A New Conservation Corps Would Create Good Jobs Rebuilding Outdoor Infrastructure
Shenandoah National Park, where the original CCC build hundred of miles of trails, signs and markers, and planted hundreds of thousands of trees and shrubs. Photo credit: Dave Herring
Back in the 1930’s, President Roosevelt’s New Deal included the creation of a Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), which employed millions of men during the Great Depression to build outdoor infrastructure that is still in use today, including trails, bridges, campgrounds, fire towers, drainage and irrigation, and more.
Today, with the economy working to recover from a global pandemic and many public lands needing greater investment after decades of underfunding, climate crises, and increased use, lawmakers are working to establish a new conservation corps as a way of providing employment for Americans who need it and investing in public land infrastructure for the benefit of all.
President Biden’s January Executive Order on climate called for the creation of a Civilian Climate Corps and asked land management agencies to work within their existing authorities to evaluate how to create the program. More recently, Rep. Joe Neguse (D-CO) and Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) introduced the 21st Century Conservation Corps Act. The legislation offers more details than the Executive Order about how to build a new Conservation Corps, how to fund the program, and how the corps would work to rebuild infrastructure, work on wildfire mitigation and climate resilience, and invest in recreation infrastructure. This September, Congress is considering including significant funding for the new CCC in the Build Back Better Act.
The original CCC created outdoor infrastructure that many people still enjoy today, but it was marred by the inequality typical of much of Roosevelt’s New Deal. The corps excluded women and segregated Black Americans and members of federally-recognized Tribes into separate corps.
Sen. Wyden and Rep. Neguse’s proposal would aim to create a corps with economically, geographically, and ethnically diverse participants. It would also prioritize infrastructure projects in disaster-prone and vulnerable communities and building climate-change resilience through “nature-based solutions” like green stormwater infrastructure and sustainable forest management.
Senator Ron Wyden said, "Appreciation for the outdoors is wired into the DNA of Oregonians, supporting our health and well-being and rural economies that rely on outdoor recreation for tourism and job creation. The special spaces in Oregon and across the country must be preserved for our children and grandchildren to enjoy, but they are under threat by destructive wildfires as the climate emergency grows worse. A Civilian Climate Corps will create thousands of good-paying jobs for young people who want to strengthen access to our national treasures and protect them from the worst effects of the climate crisis."
At a time when unemployment is high, the demand for outdoor recreation is high, and the need to invest in climate resilience is urgent, the Civilian Conservation Corps is an idea that would be win-win-win. “The launch of a 21st Century Civilian Climate Corps would put many Coloradans, and hundreds of thousands of Americans back to work addressing our public lands maintenance backlog and restoring our forests in the wake of devastating western wildfires,” said Representative Joe Neguse.
“The Civilian Climate Corps is a no-brainer to address economic recovery, rebuild public land infrastructure, and address climate change. Our public lands and waters are in high demand – both for outdoor recreation opportunities and as a way to mitigate the effects of climate change. The Climate Corps would provide good jobs to people who need them to invest in outdoor infrastructure and build climate resiliency,” said Adam Cramer, CEO of Outdoor Alliance.
You can read the full text of the bill here and you can read our full letter of support for the bill by clicking here or on the letter at right.