FRANKFORT, Ky. -- The nation's youth unemployment rate is the highest it's been since the Great Depression, and some are calling for creating a new Civilian Conservation Corps to help rebuild the country's parks and public lands at a time of national crisis.

Unemployment in the Commonwealth has soared to 15.4% amid the coronavirus pandemic. And Ward Wilson, executive director of the Kentucky Waterways Alliance, says a new CCC could put young Kentuckians to work reviving the state's streams, which are an important habitat for wildlife and for the outdoor-recreation economy.

"We've damaged a lot of our streams," Wilson points out." Some people say there aren't very many streams you can find in the eastern United States that haven't been changed in some way.

"We know how to go back and repair them, in terms of making them function better hydrologically, making the water quality better, but also bringing the wildlife back to it; make them alive again."

Historians estimate that by 1937, there were 44 CCC camps in Kentucky employing more than 12,000 young people. During its nine-year run ending in 1942, the federal Civilian Conservation Corps employed more than 3 million workers nationwide.

Wilson adds that in 2015 the state identified more than 300 species as having the greatest conservation needs and has a plan at the ready to help protect them. He says the state park system currently is saddled with an $111 million backlog of maintenance and repairs.

"We've got a large national forest in eastern Kentucky, the Daniel Boone National Forest," he states. "It has all sorts of facilities. They're great facilities, but maintenance has been deferred for a long time. We've got the Mammoth Cave National Park. There are many things we could do there."

Collin O'Mara, president and CEO of the National Wildlife Federation, says a new CCC could offer Kentuckians jobs in outdoor recreation, agriculture, forestry and ranching to rural and Native American youths, and young people of color -- all of whom are being hit hard with unemployment.

"It's one of those solutions that actually solves 15 different public policy priorities all at once -- and, I mean, I'd argue it's as close to an economic recovery silver bullet as is out there right now," he states.

O'Mara adds there's no shortage of work to be done - 80 million acres of national forests need rehabilitation, and a half-million abandoned coal and hard-rock mines need reclamation.

North Dakota is no stranger to public pension debates. States face pressure to keep retirement systems well-funded and new data show most Americans place great value on such benefits for both government and private-sector workers.

According to the National Institute on Retirement Security, 86% of Americans believe all workers, not just those employed by state and local governments, should have a pension. There are similar approval levels when asked how important public pensions are in recruiting teachers and public safety workers.

Dan Doonan, executive director of the institute, suggested it is not too surprising to see the results.

"Pensions, along with other benefits, are part of creating that culture of careers and not jobs," Doonan explained.

Starting in January, North Dakota will close its main public pension plan for new hires, who will instead be offered a 401(k)-style benefit. The move followed debate over whether it was the right way to address a $1.9 billion unfunded liability. Backers argued it protects benefits for existing workers and taxpayers but skeptics contended it makes it harder to attract workers to the public sector.

Doonan noted the survey results overlap with the idea maintaining an experienced public-sector workforce is a good thing for community members and not just the employee and employer.

"In general, when public services are done well, they're often invisible, right?" Doonan emphasized. "We want good roads, we want safe communities, and I think Americans understand the role of having career public servants in terms of delivering those outcomes."

The Bureau of Labor Statistics said state and local governments employ about 20 million workers, which represents about 13% of the U.S. workforce.

As Nebraskans anticipate the upcoming holiday season, some might also be looking ahead to the 2025 tax season, which will include a new tax credit for family caregivers, including those looking after military veterans.

Starting in 2025, a new state law provides eligible family caregivers up to $2,000 in tax credits for out-of-pocket expenses. The cap increases to $3,000 if the family member receiving care has dementia or is a veteran.

Jina Ragland, associate state director of advocacy and outreach for AARP Nebraska, said those who served have access to care benefits through the Department of Veterans Affairs but added it sometimes is not enough.

"Because some of their service-related illnesses or injuries, they extend beyond what they're able to afford, or maybe what the coverage is through the VA," Ragland explained.

She pointed out it puts more pressure on loved ones assisting them on a daily basis. During National Veterans and Military Families Month, supporters of the new law hope more families will see if they are eligible. Ragland noted while it helps reduce the financial strain, greater awareness of resources is also needed, to help all family caregivers avoid burnout.

Ragland emphasized one example is providing caregivers information about where to turn for guidance when a loved one is first discharged from a hospital. She argued entities at all levels need to maintain progress, because their outreach shows a demand for solutions.

"Over 90% of Nebraskans say that they want to age in place with the lowest level of care," Ragland reported. "In order to do that, oftentimes we have to rely on family caregivers."

There are no age restrictions to qualify for the tax credit. As for eligibility factors, the law includes an income limit of $50,000 dollars for individuals and $100,000 for married couples.

Health care providers and schools across North Carolina could soon benefit from tax credits to help projects get off the ground and serve thousands of people.

The Self-Help Ventures Fund, a North Carolina-based nonprofit focused on expanding economic opportunities in underserved communities, recently secured a $50 million boost from the U.S. Treasury's New Markets Tax Credit program.

Sarah Brennan, structured finance sector leader at the fund, said the tax credits will support critical community projects that otherwise could not move forward, driving development where it's needed most.

"It can be really difficult for a community facility to pull together the millions of dollars in equity that they would need to get traditional financing," Brennan explained. "They are able to go forth and build projects that literally would not have been able to happen otherwise."

She noted the fund will roll out the credits across six to eight projects in the next few years, with a focus on health and education facilities in North Carolina and several other states where they operate. The organization pointed out how transformative the investments can be, funding essential services such as health clinics and schools for areas most in need.

Emma Haney, director of business development and project management for Self-Help Ventures Fund's real estate team, said with construction costs soaring, the need for this type of funding is more critical than ever.

"Most projects that you could have filled the gap with $5 million in allocation or around that much, you might need $10 million or $15 million now," Haney pointed out. "It's just sort of an exponential increase in the need per project with a finite amount of resources."

With the latest allocation, Self-Help has administered tax credits totaling $483 million. The organization hopes Congress will expand the tax credit program to keep up with demand, as each dollar plays a vital role in lifting underserved communities.


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