Chances are you have benefited from the Civilian Conservation Corps but never knew it. Every corner of our country contains examples of CCC projects, and 2008 marks the 75th anniversary of the CCC’s founding.

To better understand the contributions of the CCC, you can visit Heyburn State Park, located in Idaho on the south end of Lake Coeur d’Alene, about 50 miles from Spokane.

Heyburn State Park, which opened 100 years ago, is the oldest state park in the Pacific Northwest. Nearly every aspect of this popular park, including its infrastructure, lodge, trails and campgrounds, was developed by the CCC.

Between 1933 and 1942, more than 3 million young American men volunteered for the CCC to build, repair and maintain public projects, especially projects that helped develop parks and wildlife refuges and protect national forests. Aiding the nation’s conservation effort was the thrust of the CCC. It was also a time in our nation when young men desperately needed paying jobs, training and opportunities, and that is exactly what the CCC provided.

To celebrate the 75th anniversary of the CCC, we are working with the organizers of National Public Lands Day to remind the nation that public lands are an important part of this great nation and that the CCC made important contributions to our public lands.

I, Rusty Clemons, entered the CCC in 1939 and served for two years. I worked with the Park Service, helped build roads in national forests, fought forest fires, hauled supplies and drove Army officials to different inspections. I was stationed at CCC camps in Idaho and Washington.

The pay was modest – $30 a month – and I sent $25 of that home to my parents to help my family make ends meet. Times were tough; that money helped my family a lot.

The work we CCCers performed was meaningful, widespread and long-lasting. It continues to enrich the lives of nearly every American. CCCers developed more than 800 public parks in every part of the nation. We built beautiful cabins and lodges in those parks and constructed fish hatcheries, fire lookouts, roadways and hiking trails. And we planted lots of trees, some 3 billion of them, including many shelterbelts that protect soils on the Great Plains. We were America’s original tree-planting army.

By the time World War II rolled around, the nation already had hundreds of thousands of fit and work-ready young men – thanks to the CCC – who were prepared to join the military and defend our nation overseas.

The CCC was an experiment in conservation and job creation, conceived by President Franklin Roosevelt, that was a rousing success. It truly provided us with a social and conservation legacy worth remembering. And worth replicating.

Heyburn State Park is the site of its 100 year anniversary celebration on July 12 that is worth attending. At noon there will be a program that includes recognizing the CCC and its contributions to the park. You can learn more about the many events during this day-long celebration by visiting the Web site parksandrecreation.idaho.gov.

Everyone can honor the importance of public lands and the contributions of the CCC. You can volunteer to plant trees or repair a hiking trail or work on other positive projects. Don’t forget that National Public Lands Day is Sept. 27. Let’s carry on the important legacy of the CCC. Let’s carry on the important legacy of our public lands.