Findings—Purpose—2005 c 257: "The legislature finds that many Washington citizens are veterans of armed forces conflicts that have important skills that may be employed in projects that help to protect and restore Washington's rivers, streams, lakes, marine waters, and open lands, and help to maintain urban and suburban wastewater and stormwater management systems. The legislature further finds that such work has demonstrated benefits for many veterans who are coping with posttraumatic stress disorder or have other mental health or substance abuse disorders related to their service in the armed forces. The legislature further finds that these projects provide an opportunity for veterans to obtain on-the-job training, leading to certification in specific skill sets and to living wage employment in environmental restoration and stewardship. Therefore, it is the purpose of this chapter to create the veterans conservation corps program to assist veterans in obtaining training, certification, and employment in the field of environmental restoration and management, and to provide state funding assistance for projects that restore Washington's waters, forests, and habitat through the participation of veterans." [
2007 c 451 s 1;
2005 c 257 s 1.]