American Climate Corps Ends as States Launch Initiatives

The American Climate Corps was officially wound down last January, ending a federal initiative that had employed 15,000 young people by September 2024. The program, inspired by Franklin D. Roosevelt's Civilian Conservation Corps, focused on restoring landscapes and installing solar panels. The Biden administration terminated the program ahead of President Donald Trump's return to the White House, anticipating federal opposition.

Despite the federal shutdown, environmental service work continues at the state level. California operates the California Climate Action Corps with approximately 400 members. Washington state funds its Climate Corps Network using revenue from cap-and-invest programs. Other states address specific environmental challenges, such as hurricane recovery in North Carolina and pine beetle outbreaks in Colorado. These initiatives show that climate service work remains politically viable when supported by state funding and local needs.

The American Climate Corps program was terminated last January, just months after reaching 15,000 participants. President Joe Biden had promised to build a green jobs workforce inspired by the Civilian Conservation Corps, one of Franklin D. Roosevelt's most popular New Deal programs, throughout his campaign. By September 2024, the administration reported that 15,000 young people had joined the corps to restore landscapes and install solar panels across the country.

The program lasted less than a year. The Biden administration wound down the initiative ahead of President Donald Trump's return to the White House. Officials correctly anticipated that Trump would take a hammer to anything with "climate" in the name. Since the shutdown, climate change has fallen off the national agenda and federal funding has vanished.

The termination coincided with broader disruptions to federal service programs. Last spring, Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency abruptly pulled 32,000 AmeriCorps members from their jobs. These members had been tutoring children in low-income areas, working at food banks, and helping towns recover from weather disasters. The department also placed 85 percent of the federal service agency's 500 staffers on leave.

A court case eventually restored the $400 million in grant funding, but much of the damage had already been done. Many programs were disrupted or completely terminated, including some climate and conservation crews. AmeriCorps members helping Los Angeles residents recover from fires were placed on leave, with many unable to finish their terms as funding ran out or they found other work.

California has emerged as a primary survivor of the federal cuts. The state operates the California Climate Action Corps, which Josh Fryday runs through GO-Serve, Governor Gavin Newsom's office for service and civic engagement. The program currently has roughly 400 members spread across the state. They work to make homes more fire-proof, divert food from landfills, and organize climate action days for the public.

"We've stayed the course and are moving forward full steam ahead, and our climate work hasn't been impacted by the chaos at the federal level," Fryday said.

The state's environmental service work has deep roots. The 50-year-old California Conservation Corps continues operating strong with more than 1,500 members. California's resources allow it to survive federal funding droughts.

Washington state has taken a different approach to funding. The Washington Climate Corps Network uses profits from the state's "cap-and-invest" program. This program requires polluters to lower carbon emissions or buy permits for them at auctions. In 2025, the network announced almost $1.5 million in grants for 11 different projects across the state. Projects include restoring degraded estuaries to help sequester carbon and helping communities prepare for extreme heat and wildfire smoke.

Matt Glazewski, director of the Washington Climate Corps Network, described it as a "small program, but with lofty goals" to develop a climate workforce and introduce people of all ages to potential climate-friendly careers.

Climate service work increasingly focuses on responding to specific local needs rather than broad federal programs. In western North Carolina, AmeriCorps members continue helping with recovery from Hurricane Helene. They clear storm debris and restore access to trails and public lands. Briles Johnson, executive director of VolunteerNC, oversees these service programs in the state.

There may be room for growth when local demands arise. In Colorado, Governor Jared Polis recently created a task force to address an outbreak of mountain pine beetles killing the state's ponderosa pines. Warming temperatures and drought allowed beetle populations to increase. The dead trees left behind raise wildfire risks. Conservation crews with Serve Colorado are supposed to help address the outbreak, backed by proposed state funding.

Research published in November mapped the locations of American Climate Corps jobs. The findings showed positions in blue states and red states, rural areas and cities.

"It speaks to the fact that this kind of work is needed everywhere," said Dana Fisher, a professor at American University's School of International Service whose team mapped the locations.

"You can cancel the Climate Corps, but ... a lot of what communities need right now has to do with responding to and preparing for climate change-exacerbated extreme events," Fisher said.

A map showed 245 listings posted to the American Climate Corps jobs site. The true number of jobs was much higher, as many roles were not fully captured in the public dataset. Since the Climate Corps lacked congressional funding, the positions were largely from preexisting service programs grouped under the Climate Corps umbrella.

State-specific funding appears to be the safest path forward for climate service initiatives. However, scraping together money for these programs remains challenging. The Washington Climate Corps Network model shows one potential solution: using revenue from carbon pricing mechanisms to fund environmental work.

California's approach demonstrates that established state programs can weather federal changes. The California Climate Action Corps continues growing as need and demand increase. The state's long-running Conservation Corps provides a template for sustained environmental service.

Despite the federal program's end, the work continues. Communities across the country still need help responding to extreme weather events and preparing for future climate impacts. State governments and nonprofits are finding ways to support these efforts without federal backing.

The American Climate Corps may have lasted less than a year at the federal level, but the concept of civilian climate service continues at the state and local levels. These smaller, more targeted programs may prove more resilient than their federal predecessor.