Arizona’s Civilian Conservation Corps and Our National Parks and Forests

In 1933, at the nadir of the Great Depression, the CCC was born. The program was designed to help unemployed and untrained young men learn new skills and earn money to support their families. CCCers fervently claim that the skill-building experiences forever changed their lives. These men built the roads, trails, picnic areas, ranger stations, fire lookouts and public campgrounds that we still use and appreciate today.  This presentation will provide a brief history of the Great Depression, the CCC program, and its tremendous impact on our national park and forest development.

Robin Pinto’s interests lie in the evolution of cultural landscapes. Her research centers on three Arizona historic activities: early settlement and homesteading patterns, New Deal work programs, and ranching. She holds a master’s degree in landscape architecture and is currently a doctoral candidate at The University of Arizona.  Pinto has written numerous histories for southern Arizona national parks and she headed the team that completed the heritage tourism map “The New Deal in Arizona: Connections to Our Historic Landscapes.”  And, for the Arizona Historical Society, she developed the exhibition It Saved My Life: The Civilian Conservation Corps in Southern Arizona.