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When Franklin D. Roosevelt became president in 1933, the country was suffering badly from the Great Depression. Many people were out of work, especially young people, and things seemed hopeless. In his first speech as president, FDR suggested a plan to employ young folks to do environmental work like planting trees and preventing forest fires.

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On March 31, 1933, President Roosevelt enacted the Federal Unemployment Relief Act, creating the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). This initiative recruited unmarried, young men, offering them $30 monthly wages, with $25 allocated to their families. They resided in segregated camps governed by strict rules akin to military standards. Despite their limited education and skills, participants received meals and a steady income.

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At 19, FDR managed the Roosevelt family estate in Hyde Park, New York, tackling a serious erosion issue by planting thousands of trees. Later, as governor of New York, he led efforts to reforest the state and reclaim neglected farmlands for timber production.

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During its nine-year span, the CCC utilized 2 million workers to establish and improve national and state parks. They paved roads, cleared trails, and built cabins and campsites to enhance accessibility. Across the country, there were 194 CCC work camps in 94 national parks and 697 camps in 881 state and local parks.

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During its nine-year span, the CCC utilized 2 million workers to establish and improve national and state parks. They paved roads, cleared trails, and built cabins and campsites to enhance accessibility. Across the country, there were 194 CCC work camps in 94 national parks and 697 camps in 881 state and local parks.

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Constructed by CCC workers, lookout towers were crucial for detecting and preventing small fires from escalating. The Mount Diablo Lookout Tower near San Francisco, made of stone masonry, offered impressive views of the Cascades and Sierra Nevada mountain ranges. In total, over 3,000 such towers were built by the CCC.

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Constructed in 1934 by the Civilian Conservation Corps, the Henness Ridge lookout stands as a prime example of the rustic architecture style pioneered by the Park Service during the New Deal era.

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Over the next few years, CCC workers tirelessly cut renowned New England trails, including Stowe, Wildcat, Cannon, and Thunderbolt. In the West, they also carved out the initial ski runs in Sun Valley, Idaho. Thanks in large part to the CCC, Americans fell in love with skiing, with the installation of the first rope tows occurring in the late 1930s.

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In May 1934, the CCC achieved a significant milestone by reconstructing the stairway on the eastern face of Half Dome. The project involved replacing and strengthening the Half Dome cables, initially installed by the Sierra Club around 1920. The objective was to upgrade thirty-nine pipe posts with stronger 1-inch pipe and replace 429 feet of ½-inch cable with ¾-inch galvanized iron cable. To facilitate this, a temporary camp was established at the base of the dome. Workers hand-drilled forty-one holes, averaging seven inches in depth, into the rock for the new pipe posts.

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Between May 1933 and October 1940, Yosemite National Park hosted ten CCC camps, where a total of 6,816 enrollees were stationed. One of these camps, the Cascades Camp, was originally located at Cascade Creek along Highway 140. However, it was washed away during the 1937 flood. Subsequently, the camp was relocated to the El Capitan area, near the base of the Old Big Oak Flat Road.

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At Fern Spring, located beyond the Pohono Bridge on the way to Yosemite Valley, CCC enrollees created an enchanting naturalistic rock garden. They artfully arranged rocks and planted a variety of ferns, wildflowers, and ground covers to beautify the area. To enhance accessibility, they installed a log guardrail around the parking area and placed log seats in the nearby woods for visitors to enjoy.

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In 1970, Jim Snyder, a former park historian, recognized the loss of valuable rock craftsmanship skills following the departure of the Civilian Conservation Corps from Yosemite National Park. He embarked on a mission to study the construction methods of the old trails, ultimately adopting the techniques employed by the CCC in the 1930s.

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Although smaller in scale compared to other bureaus, the CCC made enduring contributions to Reclamation and significantly assisted in furthering the agency's goals for irrigation development.

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As the depression took its toll on farmers, the Reclamation Bureau sought alternative means to fund irrigation projects that benefited their crops. They turned to the CCC, an untapped federal agency, to construct these projects.

