View source for California Conservation Corps

{{Short description|Voluntary work development program in California}}
{{distinguish|California Conservation Camp Program}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2025}}
{{Infobox government agency
|agency_name     = California Conservation Corps
|nativename      = CCC
|nativename_a    = Conservation Corps
|nativename_r    =
|logo            = California Conservation Corps logo.png
|logo_width      =
|logo_caption    =
<!-- Commented out: |seal            = Logo - CCC new.JPG -->
|seal_width      = 100px
|seal_caption    = California Conservation Corps Logo
|formed          = July 7, 1976
|date1           =
|date1_name      =
|date2                =
|date2_name      =
|preceding1      =
|preceding2      =
|dissolved       =
|superseding     =
|jurisdiction    =
|headquarters    = 1719 24th Street, [[Sacramento, CA|Sacramento]], [[California]]
|employees       = 1,500 - 2000
|budget          = $90.7 million (2016)
|chief1_name     = Jared Patton<ref>{{Cite web |title=JP Patton |url=https://ccc.ca.gov/about-us/executive-team/jp-patton/ |access-date=2025-10-11 |website=California Conservation Corps |language=en-US}}</ref>
|chief1_position = Director
|chief2_name     =
|chief2_position =
|parent_agency   = [[California Resources Agency]]
|child1_agency   =
|child2_agency   =
|motto           =
|website         = http://www.ccc.ca.gov/
}}
The '''California Conservation Corps''' ('''CCC'''), is a department of the [[government of California]], falling under the state [[Cabinet (government)|cabinet]]-level [[California Resources Agency]]. The CCC is a voluntary work development program specifically for men and women between the ages of 18 and 25 (up to 29 for veterans<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ccc.ca.gov/join/Veteranopps/Pages/VeteranOpps.aspx|title=Veterans Programs|year=2014|access-date=June 19, 2015|archive-date=June 19, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150619103751/http://www.ccc.ca.gov/join/Veteranopps/Pages/VeteranOpps.aspx|url-status=dead}}</ref>), offering work in environmental conservation, fire protection, land maintenance, and emergency response to natural disasters. Members of the CCC are referred to as "Corpsmembers", and are paid a monthly stipend; starting July 2022, the amount was $2,600.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://ccc.ca.gov/how-to-join/frequently-asked-questions/ | title=Frequently Asked Questions | publisher=CCC | accessdate=24 September 2021}}</ref>

==History==
The bill to create the California Conservation Corps was co-authored by [[California State Senator]] [[Ruben Ayala (American politician)|Ruben Ayala]].<ref name="latimes2">{{cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/local/obituaries/la-me-ruben-ayala-20120107-story.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120110115855/http://articles.latimes.com/2012/jan/07/local/la-me-ruben-ayala-20120107|url-status=live|archive-date=January 10, 2012|title=Ruben S. Ayala dies at 89; known as a maverick state senator|last=Woo|first=Elaine|date=January 7, 2012|work=[[Los Angeles Times]]}}</ref> The legislation was signed into law by [[Governor of California|Governor]] [[Jerry Brown]] on July 7, 1976, modeling the corps after the federal [[Civilian Conservation Corps]] that started with [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]] and the [[New Deal]] in the 1930s. Brown envisioned a department marketed specifically to the state's young people as "a combination [[Jesuit]] [[seminary]], [[Israel]]i [[kibbutz]], and [[U.S. Marine Corps|Marine Corps]] boot camp."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ccc.ca.gov/ABOUT/HISTORY/history.htm|title=CCC History|year=2004|access-date=2008-01-14|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080706130745/http://www.ccc.ca.gov/ABOUT/HISTORY/history.htm|archive-date=2008-07-06|url-status=dead}}</ref>  Prominent amongst the early CCC administrators was war hero [[B. T. Collins]]. The CCC replaced the California Ecology Corps that was created by executive order<ref>{{cite web | url = https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1243&dat=19710628&id=5mVYAAAAIBAJ&sjid=7PcDAAAAIBAJ&pg=1435,4178093 | title = California plans 'ecology corps' | publisher = The Bulletin | date = 28 June 1971 | accessdate = 13 May 2021}}</ref> of Governor [[Ronald Reagan]] in 1971 as an "alternative service" option for [[Conscientious Objectors]] during the [[Vietnam War]].<ref name="ecology">{{cite web | url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=888&dat=19710428&id=Cj9SAAAAIBAJ&sjid=tnUDAAAAIBAJ&pg=7264,6723090 | title=Reagan Announces Creation Of California Ecology Corps | publisher=St. Petersburg Times | date=28 April 1971 | accessdate=11 October 2013}}</ref>
[[File:California Conservation Corp members at work.jpg|right|thumb|alt=California Conservation Corpsmembers cutting fire control line.|Conservation Corpsmembers cutting fire control line]]
Following the end of his governorship, Brown's successor, Governor [[George Deukmejian]], signed legislation to eliminate the CCC's [[sunset clause]] by making it a permanent department under the [[California Resources Agency]] in 1983.

The duties of operation falling to the CCC include trail maintenance, riparian zone restoration, tree planting and exotic plant species removal, construction, and emergency flood and wildfire response. Other organizations pay the CCC to do the work. Corpsmembers are offered the chance to complete their high school diploma through independent CCC schools and are trained in cooking, office work, chainsaw, and vehicle maintenance. The CCC also encourages corpsmembers to seek higher education or vocational training by offering scholarships.

Corpsmembers in some centers across the state participate in CAB (Corpsmember Advisory Board), an employee/ resident board established to be the middle ground. The board is responsible for community check ups and upholding a strong morale among the center's population, as well as bringing up pressing concerns the community faces on a weekly basis.

