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Issue Papers - California Ecology Corps
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Ronald Reagan Presidential Library
Digital Library Collections
This is a PDF of a folder from our textual collections.
Collection: Reagan, Ronald: Gubernatorial Papers,
1966-74: Press Unit
Folder Title: Issue Papers - California Ecology Corps
Box: P30
To see more digitized collections visit:
https://reaganlibrary.gov/archives/digital-library
To see all Ronald Reagan Presidential Library inventories visit:
https://reaganlibrary.gov/document-collection
Contact a reference archivist at: [email protected]
Citation Guidelines: https://reaganlibrary.gov/citing
National Archives Catalogue: https://catalog.archives.gov/
Caly Ecology Carp
State of California
Resources Agency
Department of Conservation
THE CALIFORNIA ECOLOGY CORPS
The California Ecology Corps is the solution Governor Reagan has adopted to
meet California's continuing need for a reserve of trained manpower to con-
front the ravages of wildland fire and to meet this State's commitment for
preserving the environment.
The Corps was officially established in an Executive Order (see Attachment
A) issued by Governor Reagan on April 27, 1971. That event marked the
beginning of the Corps as a legal entity, but it was by no means the first
step.
To find the first step we must go back in time more than 20 years ago when
California's conservation camp program was inaugurated and even before that,
back many decades to the days when state and county fire wardens conscripted
citizens off the street or out of a sawmill to fight forest fires. In the
intervening years, science has produced modern methods of fire control and
fire suppression, but these new tools have not eliminated the need for
trained manpower in organized crews.
Over the years, the Division of Forestry, the State's wildland firefighting
force, has of necessity increased in efficiency and in manpower. Today,
some 3,000 men, whose job it is to meet the challenges of the wildland fires,
are on the State's payroll. This force is augmented each summer by 1,800
Presented by James G. Stearns, Director, California Department of Conservation,
before the Assembly Committee on Efficiency and Cost Control, Sacramento,
California, April 4, 1972.
young men who are employed as seasonal firefighters. Together, they man the
fire stations, bulldozer crews and air bases that are three of the basic
components available to us for wildland firefighting.
Conservation Camp Program
In the late 1940's, the need for trained hand crews became evident to the
State's professional wildland firefighters as the fourth component. In
cooperation with the State Department of Corrections and the California
Youth Authority, the conservation camp program became a reality and was
formally organized.
This program enabled foresters to utilize minimum security inmates as fire-
fighting hand crews and to assist in the construction of our fire defense
system, working out of a new camp environment in the State's forest lands.
Working with the leadership of forestry personnel, the inmates have proven
to be a tremendous asset.
And then came social changes -- and new concepts in penology and dealing
with prison inmates. A new probation subsidy program was initiated in 1966,
providing for payment to the counties on a per-case basis SO that county
probation staffs could be beefed up and the less serious felons who formerly
ended up in conservation camps could be dealt with at home.
Since the probation subsidy program started in 1966, the prison population --
and, of course the camp population -- began to decrease rather rapidly. In
recent years, the prison population had dropped from 28,800 to under 20,000,
as of this week.
-2-
A study was conducted in 1970-71 to find the alternative manpower sources
necessary to replace the dwindling camp population. A partial solution
was to contract with counties to use local prisoners to provide the man-
power. (San Diego County now supplies manpower for two camps; another
camp will soon be manned by county prisoners from Shasta and four other
northern California counties.)
As this narration indicates, the Department of Conservation was faced with
a problem, and with an obligation to find broader solutions.
California Ecology Corps is ONE of the solutions. But it is more than
that: it is a unique experiment in bringing concerned young men into the
field of conservation in this State to provide the work experience and job
training that can open career doors in many conservation fields.
The Problem Becomes Acute
Although we in the Department of Conservation had long been aware that
some day the conservation camp program would no longer provide the total
answer to the manpower reserve problem, and although we had been searching
for alternatives for a long time, the need became acute just over a year
ago when, simply stated, there were not enough inmates to adequately man
the camps then in existence. Looking at the program as it then existed,
it was obvious, from a purely financial point of view, that as many as
five of the conservation camps must be closed by June 30, 1971. That
prospect was not satisfactory to Governor Reagan or to the Legislature.
The question remained -- what shall we do?
-3-
In our earlier examination, we had thought of some type of program where
young men who had completed their high schooling and yet who had not
decided where their lives would lead them could serve for, hopefully, up
to two years. Such a program, we decided, would be patterned after
experiences in other programs we have administered using young men;
except that we would have these young people in our employ on a year-
around basis rather than just during the critical months that we know as
the "fire season." On the other hand, we knew that this program would
augment the conservation camp program to the extent that the young men
would engage in a variety of ecology and conservation-related work
projects similar to the federal government's Civilian Conservation Corps
of the pre-World War II era, including work on federal land where inmates
can only work on an emergency basis.
Thus, with this concept in mind and the problem at hand, the California
Ecology Corps became a fact. To implement a new program would obviously
require considerable attention to detail, including recruitment. We
asked ourselves, "Where can we find young men who are readily accessible,
who are unemployed, and who could be put to work quickly within the
limits of funds available to us"?
It was at this point that we turned to the Selective Service System and
specifically to those with conscientious objector classification.
Conscientious Objectors
Let me remind you that the Executive Order signed by Governor Reagan and
subsequently ratified by the Legislature as part of the Budget Act of
1971 did not limit the California Ecology Corps to conscientious objectors.
-4-
The language of the Executive Order does not, in fact, set forth any
qualifications for persons employed in the program.
Nevertheless, we did ask that the Corps be designed as alternate service
for young men who had been classified as conscientious objectors by
local draft boards. Conscientious objector officials from the California
headquarters of the Selective Service System studied our request and
visited the facilities we proposed to use to house the Corpsmen. Dr.
Curtis Tarr, Director of the Selective Service System in Washington, D.C.,
also made a personal inspection trip, as did various representatives of
conscientious objector associations.
In the spring of 1971 there were approximately 5,000 consicentious ob-
jectors in California, and many of them were looking for alternate ser-
vice. Alternate service, incidentally, is easily defined as a 24-month
period when conscientious objectors must work for a non-profit or public
service agency, thus serving a time comparable to the time a draftee into
the armed services must serve.
And so to meet the immediate problem, namely the prospect of closing five
conservation camps, we had a program and we had an immediate source from
which to recruit. In the meantime, we had arrived at satisfactory
arrangements offsetting the additional costs of the new program (camp
overhead, corpsmen pay and subsistence) through cooperative agreements
with other conservation agencies of the State and federal governments.
Basically, these agreements allowed the Department of Conservation to
charge the other agencies on a man-day basis for the environmental and
conservation work to be done by the new California Ecology Corps. The net
-5-
cost of the Ecology Corps to the State of California in 1972-73 is
budgeted at $814,398 based on a corpsman population of 340. (See Attach-
ment B for a list of projects; see Attachment C for budget summary.)
The agreements were negotiated; and we decided to convert inmate-manned
conservation camps in Humboldt, Tehama, and Calaveras counties into
centers to house the new Ecology Corps. These sites were selected be-
cause they were the closest to the work projects that were the subject
of the various agreements that had been negotiated. (A fourth center
was later added in Inyo County.)
Draft Law Expires
We set July 1, 1971, as the date to officially launch the Ecology Corps;
but, as it turned out, this was not a good day insofar as the Nation's
draft law was concerned. The law expired on that date, and it would be
months before Congress would agree on a new law. In the meantime, al-
though many of the conscientious objectors did respond and select the
California Ecology Corps as their alternate service, many others con-
cluded that in the absence of a draft law, they were under no selective
service obligation whatsoever. Consequently, we did not fulfill our
earlier expectation of quickly filling the new Ecology Centers with
minimums of 80 men each.
The availability of conscientious objectors remains questionable.
Despite this, there is no plan to phase conscientious objectors out of
the California Ecology Corps, but rather continue the Corps as qualified
alternate service for those who volunteer.
-6-
Recruitment Expanded
On December 1, 1971, in keeping with the original concept of the Corps, I
authorized the recruitment of any qualified young men for six-month en-
listments; and this meant that we would no longer rely solely on our
original source for recruitment, the conscientious objectors. We have
been successful in the weeks since December 1 in recruiting young men
and more than doubling the size of the Corps. The attached graph
(Attachment D) illustrates our recruitment success, and I particularly
call your attention to the increase since the first of the year. I am
confident that each of the four centers will be at minimum capacity
within a few weeks, thereby giving us at least 340 men.
