Civilian Conservation Corps at Isle Royale

 

The CCC Years (1935-1941)

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The Confluence of a Great Depression Work Program with the Creation of a National Park

In 1935 negotiations were initiated by the National Park Service for acquisition of Isle Royale private lands and President Roosevelt approved the establishment of Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) camps on the island, allocating $600,000 for the program. The CCC program was one of several federal work relief programs created as part of the New Deal, which provided social and economic opportunities, professional training and much-needed income to areas hit by the Great Depression. Between the years of 1933 to 1941, the CCC employed 102,814 young men in 42 camps located throughout Michigan. The Departments of War, Agriculture, Interior, and Labor acted together to recruit, house, and feed, cloth, and care for thousands of enrollees in "what became one of the largest mobilizations of manpower up to that point in American history." General and specific work plans were established by the agencies, which selected, organized, and administered the camps in a military-like manner.

Responsibilities of the CCC enrollees included forest fire prevention, flood control, and soil erosion containment; tree planting and implementing improvements to state and national parks and forests; eradicating insect pests; and wildlife management on federal lands. CCC volunteers were required to be between the ages of 18 and 35, stand five feet to six feet, eight inches tall, weigh at least 107 pounds, and have no less than three teeth. The federal treasury provided each individual with $30 per month ($25 of which was to be sent home) for no less than a six-month enlistment period.