Sec. 1. 26 MRSA §§2181 to 2186, as enacted by PL 1993, c. 410, Pt. O, §4, are amended to read:

§2181. Maine Conservation Corps Program

There is established in the jobs training workforce development center administrative office in the Department of Labor the Maine Conservation Corps, referred to in this chapter as the "Corps," to provide job training, conservation education and work opportunities for the economically disadvantaged, to improve public property for the increased use and enjoyment of the public, to provide conservation education, to promote and manage volunteer opportunities related to natural resources and to assist public and nonprofit organizations with projects that serve a valid public purpose and have purposes consistent with this subchapter.

§2182. Participants

Participants in the Corps must be economically disadvantaged. The Corps shall strive to include a diversity of participants. Individuals are eligible to participate if their Priority must be given to those whose family income is 150% or less of the nonfarm income official poverty line as defined by the federal Office of Management and Budget as revised annually in accordance with the United States Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1981, Section 673, Subsection 2. Priority must be given and to those who are economically disadvantaged as defined by the United States Job Training Partnership Act, Subchapter II, Public Law 97-300. A person is not eligible if that person has left employment or a secondary school for the purpose of participating in this program. Corps members may be jointly enrolled in any state or local job training program or human resource development program. Corps members enrolled in the Job Training Partnership program must be enrolled in that program by the service delivery area responsible for the county of residence of the enrollee pursuant to voluntary agreements entered into between the Corps and the service delivery areas.

§2183. Projects

1. Types of projects. Projects undertaken by the Corps include, but are not limited to, projects such as:

A. Forestry, nursery and silvicultural operations;

B. Wildlife habitat conservation, rehabilitation and improvement;