As of today, there are slightly over 100 corpsmen who are conscientious
objectors. These are men whose average age is 22, who average two years
of college. These are the "seniors" in the program; and the majority
are, and have been, highly-productive and dedicated workers whose extra
effort made the whole idea work.
Many of the newer members of the Corps are in the program as a result of
other forms of recruitment. Some are, for example, young men out of
high school -- and out of work. There are some Vietnam veterans in the
program now, and more are expected.
Benefits and Requirements
Corpsmen are not regular state employees: they are exempt contractees.
They do receive some benefits comparable to our regular employees,
such as vacations, holidays and workmen's compensation insurance. A
comprehensive health benefit program will be implemented August 1, 1972.
-7-
Since the beginning of the program, we have provided Corpsmen with food,
lodging, clothing and personal care items and have paid them $40 each
month. Beginning July 1, 1972, Corpsmen will receive at least $100 per
month plus the other items I have listed. On February 1, the overtime
rate for most emergency work was set at $2.80 per hour.
Corpsmen are entitled to approximately the same grievance procedure as
allowed regular State employees, including the permanent employees of
the Department of Conservation. A Corpsman with a grievance discusses
the problem with his immediate supervisor (generally a crew foreman of
the Division of Forestry) and, failing to receive acceptable adjudication
at this level can appeal to the Center Director, the Corps Administrator,
and ultimately to me.
During the summer fire season, Corpsmen must remain at their duty post
for a continuous five-day period. At other times, they are required to
perform their normal eight-hour work shift, Monday through Friday. These
requirements are not unique to the Ecology Corps, but are the same
requirements applied to all fire station personnel.
Offers Individual Potential
The California Ecology Corps has much to offer the young men who partici-
pate. Educational institutions, such as the North American School of
Conservation and Ecology, for example, are working with us in recruiting
Corpsmen. Several of that school's recent graduates are now Corpsmen
obtaining actual on-the-job experience in ecology and conservation work.
Already, some Corpsmen have gone on to employment for public and private
-8-
environmental agencies, since service in the Corps qualifies as job
experience for civil service examinations and for other employment.
Community colleges are looking at the California Ecology Corps as a
possible supplement to their environmental and forestry curriculum
for the same reasons.
Let me also emphasize the potential the Corps offers the State of
California as a training resource for future employees of the Division
of Forestry, the Department of Parks and Recreation, and other units
of all levels of government concerned with environmental protection.
As I have said, four centers are now in operation. The centers and a
brief description follows:
Tehama Ecology Center. Located 25 miles east of Red Bluff in
Tehama County near the community of Paynes Creek, Corpsmen are
performing a valuable service of habitat improvement on the nearby
Tehama Winter Deer Range for the Department of Fish and Game.
Calaveras Ecology Center. This center, four miles from Angels
Camp, houses Corpsmen who are engaging in numerous conservation
projects in the Sierras for several agencies, primarily the United
States Forest Service, National Park Service, and Department of
Parks and Recreation.
Humboldt Ecology Center. Situated in the midst of California's
State Parks, Corpsmen at this center are performing vital work in
recreational development for our State Park system.
-9-
Inyo Ecology Center. This center is 10 miles from the city of Bishop.
The Corpsmen here will be involved in trail construction and other
conservation projects in the High Sierra for National Park Service,
Bureau of Land Management, and Department of Parks and Recreation.
In addition to the Centers, several spike camps are in operation. Corps-
men assigned to these camps, such as those at the Sequoia-Kings Canyon
National Park Headquarters at Ash Mountain and at E1 Portal near Yosemite
Valley are engaged in special work projects for the National Park Service
except when they are needed for fire dispatch. (Photographs of the
projects are shown in Attachment E.)
The Corpsmen have performed, and performed well, in a wide variety of
projects since July 1, 1971. Representatives of several of the contract-
ing departments have prepared testimony for your information, and a
complete list of current or completed projects as of today is attached.
Beyond its mission in ecology work and emergency firefighting, the Corps
performs yet another valuable service. A skilled, trained mountain
rescue team is now available to local authorities throughout the State
to assist in the rescue of persons trapped in mountainous areas and
cliffs.
There may be some confusion between the role of the California Ecology
Corps and that of the Youth Conservation Corps, established last year,
and/or the California Youth Conservation Corps, which was authorized in
legislation proposed last year by Assemblyman Mobley.
The programs and the concepts are entirely different. The California
Ecology Corps is a permanent year-around program employing men who are
-10-
at least 18 years old. The other programs are primarily designed as a
summer work program for younger people, both boys and girls. Both of
these programs have definite roles in the protection of California's
environment; and, as a matter of fact, each should compliment the work
of the other.
Summary of Comments
To summarize the present situation with the Ecology Corps, I would like
to refer again to the situation the Department found itself in just
about a year ago.
We had five fine state facilities about to be vacated and a continuing
and pressing need for the trained hand crews that have become a part
of the State's resource management and protection system.
A continuing success of the Department of Corrections rehabilitation
program made it plain that it was vitally necessary to establish a work
force of free people to continue these worthwhile public efforts into
the years ahead.
We have succeeded in establishing the Ecology Corps in less than a year
and have found that we can recruit and organize into productive crews
the young men that have participated up to this point. We can look
beyond work projects now contracted for to a substantial expansion in
the program as other public agencies turn to these crews more and more
to accomplish the purposes for which they receive public funds.
The comparison must be drawn when we look to the future with the old
Civilian Conservation Corps we all remember from the depression. That
agency built practically the entire network of roads and trails and
-11-
campgrounds available to the Forest Service and Park Service today, and
opened an area of employment for thousands of young men whose oppor-
tunities were extremely limited. Some of those same men are high in
state government positions today, as they are in conservation agencies
across the country.
With careful management, the Ecology Corps can fulfill those purposes
in California again; and at the same time we can continue our partner-
ships with the Department of Corrections, California Youth Authority,
and the counties to the end that existing facilities can be utilized,
and the vital work can go on. I will say, again, the California
Ecology Corps was developed to make up the difference between the in-
mates and wards available to us and our manpower needs, and not to
supplant them. These proven programs will continue, with the
California Ecology Corps a new and exciting element.
I would ask your support and understanding to that end.
#
#
#
-12-
ATTACHMENT A
EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT
State of California
EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. R-27-71
Preservation and protection of the bountiful resources with which this state
has been enriched demand ever increasing vigil and continuing effort.
To meet this responsibility, it has been determined there is a need for an
organized group of citizens who are willing to join in a common purpose to
conserve California's great natural resources.
Therefore, by virtue of the authority vested in me as Governor of the State
of California, the following is ordered:
Section 1. California Ecology Corps. The California Ecology Corps is hereby
established and shall activate on July 1, 1971. The Corps will be headed by the
Director of Conservation.
Section 2. The Director shall have authority to direct and supervise all
personnel and activities thereof. The Director shall take all actions as may be
necessary to organize the corps so as to carry out the functions and to achieve
the purposes set forth in this order.
Section 3. Functions. The Corps shall:
(1) Recruit and employ members to aid in the maintenance of the natural
ecology and the preservation of the beauty and natural resources of this
state.
(2) Utilize its members in conservation and emergency projects to effect full
utilization and protection of the natural resources for the greatest possible
number of people.
Shall assist in the protection of natural resources, which will include, but will
not be limited to, forests, grasses, vegetation, soil, air, water, wildlife,
recreational and scenic resources.
(3) Assist in fire prevention and fire protection.
Section 4. Cooperation. The corps shall cooperate with all sectors of
government in carrying out its objectives. All state departments shall, whenever
possible or feasible, cooperate with the Corps in the protection of environment
or preservation of natural resources.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Great
Scal of the State of California to be affixed hereto this 27th day of April, 1971.
OF
RONALD REAGAN
GREAT BUREKA THE STATE
Governor of California
THE
Attest:
EDMUND G. BROWN, JR.
