Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC)
Young, broke and unemployed?
- The Civialian Conservation Corps (CCC) was a public work relief program that operated from 1933-1942 for unemployed, unmarried men between the ages of 18 and 25.
- Maximum enrollment at any one time was 300,000; in nine years 3 million young men participated in the CCC, which provided them with shelter, clothing, and food, together with a small wage of $30 a month ($25 of which had to be sent home to their families).
- During the time of the CCC, volunteers planted nearly 3 billion trees to help reforest America, constructed more than 800 parks nationwide and upgraded most state parks, updated forest fire fighting methods, and built a network of service buildings and public roadways in remote areas.
- The CCC was an effort of FDR's New Deal to get America out of the great depression by putting young men to work and fixing roads and national parks as well
- Congress voted to close the program in 1942 because, America needed all the young men to fight in World War II.