Natural resources careers

AN ACT Relating to secondary training for careers in natural 1
resources and conservation; and adding new sections to chapter 2
28A.700 RCW. 3
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:4
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. (1) The legislature finds that natural 5
resource and conservation jobs are a critical component to Washington 6
state's climate resilience and to rural economic vitality.7
(2) The legislature further finds that young people ages 14 to 17 8
have limited equitable pathways into natural resource and 9
conservation fields. Most job opportunities for youth require them to 10
choose between gaining high school graduation credit, skill building, 11
or a paid position. 12
(3) The legislature further finds that a connection to nature is 13
strongly linked to positive mental and physical health outcomes. The 14
youth in sustainable natural resource systems, or YESS programs, is 15
an example of modern education for all children. This approach to 16
education meets the learning needs of historically marginalized 17
youth. Historic investments have been made in the health arena to 18
address mental health problems, and this program increases protective 19
factors for youth experiencing adverse childhood experiences.20
S-0719.1
SENATE BILL 5567
State of Washington 69th Legislature 2025 Regular Session
By Senators Nobles, Slatter, Chapman, Warnick, Conway, Liias,
Lovelett, Ramos, Shewmake, Torres, Valdez, Wagoner, and C. Wilson
Read first time 01/29/25. Referred to Committee on Early Learning &
K-12 Education.
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(4) The legislature further finds that many students in 1
Washington are not aware of the opportunities for family wage careers 2
in the natural resource and conservation sectors. 3
(5) The legislature further finds that, as defined in the 4
governor's office report "education for a green economy," the state 5
needs to advocate for critical-demand jobs in addition to high-demand 6
jobs. 7
(6) It is the intent of the legislature to fund a career 8
preparation program designed to continue and expand the operations of 9
an existing program that engages youth in sustainable natural 10
resource systems. 11
NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. (1) Subject to the availability of amounts 12
appropriated for this specific purpose, the office of the 13
superintendent of public instruction shall select a private sector, 14
nonprofit partner to continue and expand the operations of an 15
existing program designed to engage youth in sustainable natural 16
resource systems, consistent with section 3 of this act.17
(2) The private sector, nonprofit partner selected to implement 18
the program must satisfy the following criteria: 19
(a) Be registered under section 501 (c)(3) of the internal revenue 20
code and have 20 years or more experience working with the education 21
and natural resource sectors in Washington; 22
(b) Demonstrate the successful past completion of programs 23
consistent with section 3 of this act, focusing on either restoration 24
ecology or forest management, at a minimum of seven school districts;25
(c) Have successfully completed natural resource grants as a 26
program builder for career connect Washington under chapter 28C.30 27
RCW, and be partnering with the career connect Washington sector lead 28
for agriculture and natural resources; 29
(d) Have successfully submitted career and technical education 30
frameworks to the superintendent of public instruction for review 31
under RCW 28A.700.010; 32
(e) Be prepared to regularly conduct surveys of natural resource 33
and conservation employers, by sector, to identify workforce needs 34
and career connected learning opportunities; 35
(f) Be able to work with the office of the superintendent of 36
public instruction to collect data on program completion rates, 37
graduation rates, and postsecondary outcomes; 38
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(g) Demonstrate the ability to enhance the state's investment in 1
the program with a private sector contribution, which may include: 2
Funds, equipment, facilities, faculty, and scholarship or offers of 3
employment for students after the completion of the program;4
(h) Demonstrate successful recruitment of historically 5
marginalized students and a plan to prioritize schools and districts 6
designated as a "disadvantaged community" by the environmental 7
protection agency's climate justice program or school districts 8
located in communities scoring a seven or higher on the Washington 9
environmental health disparities map under RCW 43.70.815;10
(i) Be able to administer and submit cost proposals for this 11
program, including: Coordination of courses, an employer survey, a 12
professional learning component for teachers, equipment, and student 13
stipends; 14
(j) Demonstrate the ability to expand the program, with adequate 15
funding and a focus on a career and technical framework that meet the 16
requirements of RCW 28A.700.030, to address topics that contribute to 17
the conservation of natural resources in Washington including, but 18
not limited to: Aquaculture and fisheries, education through outdoor 19
learning, renewable energy, restoration ecology, forest management, 20
urban and community forestry, green stormwater infrastructure, forest 21
fire management, and water resource management; and22
(k) Coordinate gear libraries with program partners.23
NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. (1) The courses offered through the 24
program administered by the private sector, nonprofit partner 25
selected in section 2 of this act must satisfy the following 26
criteria:27
(a) Target students 14 through 17 years of age; and28
(b) Use learning based on state standards, including the John 29
McCoy (lulilaš) since time immemorial curriculum as outlined in RCW 30
28A.320.170, environmental and sustainability content outlined in RCW 31
28A.300.444, and natural resource industry competencies.32
(2) The program structure must be designed as a summer skills 33
center or after-school workforce program of no less than 90 hours, 34
with no less than two-thirds of the program hours dedicated to 35
completing work-integrated learning with designated community 36
partners, that earns participants: 37
(a) High school credits; 38
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(b) The possibility of credits with a community and technical 1
college if the student satisfies the partnering college's dual credit 2
requirements; or 3
(c) An industry-recognized credential or document of competency 4
aligned to local employer needs. 5
NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. (1) By December after the first and third 6
year of state-funded programming, and in compliance with RCW 7
43.01.036, the office of the superintendent of public instruction 8
shall submit a report to the legislature on the program described in 9
this chapter.10
(2) The report must: 11
(a) Evaluate and summarize the activities of the program, 12
including the school districts and skill centers involved each school 13
year; 14
(b) Account for the use of all funding; and 15
(c) Provide recommendations for program continuation, expiration, 16
or revision. 17
NEW SECTION. Sec. 5. Sections 1 through 4 of this act are each 18
added to chapter 28A.700 RCW and codified with the subchapter heading 19
of "secondary training for careers in natural resources and 20
conservation."21
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