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* [[Pocahontas State Park|Civilian Conservation Corps Museum at Pocahontas State Park]], [[Chesterfield, Virginia]]
* [[Pocahontas State Park|Civilian Conservation Corps Museum at Pocahontas State Park]], [[Chesterfield, Virginia]]
* [http://www.wva-ccc-legacy.org/The_Museum.html West Virginia CCC Museum], [[Harrison County, West Virginia]]
* [http://www.wva-ccc-legacy.org/The_Museum.html West Virginia CCC Museum], [[Harrison County, West Virginia]]
* [http://www.geocities.com/famjustin/ccchis.html James F. Justin Civilian Conservation Corps Museum] - online only
* [http://www.justinmuseum.com/famjustin/ccchis.html James F. Justin Civilian Conservation Corps Museum] - online only


== CCC notables ==
== CCC notables ==

Revision as of 03:25, 5 November 2009

CCC workers constructing road, 1933.
CCC camps in Michigan; the tents were soon replaced by barracks built by Army contractors for the enrollees.[1]

The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) was a public work relief program for unemployed men, providing vocational training through the performance of useful work related to conservation and development of natural resources in the United States[2] from 1933 to 1942. As part of the New Deal legislation proposed by U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt (FDR), the CCC was designed to aid relief of the unemployment resulting from the Great Depression while implementing a general natural resource conservation program on national, state, county and municipal lands. 4) Flood Control: irrigation, drainage dams, ditching, channel work, riprapping; 5) Forest Culture: planting trees and shrubs, timber stand improvement, seed collection, nursery work; 6) Forest Protection: fire prevention, fire presuppression, fire fighting, insect and disease control; 7) Landscape and Recreation: public camp and picnic ground development, lake and pond site clearing and development; 8) Range: stock driveways, elimination of predatory animals; 9) Wildlife: stream improvement, stocking fish, food and cover planting; 10) Miscellaneous: emergency work, surveys, mosquito control.[3] A typical CCC enrollee was a U.S. citizen, unmarried, unemployed male, 18–25 years of age. Each enrollee volunteered, and upon passing a physical exam was enrolled for a six month term with the option to serve as much as two years. He lived in a work camp, received $30 a month (with a compulsory allotment $22–25 sent to dependents) as well as food, clothing and medical care. During a six month period an enrollee gained an average of .277 inches height and 7.23 pounds.[4]

The CCC became one of the more popular New Deal programs among the general public, providing economic relief, rehabilitation and training for a total of 3 million men. The CCC also provided a comprehensive work program that combined conservation, renewal, awareness and appreciation of the nation's natural resources.[5] The CCC was never considered a permanent program and depended on emergency and temporary legislation for its existence.[6] On 30 June 1942 Congress voted to terminate the CCC formally, ceasing active operation of the program.[7]

Creation

Modeled after precedent employment-conservation programs in the United States and Europe, FDR initiated creation of the program with his first inaugural address. Legislation to create the program was presented by FDR to the 73rd United States Congress on 21 March 1933:

...I propose to create a civilian conservation corps to be used in simple work, not interfering with normal employment, and confining itself to forestry, the prevention of soil erosion, flood control, and similar projects. I call your attention to the fact that this type of work is of definite practical value, not only through the prevention of great present financial loss but also a means of creation future national wealth...[8]

The "Act for the relief of unemployment through performance of useful public works and other purposes," or Emergency Conservation Work, as it was known, was signed into law by him on 31 March 1933. FDR issued Executive Order 6101 on 5 April 1933 which established the organization and appointed a director, Robert Fechner (Mar. 1933-Dec. 1939). The organization and administration of the CCC was a new experiment in operations for a Federal government agency; the order also indicated that the program was to be supervised jointly by four Cabinet departments: War, Labor, Agriculture and Interior, by means of a CCC Advisory Council composed of a representative from each of the supervising departments. In addition the Office of Education, Department of Interior and United States Veterans Administration participated in the program. Overseeing the advisory council was Director Fechner who had complete authority for CCC affairs.[9][10]

