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STATEMENT OF 



THE EAST BAY CONSERVATION CORPS 



IN SUPPORT OF THE WATERWAYS RESTORATION ACT OF 1994 



Prepared for the July 19, 1994 Hearing of the 



SUBCOMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL RESOURCES 

 HOUSE MERCHANT MARINE AND FISHERIES COMMITTEE 



The East Bay Conservation Corps (EBCC) is pleased to submit this 

 written statement in strong support of HR 4289, the Waterways 

 Restoration Act, introduced by Representative Elizabeth Furse of 

 Portland, Oregon. 



This Act would create a new technical assistance and grants program 

 for waterways restoration within the existing Watershed Protection 

 Program of the Soil Conservation Service. In addition to supporting 

 waterways restoration projects, this new program will provide for 

 the employment and training of at-risk youth through the use of 

 state and local conservation corps in the restoration projects. 



Throughout its history the EBCC has always aimed to foster strong, 

 positive connections between urban youth and their neighborhoods by 

 performing work within these communities. Youth corps are 

 extremely well-suited to work on large service projects, such as 

 urban creek restorations, which require energetic teams of workers. 



In recent years the EBCC has increased its role in the protection 

 and restoration of urban streams, marshes, and coastlines. Through 

 funding from California's Department of Water Resources we have 

 collaborated with various agencies, cities, Volunteer groups, and 

 private citizens on stream bed and bank stabilization, habitat 

 enhancement, revegetation of creek banks, and cleaning creeks of 

 debris. Over the past few years, the EBCC has cleaned years of 

 accumulation of debris from coast lines and lakeshores, cleared 

 flood control channels, removed invasive exotic plants from 

 sensitive sites, and planted native trees, shrubs, and grasses. 



The benefits of this work well exceed the physical improvements to 

 the sites. Many urban youth are far removed from first-hand 

 experiences with creeks, lakes, and oceans. By working to restore 

 these sites they have the opportunity to learn about natural 

 ecosystems that are close to home. In addition, much of the stream 

 work that the Corps undertakes attracts a large and diverse group 



