Civilian Conservation Corps
Rick McClure, recently retired from the U.S. Forest Service, will talk about one of the New Deal programs that shaped Forest Service history, the Civilian Conservation Corps. This program will take place 3-4 p.m. Wednesday, April 15, at the Salkum Timberland Library.
Mobilization of a national CCC swiftly followed New Deal legislation during President Franklin Roosevelt’s first 100 days in office. Slow recruitment for CCC jobs in the Pacific Northwest led to initial deployments of enrollees from the Chicago area.
The Chicago enrollees, including many African-Americans, were organized and trained at Fort Sheridan, Illinois. These workers were among the first to establish work camps in what is today the Gifford Pinchot National Forest.
“I'd like the audience to come away with a real appreciation for how quickly the CCC program came together in 1933,” McClure said, “how rapidly Roosevelt was able to get ‘boots on the ground.’ It is difficult to imagine that a national program of this size could be mobilized so quickly today."
“I'd like people to understand the social and economic benefits of the program and recognize the overall accomplishments of the CCC, [including] tangible results still with us today,” McClure added. “As that generation passes, it is important to honor the memory of the men who served.”
McClure served as the heritage and tribal programs manager for the Gifford Pinchot National Forest and, before that, as district archaeologist based in Randle.
All Timberland Regional Library programs are free.
The Salkum Timberland Library is located at 2480 U.S. Hwy 12. For more information, call the library at (360) 985-2148.
