WARREN — The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) built tens of thousands of bridges, over 800 state parks, 4,622 fish-rearing ponds and planted 45 million trees and shrubs between 1933 and 1942.

The CCC gave nearly 225,000 veterans of World War I the chance to rebuild their lives through work relief efforts and included more than 85,000 Native Americans.

It also recently celebrated its 82nd anniversary.

CCC Statue Committee Chairman Ed Atwood led an event that began with honoring surviving CCC veteran Leo Beane, of Tionesta, in front of the statue at the Warren County Visitor’s Bureau. The group then dedicated a spruce tree alongside the building in memory of Warren’s Nick Stanko, a CCC Boy and World War II veteran who died earlier this year.

“He was honored to be a CCC Boy,” his daughter, Michelle Holcomb, said. “He told all of his kids, grandkids and great-grandkids about what he did and the CCC’s purpose. He was strengthened by the CCC and was proud to serve his country in this way.”

“I put a lot of those in the ground,” Beane said, motioning to the tree. “I don’t know what would have happened to this country without the CCC.”

Beane said he joined the CCC when he was 19 and, after five months, was honorably discharged to take a job in Tionesta.

“I wouldn’t have had the experience without the CCC,” he said.

Beane had his own tree planting crew of five CCC boys and himself. He said they would set a marker and begin planting small trees in a row until they reached the marker.

From the dedication held recently, the group moved to Chapman State Park where they threw wreaths into the lake in memory of deceased CCC veterans.

“We’re forever indebted to their work,” said CCC Legacy board member Martha Smith from Edinburg, Va., before throwing her wreath into the water.

The Tionesta Valley Snowmobile Club, which puts on the annual CCC statue reunion at the Warren County Visitors Bureau, has crafted a brochure which includes information about each of the camps on the Allegheny National Forest, as well as each camp’s notable accomplishments, including GPS coordinates for each.

The CCC was one of the first in a flurry of legislation by then newly-elected President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Inaugurated on March 4, 1933, the legislation authorizing the CCC, the Emergency Conservation Work (ECW) Act was introduced to Congress on March 21 and enacted by voice vote on March 31.

Walt Atwood with the Snowmobile Club said that ANF1 Duhring, located in Forest County, was the second camp in the nation when opened on April 25, 1933, and the first CCC tree plantation. There were 14 camps on the ANF, including in Warren County.

The Warren County Visitors Bureau in Starbrick has copies of the brochure for anyone that is interested.