The Green Bay Conservation Corps Earth Day event, April 22, 2023. PC: Fox 11 Online
GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — The Green Bay City Council secured AmeriCorps funding to sustain conservation efforts through 2026.
The city will receive $395,162 in federal AmeriCorps grant funding and provide $140,967 in local matching funds to support 39 AmeriCorps members working on critical habitat restoration, invasive species removal, and trail maintenance throughout Green Bay’s 3,000 acres of recreational open space.
The funding approval comes after months of turbulence for AmeriCorps programs nationwide. In April 2025, the federal Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) terminated nearly $400 million in AmeriCorps grants across the country—representing 41% of the agency’s total budget—leaving more than 32,000 AmeriCorps positions in jeopardy and forcing many programs to shut down immediately.
Green Bay’s Conservation Corps was among the programs affected, prompting the city to act swiftly to preserve this vital environmental initiative. The Common Council unanimously approved $115,000 in emergency American Rescue Plan Act funding in May to maintain operations while legal challenges to the federal cuts proceeded through the courts.
Wisconsin joined 23 other states in suing the federal government over the unprecedented AmeriCorps cuts. A federal judge issued a retroactive preliminary injunction in June ordering the restoration of funding to participating states, but the legal battle continues, and future federal support remains uncertain.
The Green Bay Conservation Corps operates from September through August each year, with members serving full-time and part-time terms focused on hands-on environmental restoration work. This fall, the Corps will include between 13 and 18 members, including at least eight returning alumni. While fall recruitment is filled, applications for spring and summer 2026 positions will open early next year.
Comments