WASHINGTON, D.C. — On Aug. 12, 2024, the USDA Forest Service International Programs team in Honduras welcomed Deputy Chief John Crockett and Workforce Development Program Coordinator Ginelle Heller for a firsthand look at their impactful conservation programs. For nearly 30 years, the Forest Service has partnered with Honduras to build local capacity in natural resource management and wildfire monitoring and response.

Forest Service leadership visits members of the California Conservation Corps conducting an exchange with Honduran counterparts from Association of Environmental Promoters of Honduras (the Honduras YCC graduates association) to repair trails at the Cerro Azul Meámbar National Park. (USDA Forest Service International Programs Juan Cruz

During the visit, Deputy Chief Crockett and Program Coordinator Heller joined the U.S. Ambassador to Honduras Laura Dogu and U.S. Agency for International Development Honduras Mission Director David Billings, to engage with youth from the Honduras Youth Conservation Corps program. This program trains young people in conservation and leadership, inspiring them to become the next generation of community leaders. The program, supported by USAID and based on Forest Service Job Corps and Conservation Corps programs, has transformed at-risk youth into stewards of Honduras' natural resources and helped them embrace their own communities and avoid the risk of irregular migration.

“Your energy and discipline are key to building the future Honduras needs,” said Deputy Chief Crockett after a meeting with participants.

Deputy Chief Crockett and Program Coordinator Heller also visited the Siguatepeque Interagency Fire Operations Centers, an initiative coordinated by the Forest Service Honduras Natural Resources team, which focuses on wildland fire management training and institutional coordination with support of Forest Service specialists. The centers incorporate satellite technology and data management platforms to enhance emergency response. As the dry season in Honduras intensifies, wildland fires present serious threats to communities and protected areas across this heavily forested country. The COIIF’s role in bringing together disparate groups to share resources and responsibilities in monitoring and response has already greatly expanded effective fire response and reduced response times.

Heller expressed admiration for the inter-institutional coordination model: “In the U.S., we have government-run centers, but in Honduras, it is admirable to see how the community, local organizations, and the private sector come together in this effort.”

This year and last, the Forest Service Internationals Programs Honduras welcomed work crews from the California Conservation Corps for a work and cultural exchange in the Cerro Azul Meámbar National Park in Honduras. The Honduras program will be sending a cohort to California in Fall 2024 to learn more about the CCC and natural resource management in the US. (USDA Forest Service photo by Juan Cruz)

Later in the week Deputy Chief Crockett and Program Coordinator Heller visited the Cerro Azul Meámbar National Park to meet with members of the Association of Environmental Promoters of Honduras, a new NGO created by Honduras YCC graduates, and counterparts of the California Conservation Corps, who were visiting Honduras to participate in a work and cultural exchange at PANACAM. The respective crews worked together to repair trails damaged during the previous rainy season in the park, requiring a lengthy hike up steep terrain to reach. The crews marveled about the positive impact of the joint experience and said that the opportunity has helped shape their career plans. The exchange marked the second visit by the CCC to Honduras. In Fall 2024, the APAH cohort will travel to California to engage with CCC crews there.

Finally, the delegation traveled to the department of La Paz, where they visited the "Mar de Montañas" (Sea of Mountains) ecotourism enterprise, led by 21-year-old Yenny Benítez, a graduate of the YCC Program and Forest Service Sustainable Entrepreneurship program. Benítez’s trail guiding service and curated campsite demonstrate how Honduran youth are creating new economic opportunities in rural areas through improved stewardship. The site has hosted more than 550 visitors in 2024 alone and created employment for Benítez’s family and nearby community members. “Yenny is not just an entrepreneur, she is an agent of change in her community,” said Heller.

YCC graduate and young entrepreneur, Yenny Benítez, shows off the view from her Mar de Montañas ecotourism enterprise, supported by the Forest Service Honduras Sustainable Entrepreneurship Program. Yenny exemplifies how youth are creating sustainable futures in Honduras. (USDA Forest Service photo by Juan Cruz)

Deputy Chief Crockett and Program Coordinator Heller provided valuable observations and insights to the Forest Service Honduras team throughout their visit and noted that the challenges facing the forestry community require a global approach. The visit concluded with words of recognition from John Crockett, “We are proud to support initiatives that foster leadership, conservation, and entrepreneurship in Honduras. These efforts demonstrate a deep commitment to the country’s future.”