The Washington Conservation Corps (WCC) is an AmeriCorps State and National Program, operated by Washington State University, that focuses on environmental stewardship. WCC provides young adults ages 18 to 25 years old an opportunity to learn how to protect and restore natural habitats for the state- and federally protected species throughout Washington state.
Study Goals:
The goal of this return on investment (ROI) analysis report was to conduct a cost-benefit assessment of the WCC 2014-2015 program outcomes.
Findings:
The ROI analysis report found the following:
Native plant coverage increased by 9.6 percent at restoration sites, compared to 0.4 percent at reference sites from 2014-2015
Noxious weed coverage decreased by 15.6 percent at restoration sites, compared to a decrease of 1.4 percent at reference sites in the year following the planting intervention.