"Proposals currently being considered in Washington differ from the New Deal program because of a focus on employing women and people of color and tackling projects in underserved communities."
"Amy Kuo saw firsthand how powerful it can be to tackle the big problems of our times in small ways when she was on a California Conservation Corps work crew a few years ago in the sweltering summer heat deep in a forest outside of Los Angeles. Kuo, now a legislative analyst for the corps, recalls slogging upstream, sometimes waist deep in water or poison oak, hauling gasoline, chainsaws and other heavy gear to clear fallen trees and debris blocking the riverbed.
The grueling work and discomfort could be overwhelming. But then the sound of the river running and the trees swaying in the wind pierced her consciousness. She recognized that she and her crew were engaged in something bigger than themselves, working in concert with the land like generations before them had done. They were making a difference in the world in a small but meaningful way.
“It’s absolutely important to think of the larger picture, be that from your own community or globally,” Kuo said.
Solving big problems with a huge workforce making lots of small contributions is the crux of an idea kicking around Washington to take on some of the most challenging issues of our times: reimagining the Depression-era Civilian Conservation Corps. The Biden White House and members of Congress want to tweak that concept to help rebuild the nation’s workforce in a stumbling economy while also reducing greenhouse gas emissions and facilitating the transition to clean energy."
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