Times were tough in 1932, when President Franklin D. Roosevelt established the New Deal to help people find work so they could afford food and housing. Within two years, almost 40 percent of the people in the state were in one of these programs, the highest percentage in the country. The Civilian Conservation Corps was active from 1933 to 1942, and through it young men, usually 18 to 25 years old, developed state and national parks and forests across the country. About 31,100 South Dakotans worked for the CCC during the Great Depression. The men lived in camps near work projects, and one camp was located on Farm Island, where they worked on many projects in the area. The U.S. Army provided food, clothing, medical care, educational opportunities, recreational activities, religious programs, and a base salary of $30 a month, of which $25 was sent home.