Early Years

The mobilization of the program from the signing of the 21 March ECW Act to establishment, by 1 July of 1,463 working camps with 250,000 junior enrollees, 28,000 veterans, 14,000 American Indians and 25,000 Local Experienced Men occurred quite rapidly for a Federal program.[11][12] Enrollees lived in camps, wore uniforms, and lived with military supervision, but as civilians were not subject to military regulations. At the time of entry, 70% of enrollees were malnourished and clothed poorly. Very few had more than a year of high school education; few had work experience beyond occasional odd jobs. Peace was maintained by the threat of "dishonorable discharge." At the beginning, thousands refused to take the CCC oath of allegiance. [13] "This is a training station we're going to leave morally and physically fit to lick 'Old Man Depression,'" boasted the newsletter of a North Carolina camp.

By January 1934, the second year of the CCC program, 300,000 men were enrolled. In July 1934 this cap was increased by 50,000 to include men drought affected states of the mid-west. Additionally most camps had transitioned from tents to wooden barracks administered by Department of War reserve officers. An education program had been established emphasizing job training and literacy.[14]

The total of 200,000 African-American enrollees were segregated completely after 1935 but received equal pay and housing. Secretary of the Interior Harold Ickes pressured Director Robert Fechner to appoint African-American to supervisory positions such as education directors in the 143 segregated camps. The separate Indian Division was a major relief force for Native Americans.

Legal Establishment

The Civilian Conservation Corps was legally established and extended for three years through Public No. 163, 75th Congress on 28 June 1937. It became effective 1 July 1937, and was transferred from its original designation as the Emergency Conservation Work program. Congress changed the age limits to 17 to 23 years old and eliminated the requirement that enrollees be on relief, rather "not regularly in attendance at school, or possessing full time employment."[15]

Indian Division

The CCC operated an entirely separate division for members of federally recognized Indian tribes: the Indian Emergency Conservation Work, IECW, or CCC-ID. It brought Native men from reservations to work on roads, bridges, clinics, shelters, and other public works near their reservations. The CCC often provided the only paid work in remote reservations. Enrollees had to be between the ages of 17 and 35 years. During 1933 about half the male heads of households on the Sioux reservations in South Dakota, for example, were employed by the CCC-ID. Thanks to grants from the Public Works Administration (PWA), the Indian Division built schools and operated an extensive road-building program in and around many reservations. IECW differed from other CCC activities in that it explicitly trained men to be carpenters, truck drivers, radio operators, mechanics, surveyors, and technicians. A total of 85,000 Natives were enrolled. This proved valuable human capital for the 24,000 Natives who served in the military and the 40,000 who left the reservations for war jobs.

Disbandment

Although the CCC was probably the most popular New Deal program, it never became a permanent agency. A Gallup poll of 18 April 1936, asked "Are you in favor of the CCC camps?"; 82% of respondents said yes, including 92% of Democrats and 67% of Republicans.[16]

The last extension of the program was passed by Congress in 1939. The program was reduced in operations as the Depression waned and employment opportunities improved. Fewer eligible young men were available after conscription commenced in 1940. Beginning in May 1940, with war in Europe and Asia, the emphasis of the program was changed to national defense and forest protection, and soon after the attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941 all federal programs were revised to emphasize the war effort. Most CCC work, except for wildland firefighting, was shifted onto U.S. military bases to help with construction. The CCC disbanded one year earlier than planned, as the 77th United States Congress ceased funding, causing it to conclude operations formally at the end of the federal fiscal year on June 30, 1942. The end of the CCC program and closing of the camps involved arrangements to leave the incomplete work projects in the best possible state, the separation of about 1,800 appointed employees, the transfer of CCC property to the War and Navy Departments and other agencies, and the preparation of final accountability records. Liquidation of the CCC was ordered by Congress by the Labor-Federal Security Appropriation Act (56 Stat. 569) on 2 July 1942; and virtually completed on 30 June 1943.[17] Liquidation appropriations for the CCC continued through 20 April 1948.

