CARNEGIE, PA — Today, Congressman Chris Deluzio (PA-17) announced that Pittsburgh Conservation Corps, also known as Landforce, has been selected as a Track I Project for the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Community Change Grants. In a Western PA and Philadelphia partnership led by Landforce, the organization will receive $13.9 million to support their work to upcycle and commercialize materials from urban tree waste, all while training local workers.
“The Citizens Conservation Corps of the 1930s built up Western PA in a time of unique hardship. With its environmental conservation work, Landforce continues this proud tradition, creating opportunities for good work for our community,” said Congressman Deluzio. “I’m glad to see this federal investment in Landforce. Their work to restore and create our critical infrastructure builds up our region and our workforce in more ways than one.”
“This funding will create job training and employment opportunities for the people of Pittsburgh and Philadelphia while keeping urban wood waste out of landfills, produce lumber, and create biochar to clean soils in our communities,” said Ilyssa Manspeizer, Executive Director of Landforce. “We are deeply grateful to our elected leaders, including Representative Deluzio, who work so hard to bring life-changing federal funding opportunities to our region.”
Landforce is an employment and environmental social enterprise with a distinct focus on advancing economic and ecological growth in the region. Landforce offers workforce development and job training, and is focused on providing career pathways in land stewardship services and wood products sectors. Landforce works with a variety of public and private agencies to support traditionally hard to employ adults, such as people with limited income and education levels, people facing homelessness or reentry, and military veterans. This project focuses on converting fallen or arborist removed trees into lumber and biochar, thus keeping wood waste out of landfills, helping to detoxify soils, and retaining carbon in the woody material. Congressman Deluzio’s office recently joined a tree planting work session with Landforce.
The EPA’s Community Change Grants select applications to help disadvantaged communities take on environmental challenges through projects that reduce pollution, increase community climate resilience, and build community capacity. The Pittsburgh Conservation Corps was one of 17 recipients selected to receive this grant money. Applications for these awards are still open through November 21, 2024. The funding for these grants come from the Inflation Reduction Act that President Biden and Democrats in Congress passed in 2022.