Conservation Corps
Building America since 1933 .....
Timeline of Corps Related Events
1850 - The Scottish essayist Thomas Carlyle wrote that unemployed men should be organized into
regiments to drain bogs and work in wilderness areas for the betterment of society.
1910 - Harvard philosopher, William James published an essay: “The Moral Equivalent of War”
where he proposed conscription of youth “enlisted against nature”.
1915 - Conservationist George H. Maxwell proposed that young men be enrolled into a national
conservation corps to help in forest and plains conservation work, to fight forest fires and
floods, and to reclaim swamp and desert lands.
1931 - FDR was elected Governor of New York and in 1930 the New York legislature passed a law
to purchase abandoned or sub-marginal farmlands for reforestation. In 1931 the state
government set up a temporary emergency relief administration, which hired the unemployed
to work in reforestation projects, clearing underbrush, fighting fires, controlling insects,
constructing roads and trails, and developing recreation facilities.
At the same time New York State was developing their conservation/reforestation program,
other states including California, Indiana, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Washington and
Wisconsin were hiring or planning for the unemployed to do conservation work.
1932 - The states of California and Washington, in cooperation with the U.S. Forest Service
developed work camps for the unemployed. California had established 25 camps of 200
men each. The governments of Bulgaria, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Denmark,
Austria and Germany had also developed youth corps.
1933 - Emergency Conservation Work (ECW) program established by Congress. The ECW program
commonly referred to as the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC).
March 9, 1933 - Roosevelt Calls Special Emergency Session of Congress
March 27, 1933 - Senate Bill S 598 Introduced
March 31, 1933 - ECW Legislation Ready for President Signature
April 7, 1933 - First CCC Enrollee (Henry Rich) Reports to Camp
1957 - Student Conservation Association (SCA) program established.
1964 - Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA) program established.
1970 - Youth Conservation Corps (YCC) is established by an act of congress operated
by federal agencies with grants to the states.
1976 - California Conservation Corps (CCC) established as a state program.
1977 - National Association of Civilian Conservation Corps Alumni establised.
1977 - Young Adult Conservation Corps (YACC) is established by an act of congress operated
by federal agencies with grants to the states.
1981 - Minnesota Conservation Corps (MCC) was created as a state program.
1982 - Marin Conservation Corps (MCC) established as a local nonprofit .
1983 - U.S. Postal Service Issues CCC Stamp - April 5, 1983.
1983 - 50th Anniversary of the establishment of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC)
1983 - The Maine Conservation Corps was authorized by Maine’s legislature
1983 - San Francisco Conservation Corps (SFCC) established.
1984 - Maryland Conservation Corps (MCC) established as a program of Maryland State Parks
1984 - Northwest Youth Corps (NYC) established.
1984 - Sacramento Regional Conservation Corps (SRCC) established.
1985 - National Association of Service and Conservation Corps is established as a national
nonprofit.
1985 - New Jersey Youth Corps established.
1985 - The Vermont Youth Conservation Corps was established the Vermont State Legislature
1986 - Los Angeles Conservation Corps (LACC) established.
1986 - SAGA
1987 - Conservation Corps of Long Beach (CCLB) established.
1989 - Arizona Conservation Corps (ACC) established and attached to Arizona State Parks.
1989 - Earth Conservation Corps (ECC) established as a nonprofit.
1989 - Urban Corps of San Diego (UCSD) established.
1992 - Mile High Youth Corps (MHYC) established.
1992 - Conservation Corps Newfoundland and Labrador (CCNL) established by the
Provincial Government's Economic Commission.
1993 - 60th Anniversary of the establishment of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC)
1993 - California Association of Local Conservation Corps (CALCC) established.
1993 - EarthCorps (EC) established as a non-profit.
1993 - Northwest Service Academy (NWSA) established.
1993 - Orange County Conservation Corps established as a local 501(c)(3).
1993 – The Rocky Mountain Youth Corps (RMYC) was established by the City of Steamboat Springs, Colorado.
1993 - The National and Community Service Trust Act established the Corporation for National
and Community Service and brought the full range of domestic community service
programs under the umbrella of one central organization.
1994 - The Corporation for National and Community Service officially begins operation and
the first class of AmeriCorps 20,000 members began serving in more than 1,000
communities.
1995 - The National Civilian Community Corps (NCCC) is included under AmeriCorps, becoming
AmeriCorps*NCCC.
1995 - Rocky Mountain Youth Corps (RMYC) - New Mexico established.
1996 - Coconino Rural Environmental Corps (CREC) established as a county program.
1998 - Southwest Youth Corps (SCC) established as a local non-profit.
1999 - Nevada Conservation Corps established.
1999 – The Rocky Mountain Youth Corps (RMYC) obtained a 501(c)3 status enabling the program to serve
a greater geographic area.
2001– The Utah Conservation Corps begins operation as part of Utah State University’s Outdoor
Recreation Center.
2003 - Wisconsin Conservation Corps ceased operations on June 30th after operating 20 years.
2003 - Minnesota Conservation Corps (MCC) changes from a state run program to a 501(c)(3)
nonprofit organization.
2005? - Colorado Youth Corps Association established as a 501(c) 3 nonprofit.
2005 - The Mountain Alliance of Conservation Corps (MACC) was formed.
2006 - Wyoming Conservation Corps (WCC) is established and is housed in the Haub School &
Ruckelshaus Institute for Environment and Natural Resources on the campus of the
University of Wyoming.
2007 - Civilian Conservation Corps Legacy, Inc. was established as a national non-profit through a
merger between the Camp Roosevelt CCC Legacy Foundation and the National
Association of CCC Alumni (NACCCA).
2007 - Hawaii Youth Conservation Corps (HYCC) established.
2008 - Louisania Green Corps (LGC) established.
2010 - Minnesota Conservation Corps (MCC) changes its name and logo to the Conservation
Corps of Minnesota & Iowa.
More to come .... under construction ...........
Civilian Conservation Corps - 1934
Young Adult Conservation Corps 1979
National Civilian Community Corps 2003
USFS Youth Conservation Corps 2000
Montana Conservation Corps 2010
Job Corps Conservation Center 1968