CALIFORNIA
Secretary of State
ATTACHMENT B
1
CALIFORNIA ECOLOGY CORPS
1971-72 Fiscal Year
CENTER
PROJECTS
SUPPORTING AGENCY
Humboldt
1. Construct 1,000 pienic tables, 750 camp cupboards, 750 camp stoves,
Calif. Department of Parks
200 fire rings, 750 stove grills, 1,000 assorted signs
and Recreation
2. Construct roadside rest -- 1,400 man days
Calif. Department of Parks
and Recreation
3. Construct 75-unit campground.
Calif. Department of Parks
and Recreation
4. San Simeon State Beach - expand camping facilities.
Office of Architecture and
Construction
Tehama
1. Rehabilitation of the Tehama Winter Deer Range, including spring
development, big game water guzzlers, Ishi fire road construction
Calif. Department of Fish
and fence building.
and Game
2. Construct big game water guzzlers with exclosures in Modoc County.
Calif. Department of Fish
and Game
3. Mechanical and hand drill planting of browse species (brush) for
interstate deer herd and rehabilitation of burned over area in
Calif. Department of Fish
Modoc County. (Snag falling and planting.)
and Game
4. Lopping mountain mahogany for re-sprouting deer browse on Hot Creek
Calif. Department of Fish
Ridge, Shasta County.
and Game
5. Flood control maintenance on Sacramento River - Colusa area.
Department of Water Resources
Calaveras
1. Road stabilization -- water drains, culverts, and berms
Stanislaus National Forest
2. Timber stand improvement -- brushing, clearing.
Stanislaus National Forest
3. Fuel break construction.
Stanislaus National Forest
4. Lake boundary cleanup.
Stanislaus National Forest
Page 2
CENTER
PROJECTS
SUPPORTING AGENCY
Calaveras
5. Cover type conversion -- range improvement, construct pre-attack road
(Cont.)
signs
Stanislaus National Forest
6. Fire station and fire access road maintenance.
Calif. Division of Forestry
7. Water system maintenance.
Calif. Division of Forestry
8. Construct nursery potting flats and shipping tops.
Calif. Division of Forestry
9. Surplus property acquisition and distribution.
Calif. Division of Forestry
10. Mountain rescue training
Calif. Division of Forestry
11. Training and development of visual aids for Fire Academy
Calif. Division of Forestry
12. Mapping for water pollution control and soil study classification
Calif. Division of Forestry
13. Campground maintenance
El Dorado National Forest
14. Beach cleanup -- Lake Tahoe
El Dorado National Forest
15. Slip planting for Genetics Lab (Lab located in Placerville)
E1 Dorado National Forest
16. Fertilizing plants for seed and soil experiments.
El Dorado National Forest
17. On site planting -- storing and shipping seedlings.
El Dorado National Forest
18. Hazard reduction -- tree removal.
Sequioa-Kings Canyon N. P.
19. Campground cleanup.
Sequioa-Kings Canyon N. P.
20. Hogan Reservior Recreation area development.
Corps of Engineers
21. Tree planting -- Kaweah Reservoir.
Corps of Engineers
Page 3
CENTER
PROJECTS
SUPPORTING AGENCY
Calaveras
22. Trail maintenance -- fire break construction, campground cleanup,
Calif. Department of Parks
(Cont.)
Calaveras Big Trees State Park.
and Recreation
23. Emergency snow removal
Calif. Division of Highways
Inyo
1. White Mountain Research Station maintenance and operations
U. C. Riverside
2. Construct three dams on Owens River for fish habitat improvement
Calif. Department of Fish
and Game
3. Pup fish sanctuary development
Calif. Department of Fish
and Game
4. Construct drift fences on Tule Elk winter range.
Calif. Department of Fish
and Game
5. Stream improvements.
Bureau of Land Management
6. Water development;, campground improvement, trail construction in
New York Mountain area.
Bureau of Land Management
7. Campground development
County of Inyo
8. Water development, campground improvement, trail work Death Valley National Monument
9. Restoration of Ghost Town Bodie.
Calif. Department of Parks
and Recreation
ATTACHMENT C
1972-73
LINE ITEM DETAIL
BUDGET FOR ECOLOGY CENTERS
APRIL 1, 1972
Humboldt
Tehama
Calaveras
Inyo
Total
Ecology
Ecology
Ecology
Ecology
All
PERSONAL SERVICES
Center
Center
Center
Center
Centers
Salaries & Wages
Forest Ranger II
(1)
14,114
(1)
14,114
(1)
14,114
(1)
14,113
(4)
56,455
Fire Crew Foreman
(5)
59,258
(5)
59,258
(5)
59,258
(6)
71,110
(21)
248,884
Heavy Fire Equip. Oper.
(1)
10,878
(1)
10,878
(1)
10,878
(1)
10,878
(4)
43,512
Forestry Cook II
(2)
15,088
(2)
15,088
(2)
15,088
(.5)
3,772
(6.5)
49,036
Total Salaries & Wages
(9) 99,338
(9)
99,338
(9)
99,338
(8.5) 99,873
(35.5) 397,887
Staff Benefits
Retirement (Staff Only)
14,900
14,900
14,900
14,980
59,680
Health & Welfare
(Staff Only)
1,728
1,728
1,728
1,632
6,816
Workmen's Comp. (Staff)
1,818
1,818
1,818
1,828
7,282
Workmen's Comp. (Corpsmen)
9,000
9,000
12,000
9,000
39,000
Total Staff Benefits
27,446
27,446
30,446
27,440
112,778
Total, Personal Services
126,784
126,784
129,784
127,313
510,665
OPERATING EXPENSES AND
EQUIPMENT
General Expense
8,000
8,000
8,100
8,000
32,100
Small Tools
891
891
1,518
891
4,191
Housing
3,726
3,726
6,348
6,348
20,148
Oper. Supp. & Exp.
891
891
1,518
1,518
4,818
Communications
1,215
1,215
2,070
2,070
6,570
Travel-in-State
1,377
1,377
2,346
2,346
7,446
Motor Vehicle Oper.
18,063
18,063
30,774
30,774
97,674
Emp. Relocation
480
480
840
480
2,280
Utilities
10,692
10,692
18,216
18,216
57,816
Recreation & Lib. Supp.
972
972
1,656
972
4,572
Repair & Maint. of Fac.
4,293
4,293
7,314
7,314
23,214
Subsistence
42,300
42,300
56,400
42,300
183,300
Corpsmen Clothing
13,950
13,950
18,600
13,950
60,450
Medical & Dental Supp.
1,782
1,782
3,036
1,782
8,382
Search & Rescue
-
-
2,000
2,000
4,000
Corpsman Pay
36,775
36,775
45,970
36,775
156,295
Exp. Acct. Property
1,000
1,000
1,000
1,000
4,000
Equipment
8,744
8,744
8,744
8,745
34,977
Total O. E. & E.
155,151
155,151
216,450
185,481
712,233
Gross Total Cost
281,935
281,935
346,234
312,794
1,222,898
Reimbursements
-104,000
-104,000
-120,000
-80,500
-408,500
Net Total Cost
177,935
177,935
226,234
232,294
814,398
B&SO
CONTUI
California Ecology Corps
Division of Forestry
July 1971 -- April 1972
Conservation Camps
July 1970 -- April 1972
340
2:
300
2
2
250
19
18
200
11
16
150
15
14
100
1
12
50
11
10
0
J
A
S
0
N
D
J
F
M
A
J A S 0 N D J F M A M J J A S 0 N D J F M A
1971
1972
1970
97
972
The California Ecology Corps in fotos
ECOLOGY
CORPS
Mountain rescue training
climbing, and will be given additional training in
cold weather survival, snow and ice-field climbing,
and cross-country skiing. They will also be trained
Members of the Ecology Corps' new mountain
in first aid and follow-up field medical treatment, as
rescue team have been going through an intensive
well as litter handling.
training program which will eventually prepare them
Operating out of the Calaveras Ecology Center,
to handle rescue missions in difficult terrain and
the mountain rescue team will be available to public
under all-weather conditions.
agencies, statewide, for rescue missions in any of
Rescue team members have already received
California's rugged terrain, but especially in the
professional instruction in both free and aid rock
Sierra-Nevada range.
Timber stand
improvement
and fuel break
construction
Corpsmen working for the
Stanislaus National Forest have
been engaged primarily in tim-
ber stand improvement and fuel
break construction.
