In 1933, during the depths of the Great Depression, the U.S. Congress passed the Emergency Conservation Work Act, forming the Civilian Conservation Corp to organize and employ unmarried young men ages 18-25 to battle the destruction and erosion of the country's natural resources. In N.C., the CCC helped construct the Blue Ridge Parkway, planted trees to restore clear-cut forests, built bridges, restored watersheds, and constructed and revitalized parks and recreation sites. Most CCC men went on to WWII battlefronts in 1942, ending a successful New Deal program. A rock wall extending 2,264 feet along Laurel Park Highway is one of several CCC projects in Henderson County.