REVIEW OF
C.C.C.
WORK is REDUCED
By STATE DEPT.
Middle Island Mail
January 15, 1936
Review of C.C.C. Work Is Reduced By State
Dept.
Remaining Unit to continue Work Started in 1934
Construction of Water Holes, Truck Trails and Tree
Planting on Program- Commissioner Praises Men
The removal and abandonment of one of the C.C.C. camps at
Yaphank, Camp Upton, leaving only one of the original
four which opened there in May, 1934, is the subject of a
bulletin from the State Conservation department.
"The abandonment of the three camps, one January 1
and two several months ago, has been due entirely to the
new policy announced by Washington to the effect that the
total enrollments for the forest workers throughout the
country would be about 400,000 for the next period,
instead of 600,000 which was the total for the last work
period." says this bulletin, "As a result of
this policy of retrenchment New York state has been
obliged to close 15 camps.
The camp remaining at Camp Upton, it is
explained, will continue on a modified scale the
improvement work, which was started there by the four
camps. The work schedule calls for construction of four
water holes to aid in forest fire fighting; the building
of 27 miles of truck trails, and tree planting on about
70 acres of ground.
Approximately 1,100 acres of forested
land will be improved and 22 miles of firebreaks will be
constructed. A survey of the land will take the men over
51 miles of territory and a rodent control program will
cover 1,728 acres on the old government reservation. The
remainder of the program calls for general cleanup work
on 171 acres and planting of grain on 193 acres. In
addition the enrollees will maintain the fire lines, feed
strips and truck trails previously constructed.
Much of the work originally proposed has
been completed, while some of the other work had only
been started when the Conservation department had to
abandon the camps. The work was begun two years ago to
develop a forest demonstration area and also a model game
management area. When the four camps were established it
was proposed to construct 11 water holes and 53 miles of
truck trails. To date 2 water holes have been constructed
and 26 miles of truck trails built.
Trees were to be planted on 1,276 acres
and to date 1,206 acres have been covered. Forest stand
improvement work was to cover 1,624 acres and up to 559
acres have been covered. It also was planned to collect
about 400 bushels and coniferous tree seed and 9,126
pounds of hardwood seeds. The records show that 485
bushels of the conifers were collected and 9,126 of
hardwood seeds.
Fifty-six miles of fire breaks have been
constructed out of a proposed total of 78 miles and to
date 3,377 acres. The C. C. C. boys and men planted grain
on 711 acres. The original schedule called for 904 acres
of planting.
Lake and pond development work called for
1,454 man day's work and this program was completed. The
men completed seven experimental plots, the original
number scheduled. The rodent control program called for
work in 1,728 acres and to date the men have covered over
1,000 acres. The lineal survey of the property was to
bring them over 167 miles of ground and to date they have
covered 116 miles. A plan for the removal of fire hazards
on 20 acres of ground was completed and construction of
2.7 miles of telephone line also was completed as was a
topographical survey covering 7,000 acres.
Because the nature of the tree growths on
Long Island, fires are frequent in the spring and fall.
The C. C. C. workers at Yaphank did their share of forest
fire fighting, as the record shows 3,640 man days spent
on this unscheduled but very necessary job.
Retyped by Michael Giannattasio
Keyboarding Technology