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FDR, Preserving a President's View


Hyde Park

Dutchess County


FDR, Franklin D. Roosevelt, FDR Historic Site, National Park Service, FDR creates Civilian Conservation Corps, President Franklin D. Roosevelt establishes the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), Great Depression, Roosevelt’s Tree Army, New Deal policies FDR, Preserving a President's View

 
 

FDR, Franklin D. Roosevelt

Click to enlarge "Preserving a President's View" (Interpretive sign at FDR Historic Site)

Click to enlarge photo of Preserving a President's View The sign reads:
Preserving a President's View
James Roosevelt purchased a house on 110 acres alongside the Hudson River in1867. Both he and his son, FDR,cherished the vista from the south lawn, which provided the backdrop for many family, community, and political events. Eventually , this view encompassed the Pounghkeepsie Railroad Bridge (1888) and the Mid-Hudson Bridge (1930).

In 1943 the President wrote a memorandum outlining management of his property once the government took ownership of it. The document included a provision to preserve the vista to the river and to the south and west of the main house. Ironically, as part of his forest management experiments, FDR planted many of the trees that have obscured some of these views.

The land conservation organization Scenic Hudson, working with the National park Service, has led efforts to protect the natural splendor of this areas. They have conserved nearly 1,000 acres to ensure the magnificent vistas you enjoy today in this premier destination.

Source: Scenic Hudson and National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior



FDR creates Civilian Conservation Corps
"On this day in 1933, President Franklin D. Roosevelt establishes the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), an innovative federally funded organization that put thousands of Americans to work during the Great Depression on projects with environmental benefits.

"In 1932, FDR took America’s political helm during the country’s worst economic crisis, declaring a government worthy of its name must make a fitting response to the suffering of the unemployed. He implemented the CCC a little over one month into his presidency as part of his administration’s New Deal plan for social and economic progress. The CCC reflected FDR’s deep commitment to environmental conservation. He waxed poetic when lobbying for the its passage, declaring “the forests are the lungs of our land [which] purify our air and give fresh strength to our people.”

"The CCC, also known as “Roosevelt’s Tree Army,” was open to unemployed, unmarried U.S. male citizens between the ages of 18 and 26. All recruits had to be healthy and were expected to perform hard physical labor. Blacks were placed in de-facto segregated camps, although administrators denied the practice of discrimination. Enlistment in the program was for a minimum of 6 months; many re-enlisted after their first term. Participants were paid $30 a month and often given supplemental basic and vocational education while they served. Under the guidance of the Departments of the Interior and Agriculture, CCC employees fought forest fires, planted trees, cleared and maintained access roads, re-seeded grazing lands and implemented soil-erosion controls. They built wildlife refuges, fish-rearing facilities, water storage basins and animal shelters. To encourage citizens to get out and enjoy America’s natural resources, FDR authorized the CCC to build bridges and campground facilities. From 1933 to 1942, the CCC employed over 3 million men.

"Of Roosevelt’s many New Deal policies, the CCC is considered by many to be one of the most enduring and successful. It provided the model for future state and federal conservation programs. In 1942, Congress discontinued appropriations for the CCC, diverting the desperately needed funds to the effort to win World War II."
Source:
www.History.com

Press blue button for more about FDR and the Civilian Conservation Corps.

For a day filled with the glorious history of the FDR Presidency; visit FDR's home and Presidential Library, where you will be taken back to the era of the Great Depression. Learn how FDR guided a country out of the depression and into prosperity. Visit the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum, located on the grounds of the Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site.

Visit Val-Kill Cottage, beloved home of Eleanor Roosevelt at Visit Val-Kill, Eleanor Roosevelt's National Historic Site


Location: Hyde Park

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