The Civilian Conservation Corps, or CCC, was a Depression-era public works program initiated by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The program put more than 3 million young men to work in rebuilding and conserving our nation's public lands.

Because New Mexico had more than a third of its land under federal ownership, our state benefited greatly from the work of the CCC. Between 1933 and 1942, more than 32,300 men from the state were enrolled in the Corps. An average of 32 camps operated in New Mexico each of those years.

CCC History and Motto

"I propose to create a Civilian Conservation Corps to be used in simple work... more important, however, than the material gains will be the moral and spiritual value of such work." Franklin D. Roosevelt March 9, 1933

Select New Mexico CCC Projects

The CCC had a significant impact in New Mexico.

Impact of the CCC

"Working in the open, with nature, brings optimum beneficial results to an individual which are almost impossible to obtain otherwise...."

National CCC Day - March 31, 2002

"Mr. President, I am pleased to introduce a resolution today with Senators Lugar, Carnahan, Bond, Torricelli and DeWine, designated March 31, 2002 and March 31, 2003 as "National Civilian Conservation Corps Day."

Other CCC Sites on the Web