In 2016, the Ecology Youth Corps crews picked up 1.2 million pounds of litter and cleaned 5,445 miles of roads statewide.

And in the summer of 2017, Washington Department of Ecology expects to hire 66 teenagers in northwestern Washington to be part of that effort.

Teens chosen for the youth corps work from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., typically, Monday through Thursday. They are assigned to one of six crews in King, Skagit, Snohomish or Whatcom counties, working in one of two 16-day sessions: June 26 to July 20, or July 24 to Aug. 17. Participants earn $11 an hour.

Applicants must be ages 14-17 by their first day of employment. Applications are due by April 11 and are available through area school counselors and at Ecology’s website.

Since 1975, the program has hired more than 12,000 Washington teens, offering them work experience, a summer job and the chance to preserve our state’s natural beauty and protect the environment.

For more information, contact Steven Williams in Ecology’s Northwest Regional Office at steven.williams@ecy.wa.gov or 425-213-3565.