WHEREAS, March 31, 2008, marks the 75th anniversary of the signing by President Franklin D. Roosevelt of the historical law known as the Emergency Conservation Work Act, a precursor of the 1937 law that established the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) which helped alleviate some of the horrific unemployment of the Great Depression; and
     WHEREAS, Between 1933 and 1942, the CCC provided employment and vocational training nationwide for the conservation and development of natural resources, protection of national forests, and construction and maintenance of military reservations for more than three million men, including unemployed youths, more than 250,000 veterans of the Spanish-American War and World War I, and more than 80,000 Native Americans; and
     WHEREAS, The CCC spent more than 76 million dollars in Washington and provided work for 73,300 men, including 51,300 Washington state residents; and
     WHEREAS, The CCC left the nation a legacy in the form of three billion new trees, 800 state parks, 8,452 improved beaches, and 405,037 signs, markers, and monuments; and
     WHEREAS, The CCC constructed 125,000 miles of road and strung 89,000 miles of telephone line; and
     WHEREAS, The CCC restored and enhanced the natural environment with the revegetation of 814,000 acres of range, the stocking of 972 million fish, and mosquito control on 248,000 acres of land; and
     WHEREAS, The CCC performed eight million days of firefighting, with Camp North Bend in Washington state among those camps developing an excellent reputation for fighting forest fires; and
     WHEREAS, The CCC contributed to the creation or improvement of eleven state parks in Washington, such as Deception Pass, Beacon Rock, Ginkgo Petrified Forest, and Saltwater State Park;
     NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives recognize how the work of the Civilian Conservation Corps has benefited succeeding generations in Washington over the past 75 years, and express sincere gratitude for the rich heritage that was built by the CCC and remains greatly appreciated by all.