Timber stand improvement
involves thinning overcrowded
timber stands to promote better
tree growth, clearing brush from
areas to be planted as timber
plantations, and disposing of
road-side slash with motorized
chippers.
The construction of fuel
breaks generally involves clear-
ing a swath of brush from
alongside fire access roads. Fuel
breaks provide an early defense
against wildland fires.
Instructing COD trainees
BOX FILMS THE
Four corpsmen were given a tem-
porary assignment this January to in-
struct Career Opportunity Develop-
ment trainees attending a five week
session at the Division of Forestry
Fire Academy in lone.
Utilizing special program learning
aids, the corpsmen helped the C.O.D.
trainees review high school level
course material in English, mathe-
matics and physical sciences.
Fire road
construction
A major project at the Tehama
Ecology Center has been constructing
the Ishi road, an unpaved all vehicle
road that will serve both as a major
fire access road and as a major link
into the Tehama Winter Deer Range.
Corpsmen on the project are en-
gaged drilling blasting holes, and con-
structing culverts and header walls
around the culverts.
Constructing
camp ground equipment
Corpsmen working in the carpen-
try shop at the Humboldt Ecology
Center are presently constructing pic-
nic tables and camp cupboards for
the State Department of Parks and
Recreation.
The carpentry shop will also pro-
duce assorted signs for the Depart-
ment of Parks and Recreation.
Campsite development
At the Humboldt Ecology
Center, there are two crews of
corpsmen assigned to campsite
development at Benbow Lake
State Park.
Funded by the State De-
partment of Parks and Recrea-
tion, the project involves clear-
ing the land, leveling campsites,
installing pipe lines, building
fences, and constructing roads
and parking areas.
Corpsmen are also engaged
in removing hazardous limbs,
snags and dead trunks that
might endanger children playing
in the park; thinning trees to
make the campsites more access-
able for campers, and construc-
ting gates and log banks to pre-
vent cars from parking
improperly.
CEC
GREAT BUREKA OF STATE
News from the Department of Conservation
State of California - Resources Agency 1416 Ninth Street, Sacramento, California 95814
CALIFORNIA
For further information call:
Jerry Newton
Office of Information (916) 445-7228
Date:
April 4, 1972
FOR RELEASE: Today
Memo to Editors:
Attached is the text of testimony to be delivered before a meeting of
the Assembly Committee on Efficiency and Cost Control at 1:45 p.m.
Tuesday, April 4, in Room 6028 of the State Capitol. The topic is the
California Ecology Corps. The speaker will be James G. Stearns,
Director of the Department of Conservation, the department that administers
the California Ecology Corps.
Director Stearns has headed the department since 1967, when he was
appointed by Governor Reagan. He is a former Modoc County supervisor.
CONSERVATION IS WISE USE-KEEP CALIFORNIA GREEN AND GOLDEN
State of California
Resources Agency
Department of Conservation
THE CALIFORNIA ECOLOGY CORPS
The California Ecology Corps is the solution Governor Reagan has adopted to
meet California's continuing need for a reserve of trained manpower to con-
front the ravages of wildland fire and to meet this State's commitment for
preserving the environment.
:
The Corps was officially established in an Executive Order (see Attachment
A) issued by Governor Reagan on April 27, 1971. That event marked the
beginning of the Corps as a legal entity, but it was by no means the first
step.
To find the first step we must go back in time more than 20 years ago when
California's conservation camp program was inaugurated and even before that,
back many decades to the days when state and county fire wardens conscripted
citizens off the street or out of a sawmill to fight forest fires. In the
intervening years, science has produced modern methods of fire control and
fire suppression, but these new tools have not eliminated the need for
trained manpower in organized crews.
Over the years, the Division of Forestry, the State's wildland firefighting
force, has of necessity increased in efficiency and in manpower. Today,
some 3,000 men, whose job it is to meet the challenges of the wildland fires,
are on the State's payroll. This force is augmented each summer by 1,800
Presented by James G. Stearns, Director, California Department of Conservation,
before the Assembly Committee on Efficiency and Cost Control, Sacramento,
California, April 4, 1972.
young men who are employed as seasonal firefighters. Together, they man the
fire stations, bulldozer crews and air bases that are three of the basic
components available to us for wildland firefighting.
Conservation Camp Program
In the late 1940's, the need for trained hand crews became evident to the
State's professional wildland firefighters as the fourth component. In
cooperation with the State Department of Corrections and the California
Youth Authority, the conservation camp program became a reality and was
formally organized.
This program enabled foresters to utilize minimum security inmates as fire-
fighting hand crews and to assist in the construction of our fire defense
system, working out of a new camp environment in the State's forest lands.
Working with the leadership of forestry personnel, the inmates have proven
to be a tremendous asset.
And then came social changes - and new concepts in penology and dealing
with prison inmates. A new probation subsidy program was initiated in 1966,
providing for payment to the counties on a per-case basis so that county
probation staffs could be beefed up and the less serious felons who formerly
ended up in conservation camps could be dealt with at home.
Since the probation subsidy program started in 1966, the prison population --
and, of course the camp population -- began to decrease rather rapidly. In
recent years, the prison population had dropped from 28,800 to under 20,000,
as of this week.
-2-
A study was conducted in 1970-71 to find the alternative manpower sources
necessary to replace the dwindling camp population. A partial solution
was to contract with counties to use local prisoners to provide the man-
power. (San Diego County now supplies manpower for two camps; another
camp will soon be manned by county prisoners from Shasta and four other
northern California counties.)
As this narration indicates, the Department of Conservation was faced with
a problem, and with an obligation to find broader solutions.
California Ecology Corps is ONE of the solutions. But it is more than
that: it is a unique experiment in bringing concerned young men into the
field of conservation in this State to provide the work experience and job
training that can open career doors in many conservation fields.
The Problem Becomes Acute
Although we in the Department of Conservation had long been aware that
some day the conservation camp program would no longer provide the total
answer to the manpower reserve problem, and although we had been searching
for alternatives for a long time, the need became acute just over a year
ago when, simply stated, there were not enough inmates to adequately man
the camps then in existence. Looking at the program as it then existed,
it was obvious, from a purely financial point of view, that as many as
five of the conservation camps must be closed by June 30, 1971. That
prospect was not satisfactory to Governor Reagan or to the Legislature.
The question remained -- what shall we do?
-3-
In our earlier examination, we had thought of some type of program where
young men who had completed their high schooling and yet who had not
decided where their lives would lead them could serve for, hopefully, up
to two years. Such a program, we decided, would be patterned after
experiences in other programs we have administered using young men;
except that we would have these young people in our employ on a year-
around basis rather than just during the critical months that we know as
the "fire season.' On the other hand, we knew that this program would
augment the conservation camp program to the extent that the young men
would engage in a variety of ecology and conservation-related work
projects similar to the federal government's Civilian Conservation Corps
of the pre-World War II era, including work on federal land where inmates
can only work on an emergency basis.
Thus, with this concept in mind and the problem at hand, the California
Ecology Corps became a fact. To implement a new program would obviously
require considerable attention to detail, including recruitment. We
asked ourselves, "Where can we find young men who are readily accessible,
who are unemployed, and who could be put to work quickly within the
limits of funds available to us"?
It was at this point that we turned to the Selective Service System and
specifically to those with conscientious objector classification.
Conscientious Objectors
Let me remind you that the Executive Order signed by Governor Reagan and
subsequently ratified by the Legislature as part of the Budget Act of
1971 did not limit the California Ecology Corps to conscientious objectors.
-4-
The language of the Executive Order does not, in fact, set forth any
qualifications for persons employed in the program.
Nevertheless, we did ask that the Corps be designed as alternate service
for young men who had been classified as conscientious objectors by
local draft boards. Conscientious objector officials from the California
headquarters of the Selective Service System studied our request and
visited the facilities we proposed to use to house the Corpsmen. Dr.
Curtis Tarr, Director of the Selective Service System in Washington, D.C.,
also made a personal inspection trip, as did various representatives of
conscientious objector associations.
In the spring of 1971 there were approximately 5,000 consicentious ob-
jectors in California, and many of them were looking for alternate ser-
vice. Alternate service, incidentally, is easily defined as a 24-month
period when conscientious objectors must work for a non-profit or public
service agency, thus serving a time comparable to the time a draftee into
the armed services must serve.
