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Inventory of the California Conservation Corps Records
R117
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Title: California Conservation Corps Records
Dates: 1978-1980
Collection number: R117
Creator:
California Conservation Corps
Collection Size:
4 cubic feet of textual records
Repository:
California State Archives
Sacramento, California
Abstract: The California Conservation Corps was created in 1976, in order to further the development and maintenance of the natural
resources and environment of the State, and to provide the young men and women of the State meaningful, productive employment.
The records of the California Conservation Corps consist of 4 cubic feet of work project files that cover the years 1978-1980.
Physical location: California State Archives
Languages:
Languages represented in the collection:
English
While the majority of the records are open for research, any access restrictions are noted in the record series descriptions.
For permission to reproduce or publish, please contact the California State Archives. Permission for reproduction or publication
is given on behalf of the California State Archives as the owner of the physical items. The researcher assumes all responsibility
for possible infringement which may arise from reproduction or publication of materials from the California State Archives
collections.
[Identification of item], California Conservation Corps Records, R117.[Series Number], [box and folder number], California
State Archives, Office of the Secretary of State, Sacramento, California.
Acquisition and Custodial History
The California State Archives acquired the California Conservation Corps Records according to state law.
On July 7, 1976, Governor Jerry Brown signed the enabling legislation for the California Conservation Corps (Chapter 342 of
Statutes 1976). This bill created the Corps as a department within the Resources Agency and included a sunset clause. The
program was set to expire on January 1, 1981, unless reauthorized. The first director of the California Conservation Corps
was Boyd "Buck" Horner (1976-1977), who set out to accomplish the two main goals of the Corps: (1) to further the development
and maintenance of the natural resources and environment of the State, and (2) to provide the young men and women of the State
meaningful, productive employment, training in employable skills, and educational opportunities.
Under the direction of Director Leroy Chatfield (1977-1979) the program began to expand. In the spring of 1977, the first
Corps center opened in San Luis Obispo with many more soon to follow. The 1978-1979 Governor's Budget noted that the Corps
employed more than 1,600 people and had completed more than 1 million hours of public service conservation work (typically
emergency assistance during fires and floods) on 115 projects in 44 counties. This was in addition to their many and varied
projects throughout the state that focused primarily on the areas of forestry, renovation/preservation, and trails maintenance.
A separate category of projects was known as the Appropriate Technology Program. Rather than being sponsored by another agency,
the A-T Program was structured to promote the development and renovation of each center by corpsmembers and staff.
When B. T. Collins (1979-1981) became director, he coined the motto: "hard work, low pay, and miserable conditions," which
is still in use today. Under his leadership the Corps gained international recognition. A significant event occurring under
Collins' tenure was the reauthorization of the California Conservation Corps. On March 27, 1980, Governor Brown extended
the life of the program through January 1, 1986 (Chapter 50 of Statutes 1980). The ambitious proposals listed in the 1980-1981
Governor's Budget reflect the energetic spirit that reauthorization injected into the Conservation Corps. These proposals
include the expansion of the Training and Work Program to include a Disabled Corpsmember Program and a Solar and Energy Conservation
Program, as well as the establishment of a Fire Fighter Trainee Program consisting of 240 corpsmembers.
Governor George Deukmejian removed the sunset clause to make the California Conservation Corps a permanent state agency on
September 29, 1983 (Chapter 1241 of Statutes 1983).
The records of the California Conservation Corps consist of 4 cubic feet of work project files that cover the years 1978-1980.
Project files typically include project evaluations, completion reports, and maps or drawings. The Corps completed their
work for cities, counties, federal and state agencies. These sponsors vary widely, and the United States Forest Service,
the California Department of Forestry, the California Department of Fish and Game, the California Department of Parks and
Recreation, and the National Park Service were the major sponsors of projects in this collection. The majority of projects
took place in Los Angeles County. The counties of Siskiyou, San Diego, Calaveras, and Riverside also hosted numerous projects.
The Appropriate Technology Program was a means of training corpsmembers in basic skills while improving their center. The
A-T work files have been given numbers in the 9000 series and can be found at the end of the 1978 and 1979 files. One of
the most significant projects in 1978 was the California Native Plants Project (projects 78-739 thru 78-754) whose purpose
was to produce a nursery stock of native plants for use on lands owned by public agencies. A key project of 1979 was Project
Access (projects 79-424 thru 79-431). The County of Santa Barbara was chosen to participate in this federally funded pilot
program for the removal of architectural barriers that prevented access to the disabled or senior citizens. The most noteworthy
project of 1980 was the Preservation of Bidwell Park in the City of Chico (projects 80-617 thru 80-622). The work included
improvements to the horse arena, running trails, shed construction, trail signs, and erosion control.
Further accruals are expected.
Related Collections at the California State Archives
Additional files relating to the work of the California Conservation Corps may be found in the records of the Department of
Conservation under Resource Agency Files, 1973-1978.
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.
California Conservation Corps
Public service employment
Disaster relief