Click on the map to see projects in 2021, 2022 and 2023.
For a list of projects funded in 2024 and past projects, click here.

The New Mexico Youth Conservation Corps was established in 1992 by the  YCC Act. The purpose of the YCC is to provide a process for New Mexico youth, ages 14-25, to be employed in public projects that conserve natural resources and provide community benefits of lasting value. Projects must also provide training and career development for youth. Local governments, tribes, and non-profits are eligible to apply for funding. Current and past YCC projects are listed here!

Formation of the YCC was spearheaded by Vicente Ximenes, a WW2 veteran with experience in the Civilian Conservation Corps. Ximenes remained on the YCC Commission until the early 2000s.

The YCC is funded by a distribution of State governmental gross receipts taxes (Chapter 7 – Taxation – NMOneSource.com), and is non-reverting, meaning unspent money circulates into a fund balance that is available as a budget source. 

Returning Corps members are eligible for a $500 cash benefit or a $1,500 educational voucher.

A nine-member Commission governs the NMYCC. Five are Governor appointees and four are state agency staff. Commission meetings are held about four times per year and are open to the public. The Commission hires and supervises the Executive Director and the Coordinator/Budget analyst, and has rule-making authority to develop the regulations and standards to administer the program.