2023 -- H 6262
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LC002705
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S T A T E O F R H O D E I S L A N D
IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2023
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H O U S E R E S O L U T I O N
COMMEMORATING THE 90TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE GREAT DEPRESSION NEW
DEAL CIVILIAN CONSERVATION CORPS
Introduced By: Representatives Noret, Shekarchi, Blazejewski, Corvese, Vella-
Wilkinson, Chippendale, Kennedy, Edwards, Ajello, and Tanzi
Date Introduced: April 06, 2023
Referred To: House read and passed
WHEREAS, On October 29, 1929, the United States Stock Market crashed, thereby 1
ending what has been called “The Roaring Twenties” and ushering in more than a decade of 2
economic privation the likes of which had never been seen before in American history and 3
hopefully will never be seen again; and 4
WHEREAS, Before the United States Constitution was altered by the Twentieth 5
Amendment, newly elected Presidents used to take office on March 4th. As President Franklin 6
Delano Roosevelt (FDR) was set to take office, America was suffering in unimaginable ways. 7
The official American unemployment rate was at a record high of 24.9 percent and that number 8
didn’t count those who could only find part-time work and those who had given up on finding 9
work. According to a report from Irving Bernstein for the United States Department of Labor, 10
“There is no doubt that 1933 was the worst year, and March the worst month, for joblessness in 11
the history of United States”; and 12
WHEREAS, When FDR assumed office, there was a feeling that this nation’s democratic 13
underpinnings were in peril with far right and far left totalitarians on the American scene 14
threatening America’s very foundations. It was against this backdrop that FDR took office and he 15
knew that he had to take immediate action to lower the jobless rate in America; and 16
WHEREAS, On April 5th, 1933, FDR signed the “Emergency Conservation Act”, also 17
known as the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), an act that quickly gave much-needed jobs to 18
approximately 275,000 enrollees and 10,000 supervisors, in camps across the United States. The 19
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Civilian Conservation Corps, and similar Programs like the Works Progress Administration, 1
allowed hungry people to get fed, have shelter and gave people hope amidst the despair. The 2
Civilian Conservation Corps also had the additional advantage of its great benefit to the 3
Environment; and 4
WHEREAS, The State of Rhode Island had more than 15,900 enrollees in the CCC, with 5
others working in various New England States such as Vermont and Maine. Civilian 6
Conservation workers did timber stand improvement, forest insect control, developed recreation 7
facilities, and planted approximately 1 million trees. These CCC workers also helped towns deal 8
with natural disasters such as the 1938 Hurricane; now, therefore be it 9
RESOLVED, That this House of Representatives of the State of Rhode Island hereby 10
commemorates the 90th Anniversary of the creation of the Civilian Conservation Corps and 11
furthermore honors the memory of the Civilian Conservation Corps workers who worked 12
tirelessly to better Rhode Island’s State parks and forests; and be it further 13
RESOLVED, That the Secretary of State be and hereby is authorized and directed to 14
transmit a duly certified copy of this resolution to Mr. Martin Podskoch, Board member of CCC 15
Legacy. 16
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