And so to meet the immediate problem, namely the prospect of closing five
conservation camps, we had a program and we had an immediate source from
which to recruit. In the meantime, we had arrived at satisfactory
arrangements offsetting the additional costs of the new program (camp
overhead, corpsmen pay and subsistence) through cooperative agreements
with other conservation agencies of the State and federal governments.
Basically, these agreements allowed the Department of Conservation to
charge the other agencies on a man-day basis for the environmental and
conservation work to be done by the new California Ecology Corps. The net
-5-
cost of the Ecology Corps to the State of California in 1972-73 is
budgeted at $814,398 based on a corpsman population of 340. (See Attach-
ment B for a list of projects; see Attachment C for budget summary.)
The agreements were negotiated; and we decided to convert inmate-manned
conservation camps in Humboldt, Tehama, and Calaveras counties into
centers to house the new Ecology Corps. These sites were selected be-
cause they were the closest to the work projects that were the subject
of the various agreements that had been negotiated. (A fourth center
was later added in Inyo County.)
Draft Law Expires
We set July 1, 1971, as the date to officially launch the Ecology Corps;
but, as it turned out, this was not a good day insofar as the Nation's
draft law was concerned. The law expired on that date, and it would be
months before Congress would agree on a new law. In the meantime, al-
though many of the conscientious objectors did respond and select the
California Ecology Corps as their alternate service, many others con-
cluded that in the absence of a draft law, they were under no selective
service obligation whatsoever. Consequently, we did not fulfill our
earlier expectation of quickly filling the new Ecology Centers with
minimums of 80 men each.
The availability of conscientious objectors remains questionable.
Despite this, there is no plan to phase conscientious objectors out of
the California Ecology Corps, but rather continue the Corps as qualified
alternate service for those who volunteer.
-6-
Recruitment Expanded
On December 1, 1971, in keeping with the original concept of the Corps, I
authorized the recruitment of any qualified young men for six-month en-
listments; and this meant that we would no longer rely solely on our
original source for recruitment, the conscientious objectors. We have
been successful in the weeks since December 1 in recruiting young men
and more than doubling the size of the Corps. The attached graph
(Attachment D) illustrates our recruitment success, and I particularly
call your attention to the increase since the first of the year. I am
confident that each of the four centers will be at minimum capacity
within a few weeks, thereby giving us at least 340 men.
As of today, there are slightly over 100 corpsmen who are conscientious
objectors. These are men whose average age is 22, who average two years
of college. These are the "seniors" in the program; and the majority
are, and have been, highly-productive and dedicated workers whose extra
effort made the whole idea work.
Many of the newer members of the Corps are in the program as a result of
other forms of recruitment. Some are, for example, young men out of
high school -- and out of work. There are some Vietnam veterans in the
program now, and more are expected.
Benefits and Requirements
Corpsmen are not regular state employees: they are exempt contractees.
They do receive some benefits comparable to our regular employees,
such as vacations, holidays and workmen's compensation insurance. A
comprehensive health benefit program will be implemented August 1, 1972.
-7-
Since the beginning of the program, we have provided Corpsmen with food,
lodging, clothing and personal care items and have paid them $40 each
month. Beginning July 1, 1972, Corpsmen will receive at least $100 per
month plus the other items I have listed. On February 1, the overtime
rate for most emergency work was set at $2.80 per hour.
Corpsmen are entitled to approximately the same grievance procedure as
allowed regular State employees, including the permanent employees of
the Department of Conservation. A Corpsman with a grievance discusses
the problem with his immediate supervisor (generally a crew foreman of
the Division of Forestry) and, failing to receive acceptable adjudication
at this level can appeal to the Center Director, the Corps Administrator,
and ultimately to me.
During the summer fire season, Corpsmen must remain at their duty post
for a continuous five-day period. At other times, they are required to
perform their normal eight-hour work shift, Monday through Friday. These
requirements are not unique to the Ecology Corps, but are the same
requirements applied to all fire station personnel.
Offers Individual Potential
The California Ecology Corps has much to offer the young men who partici-
pate. Educational institutions, such as the North American School of
Conservation and Ecology, for example, are working with us in recruiting
Corpsmen. Several of that school's recent graduates are now Corpsmen
obtaining actual on-the-job experience in ecology and conservation work.
Already, some Corpsmen have gone on to employment for public and private
-8-
environmental agencies, since service in the Corps qualifies as job
experience for civil service examinations and for other employment.
Community colleges are looking at the California Ecology Corps as a
possible supplement to their environmental and forestry curriculum
for the same reasons.
Let me also emphasize the potential the Corps offers the State of
California as a training resource for future employees of the Division
of Forestry, the Department of Parks and Recreation, and other units
of all levels of government concerned with environmental protection.
As I have said, four centers are now in operation. The centers and a
brief description follows:
Tehama Ecology Center. Located 25 miles east of Red Bluff in
Tehama County near the community of Paynes Creek, Corpsmen are
performing a valuable service of habitat improvement on the nearby
Tehama Winter Deer Range for the Department of Fish and Game.
Calaveras Ecology Center. This center, four miles from Angels
Camp, houses Corpsmen who are engaging in numerous conservation
projects in the Sierras for several agencies, primarily the United
States Forest Service, National Park Service, and Department of
Parks and Recreation.
Humboldt Ecology Center. Situated in the midst of California's kind
State Parks, Corpsmen at this center are performing vital work in
recreational development for our State Park system.
-9-
Inyo Ecology Center. This center is 10 miles from the city of Bishop.
The Corpsmen here will be involved in trail construction and other
conservation projects in the High Sierra for National Park Service,
Bureau of Land Management, and Department of Parks and Recreation.
In addition to the Centers, several spike camps are in operation. Corps-
men assigned to these camps, such as those at the Sequoia-Kings Canyon
National Park Headquarters at Ash Mountain and at E1 Portal near Yosemite
Valley are engaged in special work projects for the National Park Service
except when they are needed for fire dispatch. (Photographs of the
projects are shown in Attachment E.)
The Corpsmen have performed, and performed well, in a wide variety of
projects since July 1, 1971. Representatives of several of the contract-
ing departments have prepared testimony for your information, and a
complete list of current or completed projects as of today is attached.
Beyond its mission in ecology work and emergency firefighting, the Corps
performs yet another valuable service. A skilled, trained mountain
rescue team is now available to local authorities throughout the State
to assist in the rescue of persons trapped in mountainous areas and
cliffs.
There may be some confusion between the role of the California Ecology
Corps and that of the Youth Conservation Corps, established last year,
and/or the California Youth Conservation Corps, which was authorized in
legislation proposed last year by Assemblyman Mobley.
The programs and the concepts are entirely different. The California
Ecology Corps is a permanent year-around program employing men who are
-10-
at least 18 years old. The other programs are primarily designed as a
summer work program for younger people, both boys and girls. Both of
these programs have definite roles in the protection of California's
environment; and, as a matter of fact, each should compliment the work
of the other.
Summary of Comments
To summarize the present situation with the Ecology Corps, I would like
to refer again to the situation the Department found itself in just
about a year ago.
We had five fine state facilities about to be vacated and a continuing
and pressing need for the trained hand crews that have become a part
of the State's resource management and protection system.
A continuing success of the Department of Corrections rehabilitation
program made it plain that it was vitally necessary to establish a work
force of free people to continue these worthwhile public efforts into
the years ahead.
We have succeeded in establishing the Ecology Corps in less than a year
and have found that we can recruit and organize into productive crews
the young men that have participated up to this point. We can look
beyond work projects now contracted for to a substantial expansion in
the program as other public agencies turn to these crews more and more
to accomplish the purposes for which they receive public funds.
The comparison must be drawn when we look to the future with the old
Civilian Conservation Corps we all remember from the depression. That
agency built practically the entire network of roads and trails and
-11-
campgrounds available to the Forest Service and Park Service today, and
opened an area of employment for thousands of young men whose oppor-
tunities were extremely limited. Some of those same men are high in
state government positions today, as they are in conservation agencies
across the country.
