The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC)

& American Environmentalism

by Paula Wordenfor Educ 6305 Summer 2010

The CCC was formed in 1933 as part of Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal

The New Deal was a package of federal

legislation and public works programs to employ Americans during the Great

Depression.

The CCC employed MEN ages 18-24

Mission - Conservation and Development of Natural Resources in Rural America

The CCC was the most popular

program of the New Deal

- from 1933-1942, the CCC

employed 3 million men

CCC workers planted nearly 3 billion trees to help reforest America,

constructed more than 800 parks that would become the start

of most state parks

Developed Forest Fire Fighting

Methods

A Network of Thousands of Miles of Public Roadways

Constructed Buildings Connecting the Nation's Public Lands

Yellow Rock Overlook at Devil's Den State Park, Arkansas

Examples of West Virginia CCC Projects

Holly River State Park

Monongahela National Forest - Reforestation

The CCC Sparked a Debate Between Environmentalist and Conservationists

Aldo Leopold, founder of the science of wildlife management

The CCC was Criticized for Using Non-native Species and Planting Trees in Neat Rows

But the CCC also led to awareness and

appreciation of the outdoors and the nation's

natural resources

especially for the working class and city youth

Prior to the CCC Conservation & Environmentalism was Reserved for Academia and the Upper Class

Theodore Roosevelt and John Muir at Yosemite

By creating parks and national forests, Americans had access to green spaces, even for those in urban areas

Worden Family Photos

CCC Members Later Took Baby Boomers to See Their Projects

Worden Family Photos

Today’s Legacy - The Student Conservation Association - student interns working in conservation and recreation

Unprecedented Interest and Volunteerism in the Environment and Conservation

Imagine an American Landscape Without our Nations Parks and Forests