Some former CCC sites in good condition were reactivated from 1941 to 1947 as Civilian Public Service camps where conscientious objectors performed "work of national importance" as an alternative to military service. Other camps were used to hold Japanese internees or German prisoners of war. After the CCC disbanded, the federal agencies responsible for administration of public lands organized their own seasonal fire crews, modeled after the CCC, which performed a firefighting function formerly done by the CCC and provided the same sort of outdoor work experience for young people.

The conservation corps movement today

A CCC pillowcase on display at the CCC Museum in Michigan.

The original CCC was ended during 1942, but it became a model for state agencies that were implemented during the 1970s. Present day corps are national, state and local programs that engage primarily youth and young adults (ages 16–25) in community service, training and educational activities. The nation’s approximate 113 corps programs operate in 41 states and the District of Columbia. During 2004, they enrolled more than 23,000 young people. The Corps Network, known originally as the National Association of Service and Conservation Corps (NASCC) works to expand and enhance corps-type programs throughout the country. The Corps Network began during 1985, when the nation's first 24 Corps directors banded together to secure an advocate at the Federal level and a repository of information on how best to start and manage a corps. Early financial assistance from the Ford, Hewlett and Mott Foundations was critical to establishing the association.

Another similar program is the National Civilian Community Corps, part of the AmeriCorps program, a team-based national service program to which 18- to 24-year-olds dedicate 10 months of their time annually.

Student Conservation Association

The CCC program became a model for the creation of team-based national service youth conservation programs such as the Student Conservation Association (SCA). The SCA, founded during 1957, is a nonprofit organization that offers conservation internships and summer trail crew opportunities to more than 3,000 people each year. The SCA mission is to build a new generation of conservation managers by inspiring lifelong stewardship of the environment and communities by engaging high school and college-age volunteers in hands-on service to the land. SCA program is active nation-wide in the USA, including national and state parks, forests, wildlife refuges, seashores and historic sites. SCA National Headquarters is located in Charlestown, New Hampshire with regional offices across the country.

E-Corps

Established during 1995 Environmental Corps (E-Corps) is an American YouthWorks program which allows youth, ages 17 to 28, to contribute to the restoration and preservation of parks and public lands in Texas. The only conservation corps in Texas, E-Corps is a 501(c)3 non profit corporation based in Austin, Texas, which serves the entire state. Their work ranges from disaster relief to trail building to habitat restoration. E-Corps has done projects in national, state and city parks.

California Conservation Corps

During 1976, the Governor Jerry Brown of California established the California Conservation Corps. This new program differed drastically from the original CCC as its goal was primarily youth development rather than economic revival. Now it is the largest, oldest and longest-running youth conservation organization in the world.

Montana Conservation Corps

The Montana Conservation Corps (MCC) is a registered 501(c)3 non-profit organization with a mission to equip young people with the skills and values to be vigorous citizens who improve their communities and environment. Each year the MCC engages more than 120 corps members in service projects. Collectively, MCC crews contribute more than 90,000 volunteer hours each year. The MCC was established during 1991 by Montana's Human Resource Development Councils in Billings, Bozeman and Kalispell. Originally, it was a summer program for disadvantaged youth, although it has grown into an AmeriCorps-sponsored non-profit organization with six regional offices that serve Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, and North and South Dakota. All regions also offer MontanaYES (Youth Engaged in Service) summer programs for teenagers who are 14 to 16 years old.

Washington Conservation Corps

The Washington Conservation Corps (WCC) is a subagency of the Washington State Department of Ecology. It employs men and women 18 to 25 years old in a program to protect and enhance Washington's natural resources. WCC is a part of the AmeriCorps program.

Minnesota Conservation Corps

The Minnesota Conservation Corps provides environmental stewardship and service-learning opportunities to youth and young adults while accomplishing conservation, natural resource management projects and emergency response work through its Young Adult Program and the Summer Youth Program. These programs emphasize the development of job and life skills by conservation and community service work.

