[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 52 (Friday, May 1, 1998)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4132-S4133]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        THE 65TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CORPS

 Mr. DODD. Mr. President, I rise to recognize the sixty-fifth 
anniversary of the Civilian Conservation Corps, and to pay tribute to 
the commendable service its members offered our nation. Created by 
President Franklin Roosevelt on March 31, 1933, the Civilian 
Conservation Corps had a profound impact on this nation, helping to 
sustain the United States through the depths of the Depression, and 
setting a precedent for other federal agencies to carry on the diverse 
missions of the Civilian Conservation Corps.
  Within days after his presidential inauguration, Franklin Roosevelt 
initiated plans for the Civilian Conservation Corps, citing the need 
for an organization that would provide jobs for hundreds of thousands 
unemployed young men ages 18 to 25. President Roosevelt declared that 
the Civilian Conservation Corps would ``conserve our precious natural 
resources and pay dividends to the present and future generations. More 
important, we can take a vast army of the unemployed out into healthful 
surroundings.'' The Civilian Conservation Corps' intention was not only 
to provide services to the United States but also to give the 
unemployed an opportunity to live in healthful surroundings with a 
steady pay, room, board, and clothing.
  By July 1, 1933, a quarter of a million enrollees had enlisted in the 
Civilian Conservation Corps, making it the fastest large-scale 
mobilization of men in U.S. history. The enrollees enlisted for six 
months with the option to re-enroll for another six months or a maximum 
of two years. They worked forty-hour weeks and received thirty dollars 
a month. Each month, they required the men to send twenty-five dollars 
to their families to help them through the difficulties of the 
Depression. The Civilian Conservation Corps provided members with the 
opportunity to learn a new skill and allowed them to attend classes to 
further their education. More than 100,000 men were taught to read and 
write with the aid of the Civilian Conservation Corps's education 
classes.
  The accomplishments the Civilian Conservation Corps achieved in its 
nine year existence are impressive. Historical areas in Jamestown, 
Williamsburg, Yorktown, Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania were restored 
and developed by the Corps members. At the program's peak, there were 
over 500 Civilian Conservation Corps camps in national, state, and 
local parks. Civilian Conservation Corps workers cleared trails, built 
buildings and shelters, fought forest fires, planted trees, and made 
other improvements to parks in all the states, territories, and 
possessions. The three million men planted a total of 2.3 billion 
trees, spent 6.4 million days fighting forest fires and eradicated 
diseases and pests. These accomplishments contributed to the Civilian 
Conservation Corps' lasting environmental legacy. Today, agencies such 
as President Clinton's Americorps, the Park Service, the Bureau of 
Reclamation, the Forest Service and the Natural Resources Conservation 
Service are continuing the tradition of the Civilian Conservation Corps 
by instilling a sense of value for our natural environment as well as 
for national service.
  Communities across the country benefitted from the hard toil of the 
Civilian Conservation Corps. The camps helped local economies, bringing 
large numbers of consumers to the towns' stores and industries. More 
importantly, they aided the communities in times of crisis, searching 
for missing persons, fighting fires, and offering assistance to 
residents during snow and ice storms. The state of Connecticut received 
such services from the twenty forest camps located within the state 
during the peak of the Corps program.

[[Page S4133]]

  Besides offering the members an opportunity to work, the Civilian 
Conservation Corps provided long-lasting friendships and ties that have 
endured over the sixty-five years since the Corps' inception. This 
sense of loyalty and pride extended to an unquestionable sense of pride 
for our country that is almost unparalleled. The work of the Civilian 
Conservation Corps remains as a monument to the young men who dedicated 
their lives to mending and preserving our natural resources. These men 
have earned the respect and honor of our nation. I offer my heartfelt 
thanks to the members of the Civilian Conservation Corps and 
congratulations on their sixty-fifth anniversary.

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