PRESS RELEASE - Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs Receives Grant to Support Veterans Transitioning into Conservation

Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs Receives Grant to Support Veterans Transitioning into Conservation

Olympia, WA – The Washington Department of Veterans Affairs (WDVA) Veterans Conservation Corps (VCC) program will receive $438,140 to involve Veterans in hands-on work restoring degraded grasslands and turning them into healthy prairie habitats in the Chehalis watershed across Thurston, Lewis, and Grays Harbor Counties.

Since it began, VCC has connected Veterans with meaningful careers and community service in environmental conservation and sustainable agriculture. The program blends the leadership and teamwork skills Veterans gained during service with the ecological knowledge needed to protect Washington’s natural ecosystems for future generations.

Ecostudies Institute recently announced Phase 2 funding for the project, titled “Enhancing Biodiversity of Prairie Habitat and Economic Resilience of Rural Economies through Conservation Grazing.” This is a $2 million grant from the WA Coast Restoration and Resiliency Initiative, running from January 2026 through June 30, 2029. The grant will support 11 partner organizations across the three counties.

“This new grant cycle means more boots on the ground, more habitats restored, and more Veterans finding meaning, connection and purpose in the work they do together for their communities,” said Veterans Conservation Corps Program Manager Kim Pham.

A New Chapter for VCC and Its Veteran Participants

“Investing in our Veterans through environmental stewardship delivers compounding returns—for service members, communities and the ecosystems we cherish,” said WDVA Director David Puente Jr. “Phase 2 funding strengthens VCC as a national model, helping Veterans address their physical and mental health needs, lead and protect the places they now call home.”

Phase 2 funding will:

• Provide paid internships for Veterans with Ecostudies Institute, Thurston Conservation District, Grays Harbor Conservation District, Lewis Conservation District, and Thurston County WSU Extension
• Strengthen community resiliency by supporting small ranching businesses that use sustainable practices to improve habitat on working lands
• Support prairie habitat and small ranching operations through restoration work and conservation grazing that benefits plant, pollinator, and bird communities
• Restore more than 1,000 acres of habitat and trail systems

From Submarines to Soil: A Veteran’s Journey of Restoration

One VCC intern funded under Phase 1, Navy Veteran Cody, shared how the program changed his life:

“After years beneath cold steel and recycled air, I felt disconnected—from the land, from my purpose, even from myself. Through VCC I found mentors who welcomed every question, celebrated my small victories, and showed me a reciprocal way to work with nature. I’ve cleared scotch broom, monitored endangered species, planted thousands of natives and helped return fire to hundreds of acres. This whole internship has honestly given me a new look on my life. I’m happier, I’m kinder, I’m more connected to people and place, I’m a better father, husband and human because I’ve objectively helped this place that I call home now.”

After completing his internship, Cody was hired by Ecostudies Institute as a Restoration and Monitoring Technician II. His experience reflects VCC’s dual mission: improving ecosystems while supporting Veteran well-being. From prairie restoration to growing food for local communities to salmon research and riparian work, VCC interns like Cody are creating real conservation results while rebuilding their sense of purpose and belonging.

About the Veterans Conservation Corps

The Veterans Conservation Corps is a statewide program of the Washington Department of Veterans Affairs. VCC places military Veterans in paid internships with nonprofit, tribal, and public land management partners. The program also connects Veterans to their earned benefits and resources as they transition from military service. Its mission is to help Veterans build healthy, reciprocal relationships with nature and their communities so they can strengthen their confidence, resiliency, and overall well-being.

For more information on the VCC program or partner opportunities, visit http://www.dva.wa.gov/vcc or contact vcc@dva.wa.gov. 

VCC Intern Video Testimonials