Which federal program hired young men to do jobs such as planting trees and building parks?

Answer 1

There were a number of such programs funded under the Emergency Relief Appropriations Act of 1939. However, the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) was the program which was to hire unemployed, unmarried young men, ages 18-23, later ages 17-28, for unskilled manual labor jobs. The CCC planted nearly 3 million trees, constructed more than 800 parks and upgraded many more, updated forest fire fighting methods, and built a network of service buildings and public roadways in remote areas.

Answer 2

The Civilian Conservation Corps employed 274,375 young men between the ages of 17 and 25 in 1,300 camps nationwide. By 1935 the number of camps and employed young men increased dramatically. Eventually, almost 3 million people served in the Corps. The men signed on for 6 months and were organized into crews that reforested land, undertook conservation projects in National Parks, and worked on trails and clearing growth in National Forests. They built bridges, repaired dams, built fire lookouts and fences, and did terracing to prevent erosion. They were paid $30 a month, but they had to send $25 to their folks in the cities, so the parents would have money to spend to stimulate the economy. The CCC was one of the most popular and most successful of the New Deal measures.