Save-the-CCC
Save-the-CCC
Fresno Bee
Curtains for the CCC?
By Marek Warszawsk - January 8, 2009
Several months ago, Gov. Schwarzenegger issued a budget proposal that threatened to shut
down several popular state parks. That didn't go over too well, so now Arnold is taking aim at
another of the state's signature institutions, the California Conservation Corps.
According to a CCC-issued press release, Schwarzenegger has proposed eliminating the
program and transferring some of its funding to 12 local conservation corps programs.
Unfortunately, these local programs have no experience responding to natural disasters,
something the CCC has done with distinction since its creation in 1976.
CCC Foundation Board Member Barbara O'Connor called the governor's decision
"short-sighted." We'll go even further here: It's also incredibly stupid.
Annually the CCC provides more than 170,000 hours of conservation work throughout the state
free of charge, with an estimated value of $2.4 million. In 2008 alone, CCC crews devoted a
half-million man (and woman) hours to fire response, the largest effort in the Corps' 32-year
history.
And we shudder to think what would happen to our national parks and national forests without
the services of the CCC Backcountry Trails Program, which has been a wilderness fixture since
its inception in 1979.
Here's a link to a story I wrote in October about how the Backcountry Trails Program impacts
the lives of young people.
Curtains for the CCC?
By Marek Warszawsk - January 8, 2009
Several months ago, Gov. Schwarzenegger issued a budget proposal that threatened to shut
down several popular state parks. That didn't go over too well, so now Arnold is taking aim at
another of the state's signature institutions, the California Conservation Corps.
According to a CCC-issued press release, Schwarzenegger has proposed eliminating the
program and transferring some of its funding to 12 local conservation corps programs.
Unfortunately, these local programs have no experience responding to natural disasters,
something the CCC has done with distinction since its creation in 1976.
CCC Foundation Board Member Barbara O'Connor called the governor's decision
"short-sighted." We'll go even further here: It's also incredibly stupid.
Annually the CCC provides more than 170,000 hours of conservation work throughout the state
free of charge, with an estimated value of $2.4 million. In 2008 alone, CCC crews devoted a
half-million man (and woman) hours to fire response, the largest effort in the Corps' 32-year
history.
And we shudder to think what would happen to our national parks and national forests without
the services of the CCC Backcountry Trails Program, which has been a wilderness fixture since
its inception in 1979.
Here's a link to a story I wrote in October about how the Backcountry Trails Program impacts
the lives of young people.
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Friends of the
Save-the-CCC
Campaign
-- Partial List --
Save-the-CCC
Campaign
-- Partial List --
- Paul Carrillo - Chair, Friends of
CCC - John Van de Kamp, Former
Attorney General, State of CA - Herb Perry -Professor Emeritus
Economics,CSUS & member of
Civilian Conservation Corps - Bruce Saito -Executive Director
Los Angeles Conservation Corps
& President o California
Association of Local Corps - Ian Kim, Director Green Collar
Campaign of Ella Baker Center
for Human Rights - Brian Stark - Director, Land
Conservancy of San Luis Obispo - Barbara O'connor, Ph.D., Dir. of
Institute of Study of Politics &
Media, CSUS - Bud Sheble - Former Director of
the California Conservation
Corps Gov. Dukemejian - Tom Mertens, Board of Directors,
League to Save Lake Tahoe - Susie Lange, Deputy
Superintendent Department of
Education - Rick Hawley, Executive Director
– Green Space Cambria Land
Trust - Bill Wilson, Former Chairman of
the Board, Tahoe-Baikal Institute - Robert L. (Griff) Griffiths, Co-
Founder, National Association of
Civilian Conservation Corps
Alumni - Robert Burkhardt - Head of
School, Eagle Rock School &
former Chief Deputy CCC