Between 1933 and 1942, the Civilian Conservation Corps, a popular New Deal relief program, was at work across America. During the Great Depression, young men lived in rustic CCC camps planting trees, cutting trails, and reversing the effects of soil erosion. In his latest book, acclaimed environmental writer Jerry Apps presents the first comprehensive history of the CCC in Wisconsin. Apps guides readers around the state, from the Northwoods to the Driftless Area, creating a map of where and how more than 125 CCC camps left indelible marks on the landscape. Captured in rich detail as well are the voices of the CCC boys who by preserving Wisconsin’s natural beauty not only discovered purpose in their labor, but founded an enduring legacy of environmental stewardship. 



 

 

Award-winning Wisconsin author Jerry Apps has written more than 40 nonfiction and fiction books.  Born and raised on a central Wisconsin farm, Jerry is a former county extension agent and professor emeritus at the University of Wisconsin College of Agriculture and Life Sciences in Madison, where he taught for thirty years. In 2012, he was elected a Fellow in the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters.  Today he works as a rural historian, creative writing instructor, and full-time writer. He has created five documentaries with Wisconsin Public Television, has won several awards for his writing, and won a regional Emmy Award for the TV documentary A Farm Winter.