Roosevelt proposed the establishment of a civilian conservation corps during the 1932 presidential campaign. Senate Bill 5.598, the Emergency Conservation Work Act; it was signed into law on March 31, 1933. Roosevelt on 1933-05-07 extolled the CCC in a fireside address on the radio:

"First, we are giving opportunity of employment to one-quarter of a million of the unemployed, especially the young men who have dependents, to go into the forestry and flood prevention work. This is a big task because it means feeding, clothing and caring for nearly twice as many men as we have in the regular Army itself. In creating this civilian conservation corps we are killing two birds with one stone. We are clearly enhancing the value of our natural resources and second, we are relieving an appreciable amount of actual distress."

The CCC was a work and relief program that sent young, unemployed men to work on conservation projects in rural areas for $1 per day. Although intended to help youth escape the cities, city boys were reluctant to join and most enrollees came from small towns and rural areas. The corps operated numerous conservation projects, including prevention of soil erosion and the impounding of lakes. The CCC constructed many buildings and trails in state parks and national parks that are still used today. Other projects of the CCC included installation of telephone and power lines, construction of logging and fire roads, fence construction, tree-planting, and even beekeeping, archaeological excavation, and furniture manufacture. The CCC also provided the first truly organized wildland fire suppression crews and planted an estimated 3 billion trees for government agencies such as the United States Forest Service.



CCC enrollees worked 40 hours a week and were paid $30 a month, with the requirement that $25 of that be sent home to family. Members lived in camps, wore uniforms, and lived under quasi-military discipline. At the time of entry, 70 percent of enrollees were malnourished and poorly clothed. Very few had more than a year of high school education; few had work experience beyond occasional odd jobs. They lived in wooden barracks, rising when the bugle sounded at 6:00 A.M., reported to work by 7:45, and after a lunch break worked until
4:00 P.M. Late afternoon and evening activities centered on sports and classes. On weekends there was bus service to town or home, or they could attend dances or religious services in the camp. The CCC provided two sets of clothes and plenty of food; discipline was maintained by the threat of "dishonorable discharge." There were no reported revolts or strikes. "This is a training station we're going to leave morally and physically fit to lick 'Old Man Depression,'" boasted the newsletter of a North Carolina camp. The U.S. Army operated the camps, using 3000 reserve personnel called to active duty. The Army thereby gained valuable experience in handling large numbers of young men, but there was no military drill or training in the camps, and the work projects were civilian in nature. Eventually over 4,000 camps were established in all 48 states and in the Hawaii and Alaska territories, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. The first camp was at George Washington National Forest in Virginia. The 200,000 black enrollees were segregated, but received equal pay and housing. (There were some integrated camps in New England.) Secretary of the Interior Harold Ickes pressured Director Fechner to appoint blacks to supervisory positions such as education director in the 143 segregated camps.

Initially, the CCC was limited to young men age 18 to 25 whose fathers were on relief. Two exceptions to the age limits were Indians and veterans, who had a special CCC program and their own camps. In 1937, Congress changed the age limits to 17 to 23 years old, and dropped the requirement that enrollees be on relief.