An Illinois jobs program will employ more than 2,500 teenagers and young adults in state and local parks.
Gov. Pat Quinn promoted the Illinois Conservation Corps on Tuesday. The governor says the program involves more than 100 employers including park districts, state parks and nature centers.
The Illinois Department of Natural Resources is managing the program.
Local governments and nonprofits will receive grants to employ 16- to 19-year-olds in youth-focused educational, recreational and conservation programs.
And the Department of Natural Resources will employ 18- to 25-year-olds as seasonal conservation workers. Those workers will help clear brush, build trails and clean up litter in state parks.