Corpsmembers have four distinct colors they wear as a part of their uniforms to distinct their rank and role in each crew. "Blue hats" are the most common Corpsmember, displayed by the blue baseball caps and hardhats they wear. "Green hats" are Corpsmembers who've displayed a level of interest and specialty in one desired trade within the Corps (Ex. Tools specialist, Forestry specialist, Trail specialist, etc.). "Red hats" are those who've shown to their direct supervisor, the Conservationist 1, that they are reliable enough to expand the chain of command from supervisor to corpsmember. "Orange hats" is a red hat whose excelled in their supervisional duties and can act as a Conservationist 1 if required and can take responsibility over their subordinates. 

Since 1992, the [[California Department of Finance]] has allotted less funding to the CCC, forcing the closure of numerous residential centers throughout the state.

The CCC has received presidential praise as well as numerous awards for its work.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.ccc.ca.gov/about/glance/AwardsAccolades/Pages/awardsaccolades.aspx | title=Awards & Accolades | publisher=CCC | work=At A Glance | accessdate=11 October 2013 | archive-date=October 12, 2013 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131012110216/http://www.ccc.ca.gov/about/glance/AwardsAccolades/Pages/awardsaccolades.aspx | url-status=dead }}</ref>

== Related organizations ==
There are Fourteen local conservation corps groups in California'''<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://ccc.ca.gov/what-we-do/funding-opportunities/local-conservation-corps/|title=Local Conservation Corps|date=October 30, 2019|website=ccc.ca.gov}}</ref>''' that are certified annually by the CCC to offer similar job training, education, and environmental projects in other areas of California.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://calocalcorps.org/local-conservation-corps/|title=Local Conservation Corps|website=CALCC|access-date=August 6, 2018|archive-date=August 31, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180831120806/http://calocalcorps.org/local-conservation-corps/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

* Cesar Chavez Environmental Corps – Tehachapi, CA
* Civicorps – Oakland, CA
* Conservation Corps North Bay – San Rafael, CA
* Conservation Corps of Long Beach – Long Beach, CA
* Fresno Local Conservation Corps – Fresno, CA
* Greater Valley Conservation Corps – Stockton, CA
* Los Angeles Conservation Corps – Los Angeles, CA
* Orange County Conservation Corps – Anaheim, CA
* Sacramento Regional Conservation Corps – Sacramento, CA
* San Francisco Conservation Corps – San Francisco, CA
* [[San Jose Conservation Corps]] – San Jose, CA
* Sequoia Community Corps – Visalia, CA
* Urban Conservation Corps of the Inland Empire – San Bernardino, CA
* Urban Corps of San Diego County – San Diego, CA

=== Urban Corps of San Diego ===
The San Diego local corps was founded in 1989 with help from former Representative [[Lynn Schenk]] and then-Mayor [[Maureen O'Connor (California politician)|Maureen O'Connor]], with an initial budget of $125,000.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.sandiegoreader.com/weblogs/roody2shoes/2012/feb/20/rising-from-the-trenches-part-2-san-diegos-urban-c/#|title=Rising from the Trenches Part 2|website=San Diego Reader|access-date=August 7, 2018}}</ref> They engage in a variety of community service and conservation projects, including stadium cleanup,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://archive.epa.gov/wastes/conserve/tools/rogo/web/pdf/qual508.pdf|title=Qualcomm Stadium's Recycling Program|website=EPA Archive|access-date=August 7, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://corpsnetwork.org/sites/default/images/pdfs/2012_forum_program.pdf|title=Demonstrating Collective Impact|website=Corps Network|access-date=August 7, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180807064408/http://corpsnetwork.org/sites/default/images/pdfs/2012_forum_program.pdf|archive-date=August 7, 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref> trash pickup<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.kusi.com/mayor-faulconer-announces-expansion-clean-sd-program/|title=Mayor Faulconer announces expansion of 'Clean SD' program|work=KUSI News|access-date=August 7, 2018}}</ref> and graffiti removal.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://sdnews.com/view/full_story/27400509/article-Pacific-Beach-Graffiti-Clean-Up-set-for-April-29?instance=update1|title=Pacific Beach Graffiti Clean Up set for April 29|work=SD Community Newspaper|access-date=August 7, 2018}}</ref> There are about 200 Corpsmembers employed at any given time.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.treasurer.ca.gov/csfa/meeting/2016/20160810/staff/13supplemental.pdf|title=Item 13 Supporting Documents|website=CA State Treasurer's Office|access-date=August 7, 2018}}</ref>

==See also==
*[[California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection]]
{{Portal|California}}

==References==
{{Reflist|2}}

==External links==
*[http://www.ccc.ca.gov/ California Conservation Corps Official Website]
*[https://www.facebook.com/CCCsupporter/ CCC Facebook Page]
*[http://www.cccfoundation.net/ CCC Foundation Website]
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20051112173752/http://militarymuseum.org/CCCMuseum.html The California Conservation Corps State Museum]
*[http://www.vaq34.com/ccc/index.htm Joe Hawkins's CCC Page] Recollections of a Placer Fire Center member c. 1980-81

{{California state agencies}}
{{authority control}}

[[Category:California Natural Resources Agency|Conservation Corps]]
[[Category:State agencies of California|Conservation Corps]]
[[Category:Civilian Conservation Corps in California]]
[[Category:Nature conservation organizations based in the United States]]
[[Category:Government agencies established in 1976]]
[[Category:1976 establishments in California]]