With careful management, the Ecology Corps can fulfill those purposes
in California again; and at the same time we can continue our partner-
ships with the Department of Corrections, California Youth Authority,
and the counties to the end that existing facilities can be utilized,
and the vital work can go on. I will say, again, the California
Ecology Corps was developed to make up the difference between the in-
mates and wards available to us and our manpower needs, and not to
supplant them. These proven programs will continue, with the
California Ecology Corps a new and exciting element.
I would ask your support and understanding to that end.
#
#
#
-12-
ATTACHMENT A
EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT
State of California
EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. R-27-71
Preservation and protection of the bountiful resources with which this state
has been enriched demand ever increasing vigil and continuing effort.
To meet this responsibility, it has been determined there is a need for an
organized group of citizens who are willing to join in a common purpose to
conserve California's great natural resources.
Therefore, by virtue of the authority vested in me as Governor of the State
of California, the following is ordered:
Section 1. California Ecology Corps. The California Ecology Corps is hereby
established and shall activate on July 1, 1971. The Corps will be headed by the
Director of Conservation.
Section 2. The Director shall have authority to direct and supervise all
personnel and activities thereof. The Director shall take all actions as may be
necessary to organize the corps so as to carry out the functions and to achieve
the purposes set forth in this order.
Section 3. Functions. The Corps shall:
(1) Recruit and employ members to aid in the maintenance of the natural
ecology and the preservation of the beauty and natural resources of this
state.
(2) Utilize its members in conservation and emergency projects to effect full
utilization and protection of the natural resources for the greatest possible
number of people.
Shall assist in the protection of natural resources, which will include, but will
not be limited to, forests, grasses, vegetation, soil, air, water, wildlife,
recreational and scenic resources.
(3) Assist in fire prevention and fire protection.
Section 4. Cooperation. The corps shall cooperate with all sectors of
government in carrying out its objectives. All state departments shall, whenever
possible or feasible, cooperate with the Corps in the protection of environment
or preservation of natural resources.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Great
Seal of the State of California to be affixed hereto this 27th day of April, 1971.
OF
RONALD REAGAN
Governor of California
Attest:
EDMUND G. BROWN, JR.
CALIFORNIA
Secretary of State
ATTACHMENT B
CALIFORNIA ECOLOGY CORPS
1971-72 Fiscal Year
CENTER
PROJECTS
SUPPORTING AGENCY
Humboldt
1. Construct 1,000 picnic tables, 750 camp cupboards, 750 camp stoves,
Calif. Department of Parks
200 fire rings, 750 stove grills, 1,000 assorted signs.
and Recreation
2. Construct roadside rest -- 1,400 man days
Calif. Department of Parks
and Recreation
3. Construct 75-unit campground.
Calif. Department of Parks
and Recreation
4. San Simeon State Beach - expand camping facilities.
Office of Architecture and
Construction
Tehama
1. Rehabilitation of the Tehama Winter Deer Range, including spring
development, big game water guzzlers, Ishi fire road construction
Calif. Department of Fish
and fence building.
and Game
2. Construct big game water guzzlers with exclosures in Modoc County
Calif. Department of Fish
and Game
3. Mechanical and hand drill planting of browse species (brush) for
interstate deer herd and rehabilitation of burned over area in
Calif. Department of Fish
Modoc County. (Snag falling and planting.)
and Game
4. Lopping mountain mahogany for re-sprouting deer browse on Hot Creek
Calif. Department of Fish
Ridge, Shasta County.
and Game
5. Flood control maintenance on Sacramento River - Colusa area
Department of Water Resources
Calaveras
1. Road stabilization -- water drains, culverts, and berms.
Stanislaus National Forest
2. Timber stand improvement -- brushing, clearing.
Stanislaus National Forest
3. Fuel break construction.
Stanislaus National Forest
4. Lake boundary cleanup.
Stanislaus National Forest
Page 2
CENTER
PROJECTS
SUPPORTING AGENCY
Calaveras
5. Cover type conversion -- range improvement, construct pre-attack road
(Cont.)
signs
Stanislaus National Forest
6. Fire station and fire access road maintenance
Calif. Division of Forestry
7. Water system maintenance
Calif. Division of Forestry
8. Construct nursery potting flats and shipping tops
Calif. Division of Forestry
9. Surplus property acquisition and distribution.
Calif. Division of Forestry
10. Mountain rescue training
Calif. Division of Forestry
11. Training and development of visual aids for Fire Academy
Calif. Division of Forestry
12. Mapping for water pollution control and soil study classification
Calif. Division of Forestry
13. Campground maintenance
El Dorado National Forest
14. Beach cleanup - Lake Tahoe.
El Dorado National Forest
15. Slip planting for Genetics Lab (Lab located in Placerville)
El Dorado National Forest
16. Fertilizing plants for seed and soil experiments.
El Dorado National Forest
17. On site planting -- storing and shipping seedlings.
El Dorado National Forest
18. Hazard reduction -- tree removal.
Sequioa-Kings Canyon N. P.
19. Campground cleanup
Sequioa-Kings Canyon N. P.
20. Hogan Reservior Recreation area development.
Corps of Engineers
21. Tree planting -- Kaweah Reservoir.
Corps of Engineers
Page 3
CENTER
PROJECTS
SUPPORTING AGENCY
Calaveras
22. Trail maintenance -- fire break construction, campground cleanup,
Calif. Department of Parks
(Cont.)
Calaveras Big Trees State Park.
and Recreation
23. Emergency snow removal
Calif. Division of Highways
Inyo
1. White Mountain Research Station maintenance and operations.
U. C. Riverside
2. Construct three dams on Owens River for fish habitat improvement
Calif. Department of Fish
and Game
3. Pup fish sanctuary development.
Calif. Department of Fish
and Game
4. Construct drift fences on Tule Elk winter range.
Calif. Department of Fish
and Game
5. Stream improvements.
Bureau of Land Management
6. Water development, campground improvement, trail construction in
New York Mountain area.
Bureau of Land Management
7. Campground development.
County of Inyo
8. Water development, campground improvement, trail work -- Death Valley National Monument
9. Restoration of Ghost Town -- Bodie.
Calif. Department of Parks
and Recreation
ATTACHMENT C
1972-73
LINE ITEM DETAIL
BUDGET FOR ECOLOGY CENTERS
APRIL 1, 1972
Humboldt
Tehama
Calaveras
Inyo
Total
Ecology
Ecology
Ecology
Ecology
All
PERSONAL SERVICES
Center
Center
Center
Center
Centers
Salaries & Wages
Forest Ranger II
(1)
14,114
(1)
14,114
(1)
14,114
(1)
14,113
(4)
56,455
Fire Crew Foreman
(5)
59,258
(5)
59,258
(5)
59,258
(6)
71,110
(21)
248,884
Heavy Fire Equip. Oper.
(1)
10,878
(1)
10,878
(1)
10,878
(1)
10,878
(4)
43,512
Forestry Cook II
(2)
15,088
(2)
15,088
(2)
15,088
(.5)
3,772
(6.5)
49,036
Total Salaries & Wages
(9)
99,338
(9)
99,338
(9)
99,338
(8.5) 99,873
(35.5)
397,887
Staff Benefits
Retirement (Staff Only)
14,900
14,900
14,900
14,980
59,680
Health & Welfare
(Staff Only)
1,728
1,728
1,728
1,632
6,816
Workmen's Comp. (Staff)
1,818
1,818
1,818
1,828
7,282
Workmen's Comp. (Corpsmen)
9,000
9,000
12,000
9,000
39,000
Total Staff Benefits
27,446
27,446
30,446
27,440
112,778
Total, Personal Services
126,784
126,784
129,784
127,313
510,665
OPERATING EXPENSES AND
EQUIPMENT
General Expense
8,000
8,000
8,100
8,000
32,100
Small Tools
891
891
1,518
891
4,191
Housing
3,726
3,726
6,348
6,348
20,148
Oper. Supp. & Exp.
891
891
1,518
1,518
4,818
Communications
1,215
1,215
2,070
2,070
6,570
Travel-in-State
1.377
1,377
2,346
2,346
7,446
Motor Vehicle Oper.
18,063
18,063
30,774
30,774
97,674
Emp. Relocation
480
480
840
480
2,280
Utilities
10,692
10,692
18,216
18,216
57,816
Recreation & Lib. Supp.
