We are in an unparalleled position to make immediate, substantial, and lasting improvements to our country. The time is now to get CCCUSA off the ground and positioned to take on the challenges ahead — because let’s face it, they’re overwhelming.
Page Summary
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- $18+ billion of deferred maintenance work exists today for 4 federal land agencies alone, with overwhelming public demand and approval for completion of work
- Massive infrastructure spending is in the pipeline – Corps could play an enormous role, cost-efficient solution
- Demand for CCCUSA assistance and scale is evident among many established corps
The demand for corps organizations has been strong and consistent for years. However, the timing of recent market opportunities has made our task more urgent than ever. The current freeze on federal employment and a trillion-dollar infrastructure program being proposed by both parties and the President, combined with rapidly deteriorating public amenities and infrastructure, has given us a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to bring corps organizations to young adults and the nation, on an unprecedented scale.
“The country needs and unless I mistake its temper the country demands bold persistent experimentation. It is common sense to take a method and try it If it fails admit it frankly and try another. But above all try something.”
– Franklin D. Roosevelt
A Backlog of Public Recreational Projects
The public’s expectation is that their parks, trails, forests and other recreational assets are open, safe, and accessible to all. However, public and private land managers at every level are finding it difficult to keep recreational assets open, safe, and accessible as staff and resources are minimal. Between the four-major federal land management agencies of the Department of Interior – Bureau of Land Management, Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service and the Forest Service – a combined total of $18.62 Billion of maintenance backlog exists today.* Much of the work is categorized as “simple work,” not in need of high-skill to complete, including work on campgrounds, trails, wastewater systems, paved and unpaved roads, and rustic buildings. There are another five bureaus that reside under the Department of Interior, all in a similar position. The same goes for the Department of Labor, Transportation, and Agriculture, all of whom are in dire need of resource assistance, specifically labor.
These deferred projects are needs that the American public overwhelmingly identifies with and supports. Regular surveys from the National Park Service, the Forest Service, the Fish & Wildlife Service, many state and local park agencies, and the outdoor industry itself all confirm that the American public overwhelmingly wants access, investment, and improvements for these natural environments and green spaces. **
A Federal Priority Approaching
As a backdrop to backlogged work, the President has promised a trillion-dollar program to “rebuild America” by employing Americans through the private sector. Conservative doctrine continues to hold sway over our national dialogue no matter who resides in the Oval Office — and it favors private sector solutions to wide-ranging public needs.
With CCCUSA well underway in 2017 and expanding nationally by 2020, we’ll be ready to hit the ground running to take on our share of this important work.
Demand for Corps is Growing
The demand for private-sector corps work continues to grow as well.
In the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, the Great Lakes Corps, which began in 2014 with a single crew, has grown, with the support of CCCUSA this past year, to 10 crews. This is a direct result of the demand for public recreation work in their region. Leaders are anxious to become a full-fledged franchise of the CCCUSA, as they feel this will help them grow to at least 30 crews over the next few years.
This is one of many examples and requests for CCCUSA that we have gained over the last many months.
A national corps accelerator would put large numbers of young people to work on priority projects in urban and rural areas, while instilling bedrock American values, paving the way for a bright, safe, and ideal future.
Remember when…4,235,000 man-days were devoted to fighting fires during the CCC.
*Carol Hardy Vincent, “Deferred Maintenance of Federal Land Management Agencies,” Congressional Research Service
https://fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R43997.pdf
**Paul J. Baicich, “The US Needs a New Civilian Conservation Corps,” The Nation