators who wrote to President Donald Trump in April, urging him to reinstate the positions. He hosted a virtual roundtable Tuesday with leaders from community organizations across the state, many of whom are trying to adjust to losing staff members and funding.

“The negative impacts from reductions in AmeriCorps programming are large, continuous and growing,” said Juan Fernandez, executive director of Southwest Conservation Corps.

The organization, which has regional offices in Durango and Salida, supports hundreds of seasonal participants in its conservation service programs related to wildfire prevention, disaster response, and it is a pathway for young adults to enter the workforce. Layoffs reduced full-time staff to 24 members, and seasonal participation is expected to fall 10% this year.

Fernandez said that because a reduction in workforce translates to a reduction in project work, Southwest Conservation Corps expects a 20% to 25% decrease in positive impacts across the board, including wildfire prevention efforts, hazardous fuels removal, and constructed or maintained recreational acres and trails.

The AmeriCorps cuts also are reducing funding for many organizations such as the Colorado Youth Corps Association, which has lost $2 million toward its conservation efforts.

By building trails, eradicating invasive species and mitigating wildfires, AmeriCorps members help define Colorado’s outdoor recreation economy.

“The outdoor recreation industry has become a lifeline for rural communities,” said Executive Director Scott Segerstrom. “It lets them reinvigorate their local economies and return to financial viability.”

But with 200 fewer members in the Colorado Youth Corps Association to contribute to this mission, Segerstrom said rural economies and livelihoods are at risk.

Segerstrom is supported by a study commissioned by Voices for National Service. The 2020 study found that every dollar of taxpayer money appropriated to the agency yields over $17 in economic return.

Many AmeriCorps programs also place a strong emphasis on youth development, offering young adults opportunities to kickstart their careers through service.

“AmeriCorps consistently launches professional careers while building local leadership, especially in rural places, where the talent pipeline often otherwise doesn’t exist,” said Aaron Miltenberger, president and CEO of the Boys and Girls Club of the San Luis Valley.

Programs often serve as entry points into high-need, challenging fields such as education and behavioral health in underserved areas. Many have had to reduce staff positions, take staff furloughs and cut the amount of services they provide to their communities.

Many AmeriCorps members often remain active participants in their communities long after their programs – whether it’s working for their former organizations, starting their families there, joining local governments or in some other capacity.

“These federal cuts risk rolling back everything we’ve built, especially in places they can least afford it,” Miltenberger said. “AmeriCorps isn’t extra. It’s essential.”

Richa Sharma is an intern for The Durango Herald and The Journal in Cortez and a student at American University in Washington, D.C. She can be reached at rsharma@durangoherald.com.

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