972
972
1,656
972
4,572
Repair & Maint. of Fac.
4,293
4,293
7,314
7,314
23,214
Subsistence
42,300
42,300
56,400
42,300
183,300
Corpsmen Clothing
13,950
13,950
18,600
13,950
60,450
Medical & Dental Supp.
1,782
1,782
3,036
1,782
8,382
Search & Rescue
$
-
2,000
2,000
4,000
Corpsman Pay
36,775
36,775
45,970
36,775
156,295
Exp. Acct. Property
1,000
1,000
1,000
1,000
4,000
Equipment
8,744
8,744
8,744
8,745
34,977
Total O. E. & E.
155,151
155,151
216,450
185,481
712,233
Gross Total Cost
281,935
281,935
346,234
312,794
1,222,898
Reimbursements
-104,000
-104,000
-120,000
-80,500
-408,500
Net Total Cost
177,935
177,935
226,234
232,294
814,398
B&SO
POPULATION TRENDS
California Ecology Corps
Division of Forestry
July 1971 -- April 1972
Conservation Camps
July 1970 -- April 1972
40
220:
00
210
2000
50
1900
1800
:
1700
1600
50
1500
1400
00
1300
1200
50
1100
1000
0
CALIFORNIA
The California Ecology Corps in fotos
ECOLOGY
CORPS
Mountain rescue training
climbing, and will be given additional training in
cold weather survival, snow and ice-field climbing,
and cross-country skiing. They will also be trained
Members of the Ecology Corps' new mountain
in first aid and follow-up field medical treatment, as
rescue team have been going through an intensive
well as litter handling.
training program which will eventually prepare them
Operating out of the Calaveras Ecology Center,
to handle rescue missions in difficult terrain and
the mountain rescue team will be available to public
under all-weather conditions.
agencies, statewide, for rescue missions in any of
Rescue team members have already received
California's rugged terrain, but especially in the
professional instruction in both free and aid rock
Sierra-Nevada range.
Timber stand
improvement
and fuel break
construction
Corpsmen working for the
Stanislaus National Forest have
been engaged primarily in tim-
ber stand improvement and fuel
break construction.
Timber stand improvement
involves thinning overcrowded
timber stands to promote better
tree growth, clearing brush from
areas to be planted as timber
plantations, and disposing of
road-side slash with motorized
chippers.
The construction of fuel
breaks generally involves clear-
ing a swath of brush from
alongside fire access roads. Fuel
breaks provide an early defense
against wildland fires.
Instructing COD trainees
BON FILMI INC
Four corpsmen were given a tem-
porary assignment this January to in-
struct Career Opportunity Develop-
ment trainees attending a five week
session at the Division of Forestry
Fire Academy in lone.
Utilizing special program learning
aids, the corpsmen helped the C.O.D.
trainees review high school level
course material in English, mathe-
matics and physical sciences.
Fire road
construction
A major project at the Tehama
Ecology Center has been constructing
the Ishi road, an unpaved all vehicle
road that will serve both as a major
fire access road and as a major link
into the Tehama Winter Deer Range.
Corpsmen on the project are en-
gaged drilling blasting holes, and con-
structing culverts and header walls
around the culverts.
Constructing
camp ground equipment
Corpsmen working in the carpen-
try shop at the Humboldt Ecology
Center are presently constructing pic-
nic tables and camp cupboards for
the State Department of Parks and
Recreation.
The carpentry shop will also pro-
duce assorted signs for the Depart-
ment of Parks and Recreation.
Campsite development
At the Humboldt Ecology
Center, there are two crews of
corpsmen assigned to campsite
development at Benbow Lake
State Park.
Funded by the State De-
partment of Parks and Recrea-
tion, the project involves clear-
ing the land, leveling campsites,
installing pipe lines, building
fences, and constructing roads
and parking areas.
Corpsmen are also engaged
in removing hazardous limbs,
snags and dead trunks that
might endanger children playing
in the park; thinning trees to
make the campsites more access-
able for campers, and construc-
ting gates and log banks to pre-
vent cars from parking
improperly.
April 5, 1972
Department of Conservation - BRIEFING FOR GOVERNOR - California Ecology Corps
1. Assembly Committee on Efficiency and Cost Control conducted a hearing Tuesday
to determine if the California Ecology Corps is performing as it should and
specifically as provided in the Governor's Executive Order of April 27, 1971,
which created the Corps.
2. Corpsmen from Inyo Ecology Center, one of four in the program, filed a petition
with the Governor on Tuesday complaining about pay and benefits and that projects
of the Corps are not truly ecological in nature.
Response to Pay and Benefits Issue:
Corpsmen pay is $40 monthly, plus subsistence, and will go to $100 on July 1;
a special overtime rate of $2.80 for emergency work has been paid since February 1.
Funds for corpsmen pay come from contracts with other state and federal conservation
agencies; the Department of Conservation assesses $8.50 per man-day and this goes to
$12.50 to cover the pay increase. The man-day charge includes support costs as well as
corpsmen pay.
The Department of Conservation has been attempting to improve the pay situation,
within funds available. The eventual goal is the minimum wage, paid in dollars, and
subsistence.
Medical care in work-related incidents is covered under workmen's compensation
and emergency medical and dental care is provided regardless of the circumstances.
The Department is developing a comprehensive health benefit package which it will
implement August 1. There will be a slight cost to Corpsmen.
Projects:
Corps projects are environmental protection in nature and are consistent
with the life and property-protection mission of the Department of Conservation
and the concept outlined in the Governor's Executive Order.
Corpsmen are doing an excellent job. They have also been adequately trained
to meet the challenge of a critical wildland fire situation, if one should develop
in California this summer.
3. The Assembly Committee hearing concluded with a request by Assemblyman Cullen,
the committee chairman, that the Department provide cost figures involved for
a budget providing the minimum wage for 340 corpsmen; this will be provided
by April 15, 1972.
######
State of California
THE RESOURCES AGENCY OF CALIFORNIA
Memorandum
To
:
Honorable Ronald Reagan
Date
: May 17, 1971
Governor of California
State Capitol
Subject : California
Sacramento, California
Ecology Corps
Attention: Mrs. Nancy Clark Reynolds
From
# Department of Conservation - Office of the Director
Background
California Ecology Corps was established by executive order on April 27 as
a source of trained manpower for various conservation projects, particu-
larly including wildland fire fighting. Conservation camp population has
been steadily decreasing (now at the rate of about 20 per month) and
alternative sources of manpower have been studied. California Ecology
Corps will provide a partial solution.
Activities Since Corps Established
1. Selective Service System has been asked to provide approximately 250
persons classified as conscientious objectors. CO's are required to per-
form 24 months of service "in the national interest;" California Ecology
Corps has been designated as an acceptable alternate service. As of
May 17, the Selective Service System has signed up about 40 volunteers for
the Corps; there should be no difficulty obtaining enough CO's to staff
two or three centers.
2. Plum Creek Conservation Camp (25 miles east of Red Bluff) has been
designated as Tehama Ecology Center. Corpsmen will perform range improve-
ment work on the nearby Tehama Winter Deer Range. Selection of a second
site, Calaveras Ecology Center near Angels Camp (the Vallecito Conservation
Camp) is proposed for announcement by you at your May 18 press conference.
A third site is pending final arrangements (hopefully with the Department
of Parks and Recreation) on funding. This site will probably be the
present High Rock Conservation Camp near Garberville in Humboldt County,
but should not be announced at this time.
3. Joe E. Griggs, a state forest ranger who has recently served as admin-
istrator of the Divisiion of Forestry fire academy at Ione, has been named
by me as project administrator for the Corps. He has had considerable
experience in the camp program.
4. An emblem for the Corps has been designed and made public, via a
presentation to you on May 12.
Honorable Ronald Reagan
-2-
May 17, 1971
Public Reaction
The Corps has been generally well received by the public. Your office and
mine have received about 125 letters and only about 10 percent have been
totally negative. Many have questioned some of the requirements and many
have been critical of the $15 "pay." (The point being that we are trying
to "punish" CO's by setting the "pay" so low.)
I have been on two major radio talk shows originating in Los Angeles; and
there have been numerous press inquiries about the Corps. Newspaper
editorials in papers such as San Diego Union, San Jose Mercury, Santa Rosa
Press Democrat, and the Oakland Tribune have been favorable.
