Happy Anniversary Civilian Conservation Corp

 

<%image(20080601-230px-Temperance_River_CCC_Stairs.jpg|230|173|null)%>

    The Civilian Conservation Corp is celebrating its 75th Anniversary and the Minnesota Conservation Corp is helping celebrate today in St. Paul, MN.  I am able to enjoy some of my favorite places, such as forests and National Parks, because of the CCC.  Numerous State Parks and scenic areas on the North Shore were projects completed by the CCC. The CCC is responsible for completing worthwhile projects all over the United States. 

CCC projects included:

  • more than 3,470 fire towers erected;
  • 97,000 miles of fire roads built;
  • 4,235,000 man-days devoted to fighting fires;
  • more than 3 billion trees planted;
  • 7,153,000 man days expended on protecting the natural habitats of wildlife; 83 camps in 15 Western states assigned 45 projects of that nature;
  • 46 camps assigned to work under the direction of the U.S. Bureau of Agriculture Engineering;
  • more than 84,400,000 acres of good agricultural land receive manmade drainage systems; Indian enrollees do much of that work;
  • 1,240,000 man-days of emergency work completed during floods of the Ohio and Mississippi valleys;
  • disease and insect control;
  • forest improvement — timber stand inventories, surveying, and reforestation;
  • forest recreation development — campgrounds built, complete with picnic shelters, swimming pools, fireplaces, and restrooms.

     I am grateful the CCC was started.  We even had a group of Minnesota Conservation Corps help work on our trails at Voyageur last year.  Join me in wishing the CCC a very Happy Anniverary.