In the spring of 1933, Roosevelt requested that the Departments of War, the Interior, Agriculture, and Labor join forces to develop a plan for unemployment relief through the creation of a civilian conservation corps, which would work on conservation projects. This initiative would coordinate programs on a national level that had previously operated within individual states.
CCC reforestation projects took place in state parks, national parks, and private land forests. The US Forest Service employed skilled woodsmen alongside the camp enrollees to assist with forestry programs.
The young men of the CCC planted 2.3 billion trees, representing half the reforestation done in the United States. There were 4,500 camps that provided work relief to over three million men.
The CCC boys are truly the forgotten contributors of the 'greatest generation'.
My Dad when he was 17y/o was in the CCC's back in 1940. He served at two camps in the West - one in Washington State and the other in Oregon. He worked on irrigation projects. Fought forest fires. Drove a truck and delivered rocks that helped in the building of the Coulee Dam.
FDR's program paid the boys of the CCC's $30/month. $25 went back to their folks that were dealing with the depression. The boys kept $5 for themselves. They were called the 'dollar a day boys'. This program helped pull the U.S. out of the depression as well as contributed to rebuilding, reforesting, reirrigating the U.S. (saved us from the dustbowl) and contributed to building a lot of the State and National Parks that we enjoy today.
Viewing this video posted in this OP made me think about how impressive their contribution was to the U.S. at a time when the internet, social media and drones were not even imagined.
I admire the work that this group is doing today with their goal of planting 20 million trees.
They are kind of a modern day Tree Army. Civilians contributing to our climate change problem.
CCC's takes on a whole new modern meaning.
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