Civilian Conservation Corps (1933-1941)

Civilian Conservation Corps (1933-1941). . The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) was created by president Franklin Roosevelt during the Great Depression to provide employment opportunities and to improve the country’s forest and recreation resources. , Administration and logistics were the responsibility of the U.S. Army, while work projects were directed by the U.S. Forest Service and the National Park Service. Locally experienced men (LEMs) were hired to serve as foremen and liaisons with the community. , At its peak in Massachusetts, the CCC had a total of 51 camps that enrolled 10,000 men. The first year was spent setting up campsites and providing access to forest areas. In the years that followed, the men had five primary tasks: forest management, fire hazard reduction, pest control, wildlife enhancement and recreational development. In addition to work experience, a wide variety of educational opportunities were offered, ranging from academic coursework to crafts and culinary arts. , The programs not only touched the lives of these Pine Cone Johnnies, but also left a lasting legacy of forest improvements and recreational resources throughout the state. These included roads, bridges, ponds, picnic areas and campgrounds, wells, hiking, riding, and skiing trails, log cabins and bathhouses. Sixty years later, many of the facilities built by the CCC, including one in the vicinity of this sign, are still in use. , This sign was erected in 1998 as part of the Centennial celebration of Massachusetts State Forests and Parks.