Our requirement for "reasonably short" hair -- purely for fire safety
purposes -- has caused some questions. We are not advocating "butch" or
military cuts; we just want the hair short enough to be contained within
the Corpsman's safety helmet to avoid personal danger. No beards are
permitted for the same reason.
Another topic of some controversy has been "uniforms." Corpsmen will wear
blue jeans, a tan shirt (with the CEC emblem/shoulder patch) and safety
accessories, including boots and helmet. An important reason for this
"uniform appearance" is for instant recognition, particularly during
emergency situations.
Expansion Beyond Conscientious Objectors
We have frequently been asked if persons other than CO's can volunteer.
Our answer is that the initial phase will include only CO's, but we will
accept other applications for the time when the Corps is expanded to
include others; we are not able to say when that will be.
There have been at least a dozen inquiries about volunteering. These have
been from California and also from Tennessee, Illinois, Hawaii, Florida,
and other states. Two girls have inquired. (We do not contemplate a
coeducational ecology center!)
Interest from Other States
Washington, New Mexico, Texas and Oklahoma have requested information
about the California Ecology Corps program. They were sent the basic
information package distributed to the press on April 27.
James G. Stearns, Director
JGS:mr
Enrironment
State of California
Resources Agency
DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION
James G. Stearns, Director
CALIFORNIA ECOLOGY CORPS
PRESS BACKGROUND REPORT
Prepared by Information Office
Department of Conservation
Gerald E. Newton, Information Officer
916-445-7228 or 445-3976
April 27, 1971
CALIFORNIA ECOLOGY CORPS
An all-volunteer California Ecology Corps, with a primary goal
of preserving and protecting California's natural resource
environment, has been established by Governor Ronald Reagan.
The Corps has been designated as "appropriate civilian work"
for young men having conscientious objector status to volunteer
under the Selective Service Act.
Under the direction of the Department of Conservation, and super-
vised by the Division of Forestry, the Corps will engage in a wide
array of conservation projects.
Improving Recreational Opportunities: Working in park areas, the
Corps will engage in such activities as building trails, improving
access to remote areas, improving and developing camp sites, erosion
control and clean-up efforts.
Wildlife Assistance: Deer and game habitat will be improved;
streams cleared to aid natural propagation of fish life and for
flood control; access to remote areas of public game areas will be
improved.
-2-
Forests: The Corps will participate in reforestation projects,
build fuelbreaks, clear streams, work on revegetation projects,
seed burned-over areas, and assist in other programs to improve
California's forests and watersheds.
Although environment protection will be the principal objective
of the Corps, it serves as another valuable asset for the
citizens of California: A ready reserve of trained manpower to
combat the menace of forest fires, floods and other natural dis-
asters. In addition, the Corps will be available to local
authorities for assistance in search and rescue missions.
California already maintains the world's outstanding forest fire-
fighting force -- the Division of Forestry -- but the California
Ecology Corps will provide instant backup service and will be
thoroughly trained in fire control by the Division of Forestry.
In its pilot stages, the Corps will encompass three Ecology Centers
accommodating approximately 80 men each.
Conscientious objectors are those young men who have been so desig-
nated by the Selective Service System as a result of having declared
their conscientious objections to serving in the armed military
service.
-3-
Those so classified, and having met the physical standards of
military service, must complete 24 months of "appropriate
civilian work." The work must be with a non-profit organi-
zation and must be "in the national interest."
The Selective Service System defines "appropriate civilian work"
as service to a government agency or a non-profit corporation
whose activities benefit the general public and do not principally
benefit the organization or governmental entity itself.
The regulations of the Selective Service System also state the
following, in part:
Civilian work which is appropriate to be performed
in lieu of induction into the Armed Forces by
registrants classified in Class I-0 should meet the
criteria prescribed in Section 1660.1 of the Selective
Service Regulations.
Whenever possible, the work should be performed out-
side of the community in which the registrant resides.
The position should be one that cannot readily be
filled from the available competitive labor force, or
from civil service or merit registers of the federal,
state or local governments, and should constitute a
disruption of the registrant's normal way of life
somewhat comparable to the disruption of a registrant
who is inducted into the Armed Forces.
(Source: Paragraph 1, Local Board Memorandum No. 64,
as amended September 12, 1968; issued by National
Headquarters, Selective Service System.
-4-
When a registrant (for the draft) has been classified
in Class I-0 volunteers for civilian work in lieu of
induction (into the military service) and has been
found qualified for service in the Armed Forces, (he)
shall be processed in the same manner as a volunteer
for induction except that, in lieu of induction, he
shall be ordered by the local (draft) board to perform
civilian work.
(Same source as above; Paragraph 2.)
Any registrant who is between the ages of 18 and 26
and who has been classified in Class I-0, or who
claims eligibility for classification in Class I-0,
may volunteer at his local board for civilian work
contributing to the maintenance of the national health,
safety or interest in lieu of induction.
(Source: Section 1660.10, Selective Service System
Regulations.)
Volunteers will apply to their Selective Service Boards for enlistment
in the Corps.
Volunteers will be provided room and board at the Center. Clothing
will also be supplied. Safety standards required of regular fire-
fighters of the Division of Forestry will apply, including reasonably
short hair and an allowance for properly trimmed mustaches.
ECOLOGY CENTERS
The California Ecology Corps will operate out of Ecology Centers.
At this time, the exact locations of the Centers have not been
selected. This is primarily because a determination must first be
-5-
made as to where the bulk of the work programs involving the
Corps will be, and then determining which state-owned facili-
ties are closer to that work. In any event, the Centers will
be former conservation camps, five of which are being phased
out by the State.
####
April 28, 1971
NEWS RELEASE
FOR RELEASE WEDNESDAY, APRIL 28, 1971
Mr. Carlos C. Ogden, State Director of the California Selective
Service System announced today the California Selective Service System
thoroughly endorsed the volunteer California Ecology Corps established by
Governor Ronald Reagan by executive order and announced to the press by the
Governor on Tuesday, April 27, 1971.
Mr. Ogden emphasized this volunteer program will provide con-
scientious objectors with an excellent opportunity to perform a service
that will assist the nation-wide ecology effort and provide the young
participants with a real sense of accomplishment. The Ecology Corps is
not restricted to conscientious objectors but will be open to all qualified
volunteers.
He adds that only conscientious objectors who submit a written
request for this type of service will be assigned to the California Ecology
Corps, which will make it possible to fulfill the 24-month alternate service
obligation as required by the Selective Service Law. If a young man who is
classified as a conscientious objector wishes to participate in this program,
he should direct his inquiry to his local board.
Volunteers for the California Ecology Corps will be assigned and
utilized at ecology centers at conservation facilities located in key forest
and coastal areas,
State of California - The Resources Agency
DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND GAME
DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION
Contact: Jerry E. Newton
916-445-7228 or
445-6650
Date:
April 29, 1971
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
RED BLUFF - An ecology center to house the first group of California
Ecology Corps volunteers will be established 25 miles east of here
near the Tehama Winter Deer Range.
The site, first of several to be chosen, was announced today in Sacramento
by Director James G. Stearns of the State Department of Conservation and
Director G. Ray Arnett of the State Department of Fish and Game.
Ecology corpsmen assigned to the new Tehama Ecology Center will play a
vital role in habitat development on the 46,000-acre Tehama Winter Deer
Range, Arnett said. "We have long desired to complete a rehabilitation of
this valuable wildlife range," Arnett added.
Teams from the center will also be available for summertime wildland fire-
fighting and for other emergencies, such as assistance in search and rescue
efforts in northern California.
MORE
Add 1 - - Ecology Center
First teams of California Ecology Corps -- a unique new program established
Tuesday by Governor Reagan - will report to the center, located near the
Tehama County community of Paynes Creek, about July 1, 1971. Volunteers
from the ranks of conscientious objectors to military duty will be the
first corpsmen.
Facilities at the center have been used since 1960 to house state conserva-
tion camp crews. Although camp crews are in the custody of the State
Department of Corrections, the site has no fences or walls. "About the
only restrictions around here are the 'keep off the grass 1 signs on the
lawn," said Joe E. Griggs, Ecology Corps Project Administrator.
# # #