[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 68 (Thursday, April 25, 2019)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E490]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 REINTRODUCTION OF 21ST CENTURY CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CORPS ACT OF 2019

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. MARCY KAPTUR

                                of ohio

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 25, 2019

  Ms. KAPTUR. Madam Speaker, in honor of the recent celebration of 
Arbor Day, I rise to reintroduce my bill, the 21st Century Civilian 
Conservation Corps Act of 2019.
  In drafting this bill, I was inspired by the original Civilian 
Conservation Corps, first established by President Franklin Roosevelt 
in 1933 as part of his New Deal. This effort put 3 million young people 
between the ages of 18 to 28 to work. They planted 3.5 billion trees, 
established more than 800 new parks, improved or constructed over 
90,000 acres of campgrounds; blazed hiking trails, assembled bridges, 
built rustic cabins and hiking shelters, and mitigated the devastating 
impact of the Dust Bowl across the Great Plains.
  America is facing significant environmental crisis from 
deforestation, soil, air, and water pollution, loss of biodiversity, 
waste disposal, climate change, and a depleted ozone. Luckily, 
Americans are once again connecting the dots between clean water, clean 
land, clean air, and thriving regional ecosystems and economies.
  With recent attacks on programs that help our environment, we must 
remember we don't have to choose between protecting our environment and 
natural treasures and creating jobs. We can do both at the same time.
  Just Ohio and Michigan, alone, need 20 million new trees planted to 
make up for the devastation that the emerald ash borer and Asian 
longhorned beetle have done to our forest populations.
  I urge my colleagues to support this bill and its goal of putting 
Americans to work across our country. Its efforts will once again 
revive America's natural landscape and enrich the lives of millions of 
enrollees in the stewardship of our natural resources forward.

                          ____________________