Could your organization use some extra support? Are you addressing issues related to watershed health, community revitalization, and the environmental and economic legacies of pre-regulatory coal mining in your area? The Appalachian Coal Country Watershed Team provides communities in the eastern coal region with OSM/VISTA volunteers to support local watershed efforts and build capacity.
The Watershed Team functions as an umbrella organization under the AmeriCorps*VISTA program to provide OSM/VISTA volunteers to watershed-oriented community groups (please visit the AmeriCorps web site to learn more about the basic nature of the VISTA program). Local organizations that partner with the Watershed Team not only receive an OSM/VISTA volunteer for a total of three years, but also enjoy the additional capacity-building support that the Team provides: training, informational resources, access to a network of peer organizations, and more. Download our Q&A for New Sponsors for details.
To sponsor a Watershed Team OSM/VISTA, an organization must:
- Be a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization (or have the sponsorship of a non-profit or other local agency – such as a Soil & Water Conservation District, County Commission, a local RC&D, etc).
- Demonstrate the capacity for effective supervision and support for an OSM/VISTA member.
- Develop a project work plan that reflects the Watershed Team’s Core Goals
- Be able and willing to pay a yearly cost-share to support the volunteer position.
Interested groups are encouraged to contact us to discuss whether or not this opportunity is right for their communities. Organizations must then complete an ACCWT Narrative Application (download) and an ACCWT OSM/VISTA Work Plan (download).
To initiate the process of applying for an OSM/VISTA as part of the ACCWT, contact:
OSM/VISTA Teams Coordinator
- Dr. T. Allan Comp
tcomp@osmre.gov
202-208-2836
Or
ACCWT Program Coordinator
iinfo@accwt.org
304-252-4848
Note: Watersheds that are just
starting their development may wish
to first consider applying for an
OSM Summer Watershed Intern, a
position that provides 12 weeks of
full-time work by a college junior
or senior. See
http://www.osmre.gov/acsi/internindex.htm
for more information.
