Conservation Corps Minnesota & Iowa is the largest AmeriCorps program in the state of Minnesota and the only one with corps members trained and equipped for immediate disaster response.

Our corps members represent roughly 1/4 of the state wildfire response team. The Corps is involved in suppression of roughly 40 wildfires statewide annually, totaling roughly 13,000 hours of assistance. In addition, the Corps is able to provide the largest fully-equipped and trained chainsaw response team in the State of Minnesota.

Summary of Emergency Response Deployments:

1998-2000

Minnesota Conservation Corps (MCC) crews provided immediate and sustained response to three major tornadoes in St. Peter, Granite Falls and Comfrey, Minnesota. MCC crews provided assistance to the Red River and Roseau floods. Crews filled sand bags and assisted in clean-up activities following the floods.

MCC has provided assistance to search and rescue efforts in the state of Minnesota. Crews provided necessary assistance to the extensive Katie Pourier search.

2002

MCC assisted with search and recovery efforts for the Space Shuttle Columbia disaster in 2002. Corps members searched fields for debris in Texas following the disaster.

2005-2006

 MCC provided 14 corps members for 30 days in October-November 2005 to assist in the recovery effort following the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. Corps members led warehouse operations for a distribution center in New Iberia, Louisiana during the response phase and 10 additional members served for six weeks in 2006.

2007

MCC provided 10 corps members for 30 days in February 2007 to assist with Tornado damage clean-up central in Florida. Members tarped roofs, removed debris, operated a phone bank taking project requests and removed hazard trees.

2007

MCC provided 10 corps members for 30 days in February 2007 to assist with ice storm damage clean-up Springfield, Missouri. Members removed hazard trees with power saws.

2007

MCC provided four-member crews on a rotating, as-needed basis from September through December 2007 to assist with the flood recovery effort in southeast Minnesota. Members worked in cooperation with state, county and city entities to remove debris, repair flood control and retention structures, mend fences, cut and remove hazard trees and muck out damaged homes.

2008

To assist with flood damage clean-up, MCC provided five members for 27 days in July to Oakville, Iowa and 12 members for 28 days from mid-July through mid-August to Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Members led volunteers, mucking and gutting out damaged homes.

2009

MCC provided 25 corps members total for three deployments, ranging from three days to one week in duration, in March/April 2009 to assist with Red River flooding in Moorhead, Minnesota. Members sandbagged and operated water pumps.

2011

Conservation Corps Minnesota & Iowa provided 20 members for a total of 60 days from late May to late July in response to the Joplin, Missouri tornado in 2011. Members assisted with VRC operations, donations management, debris removal and hazard tree removal, and provided field leadership for volunteers.

2012-2013

Conservation Corps Minnesota & Iowa provided 102 members over a 120-day period from November 2012 to February 2013 in response to Superstorm Sandy. Deployments ranged from 20 to 60 days. Eight members deployed twice. Members assisted with shelter operations, VRC operations, volunteer management, mucking and gutting, debris removal and LTRC support.

2013

Conservation Corps Minnesota & Iowa provided 14 members over a two-week period in June 2013 in response to the multiple tornadoes around Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Members acted as safety officers for the event, supported local COADs and VOADs, operated an individual assistance database and call centers, staffed MARCs, and assisted with FEMA VALs, local OEM volunteer management, donation PODs and warehouses.

2013

Conservation Corps Minnesota & Iowa provided 24 members for 60 days from early August until late September 2013 in response to a flood event along the Yukon River in Alaska.  Members operated shelters, mucked/gutted homes, cleared debris, collected firewood, made emergency repairs, supported city and tribal governments, supported COADs, VOADs and FEMA logistics and assisted in donation management.