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Reservoir clearing operations were most notably conducted at the Shasta Dam site on the CA Central Valley Project, as well as at Grand Coulee Dam and Boulder Dam.

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Victory Gardens of the Valley During World War II, Yosemite National Park, under Superintendent Frank A. Kitteredge's leadership, contributed to the war effort while protecting its natural resources. Over 200 residents from Yosemite served in the armed forces, while Kitteredge himself organized local Red Cross efforts. He resisted pressures to exploit the park's resources and instead promoted Victory Gardens, showcasing a commitment to both patriotism and environmental conservation.

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In April 1943, the U.S. Army allowed the 426th Signal Battalion from Camp Pinedale, California, to occupy the former Wawona Civilian Conservation Corps camp for specialized training. By December of the same year, negotiations concluded for the transfer of the camp to the Western Signal Aviation Unit Training Center, with a small army unit assigned to protect the property. Park Service facilities at Wawona and Badger Pass were also utilized by U.S. Army Signal Corps units for specialized summer training schools.

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The Army Has a Long History in Yosemite:

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the Army's early presence in Yosemite, starting from its establishment in 1890. At the request of the Secretary of the Interior, troops were deployed to conduct patrols and protect the park, similar to their role in Yellowstone. Cavalry scouting parties were specifically tasked with preventing activities that could harm the park, such as timber cutting, sheep herding, trespassing, and damage to the environment.

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During its operational period, the hospital admitted 6,752 patients, with around 65% returning to duty and the remainder being discharged from service. At its busiest, the hospital housed 853 patients simultaneously. While primarily serving Navy personnel, soldiers, Marines, and Airmen also received treatment at the facility.

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Buffalo Soldiers, African-American army regiments formed post-Civil War, served as early park rangers, notably in remote Western regions. Given assignments in the West after the Indian Wars, they earned the moniker "Buffalo Soldiers" from Plains Indians due to their resemblance to buffalo's features, highlighting their significant role in frontier defense and conservation efforts.

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Established in 1943, the "U.S. Naval Convalescent Hospital Yosemite National Park, California" catered to veterans of the Battle for Okinawa, initially focusing on neuro-psychiatric rehabilitation. However, the serene yet isolated setting of Yosemite proved detrimental, exacerbating patients' conditions rather than aiding recovery. Consequently, within a few months, the facility transitioned into a general physical rehabilitation unit, recognizing the unsuitability of the environment for psychiatric treatment.

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During World War II, aside from the U.S. Navy recuperation hospital, Yosemite National Park saw military activity related to plane crashes. In 1943, a B-24 bomber collided with Koip Peak, resulting in the deaths of all seven crew members. Subsequently, in 1944, two separate incidents involved USAAF Douglas P-70 planes crashing near the park, with fatalities recorded in both instances, though the cause of one crash remained undetermined.

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10th Mountain Division and Outdoor Sports

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The 10th Mountain Division, known as the "Most Deployed Army Division Since 9/11," has a storied history that extends beyond modern conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. Originating in the Pacific Northwest and developed in the Rockies, its soldiers chased Nazi Germany through the mountains of Northern Italy during World War II. After the war, these innovative soldiers, returning to a prosperous nation, played a pivotal role in establishing the outdoor sports industry in America, leveraging their skills forged in both training and combat.

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Dozens of 10th Mountain Alums are Hall of Famers, and one was famous for track

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Thirty-eight 10th Mountain Division alumni, including ski jumper Torger Tokle and founding father Minnie Dole, are members of the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Hall of Fame. Additionally, Silver Star recipient Bill Bowerman, known for coaching track and field at the University of Oregon, co-founded what is now known as Nike, leaving a significant legacy in both sports and business.

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Paul Petzoldt, a climber and instructor at Camp Hale, Colorado, went on to found the National Outdoor Leadership School in 1965. David Brower, who served with the 10th Mountain Division in Italy, became a prominent environmental activist after the war, leading the Sierra Club for many years. Additionally, innovations developed during training at Camp Hale, such as the 7/16-inch nylon rope and improved camping gear, have left a lasting impact on both military and civilian applications.