Vermont Youth Conservation Corps

The Vermont Youth Conservation Corps (VYCC) is a non-profit, youth service and education organization that hires Corps Members, aged 16–24, to work on high-priority conservation projects in Vermont. Through these work projects, Corps Members develop a strong work ethic, strengthen their leadership skills, and learn how to take personal responsibility for their actions. VYCC Crews work at VT State Parks, U.S. Forest Service Campgrounds, in local communities, and throughout the state's backcountry.

Southwest Conservation Corps

The Southwest Conservation Corps (SCC) is a non-profit employment, job training, and education organization with locations in Durango and Alamosa, Colorado, and Tucson, Arizona. SCC formed as a merger of the Southwest Youth Corps and the Youth Corps of Southern Arizona.

SCC hires young adults ages 14 to 25 and organizes them into crews emphasizing the completion of conservation projects on public lands. Corpsmembers work, learn and commonly camp in teams of six under the supervision of two professional crew leaders.

Grassroots Reactivation of the USCCC

See www.wecantakeit.org for details.

Civilian Conservation Corps Museums

CCC notables

Legacy

Statue of CCC worker in Santa Fe, New Mexico

In several cities where CCC workers worked, statues were erected to commemorate their presence.[18]

See also

References

  1. ^ Rosentreter, Roger L. "Roosevelt's Tree Army". Michigan History Magazine. Retrieved May/June 1986. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help)
  2. ^ Civilian Conservation Corps, Standards of Eligibility and Selection for Junior Enrollees, United States Dept. of Labor, Office of the Secretary, August 1, 1938. http://digilab.browardlibrary.org/u?/ccc,779
  3. ^ Merrill, Perry H. (1981) Roosevelt's Forest Army, A history of the Civilian Conservation Corps Perry H. Merrill, pub. p. 9.
  4. ^ Wirth, Conrad L. (1980) Parks, Politics and the People, University of Oklahoma Press, pp. 94-99
  5. ^ Ermentrout, Robert Allen, "Forgotten Men: The Civilian Conservation Corps," (1982) p. 99
  6. ^ Wirth, p. 105
  7. ^ Wirth, pp. 142-144
  8. ^ Pamphlet: Objectives and Results of the Civilian Conservation Corps Program, Robert Fechner, Director, Civilian Conservation Corps, Washington, D.C. (1938) p. 3
  9. ^ Ermentrout, Robert Allen, "Forgotten Men: The Civilian Conservation Corps," (1982) pp. 9-11
  10. ^ Pamphlet: Objectives and Results of the Civilian Conservation Corps Program, Robert Fechner, Director, Civilian Conservation Corps, Washington, D.C. (1938) p. 3, http://digilab.browardlibrary.org/u?/ccc,658
  11. ^ Ermentrout, Robert Allen, "Forgotten Men: The Civilian Conservation Corps," (1982) p. 15
  12. ^ Pamphlet: Objectives and Results of the Civilian Conservation Corps Program, Robert Fechner, Director, Civilian Conservation Corps, Washington, D.C. 1938.
  13. ^ [1], additional text.
  14. ^ Pamphlet: Objectives and Results of the Civilian Conservation Corps Program, Robert Fechner, Director, Civilian Conservation Corps, Washington, D.C. 1938. p. 10
  15. ^ Civilian Conservation Corps, Standards of Eligibility and Selection for Junior Enrollees, United States Dept. of Labor, Office of the Secretary, August 1, 1938.
  16. ^ Public Opinion, 1935-1946 ed. by Hadley Cantril and Mildred Strunk 1951. p.111
  17. ^ Wirth, Conrad L., Civilian Conservation Corps Program of the US Dept. of the Interior, March 1933 to 30 June 1942, a Report to Harold L. Ickes, January 1944
  18. ^ "CCC Statues." National New Deal Preservation Association. Retrieved on August 22, 2009.

Further reading

External links

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