Public works projects are necessary to support public parks. Restrooms, amphitheaters, and visitor center facilities are some examples of amenities one can expect to find at a national park in the 21st Century. This episode examines the role workers from the Civilian Conservation Corps, Mission 66, and Parkscape USA had in creating this specialized infrastructure. Carlsbad Caverns National Park is known for a unique natural landscape, but its human history is as as abundant as the cave’s speleothems.

[Introduction Music]

ANTHONY MAZZUCCO: Hello everyone! Thank you for taking some time out of your day to listen to another episode of the Three Sources of Light Podcast. My name is Anthony Mazzucco and I am a Park Guide here at Carlsbad Caverns National Park. As we continue to celebrate the International Year of Caves and Karst, I thought it would be interesting to spend some time talking about how visitors from all around the world are able to experience this park, and many others. The cave itself stretches our imagination and scientific understanding, but the human made infrastructure at these places make them accessible outdoor classrooms. And here to join me for this conversation is my friend and co-worker Brian Cole. Welcome to our makeshift studio.

BRIAN COLE: Well hello. My Name is Brian Cole. I am from Rochester, New York and I have been living here in Carlsbad, New Mexico for over a year now.

AM: So, we were both part of the same hiring group here at Carlsbad Caverns National Park. I remember being impressed by the list of parks you’ve previously been a ranger at. You’ve accumulated a very diverse resume!

BC: I have worked at 10 different parks, starting at Cuyahoga Valley National Park in Ohio doing some volunteering work. Then went to Canyonlands National Park in Utah followed by Arches National Park in Utah as well. Then I went to a state park, at Fort Abraham Lincoln State Park in North Dakota. I’ve worked at Cape Hatteras National Seashore in North Carolina, Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, Kings Canyon National Park in California, Sequoia National Park in California, Apostle Islands National Lakeshore in Wisconsin, and last year in February I started here at Carlsbad Caverns National Park.

AM: I do have to ask before we continue, any of these parks have any sort of cave related to them? Maybe something you visited while you got to work there?

BC: Ah yes, definitely. Sequoia National Park has Crystal Cave and then Apostle Islands National Lakeshore has sea caves. You actually go out in a kayak and explore caves by the water.

AM: This just shows here in the International Year of Caves and Karst that these landscapes and formations can be found all over the National Park Service system. Much like how you have traversed many landscapes over the years, thousands of individuals across the nation interact with a public works projects on public land every single day. Whether than be hiking trails, roads within the park, restroom facilities, the visitor center, the list goes on and on… The Civilian Conservation Corps is easily the most recognizable of the major 20th Century public works eras we are going to discuss today. So, let’s begin in the 1930s. Brian could you briefly explain the historical context of the Civilian Conservation Corps? Maybe outline some of the goals of this program?

BC: During the year 1933 the United States was in the middle of the Great Depression, fifteen million people in the United States out of work. And the Civilian Conservation Corps, or CCC, was a program that the president, Franklin Delano Roosevelt put together to get Americans back to work and also to help the environment. There were a lot of different goals that the CCC had. Such as structural improvements, so building bridges fire lookout towers, service buildings. Transportation improvement. Creating roads, trails, airport landing fields. Controlling erosion through check dams, terracing, vegetative covering. Controlling floods through irrigation, drainage, dam, and ditching. Forestry. Planting trees, shrubs, collecting seeds. Protecting forests through fire prevention, fire suppression, and firefighting. Landscape and recreation work. Building camps.

AM: Why was this work important? What are some of the notable nationwide accomplishments from the CCC?

BC: Over 125,000 miles (201,168 kilometers) of roads that were built with over 46,000 bridges that were constructed. Over 3,000 lookout fire towers were built. 318,000 dams built for erosion control. And 8 million hours of fighting fires in the forest. Over 3 billion trees planted. And we also have some very important brand-new parks that were created. We had our first National Historical Park, Morristown National Historical Park in New Jersey, the first National Historic Site, Salem Maritime National Historic Site in Massachusetts, our first National Seashore, Cape Hatteras National Seashore where I indeed worked, and then our first National Parkway, the Blue Ridge Parkway.

AM: I find this last point really interesting. Some of the larger national parks, places like the Grand Canyon, Yellowstone, Yosemite, even Carlsbad Caverns National Park, they are really iconic places. But there are over 420, I believe 423 is the last count as of February of 2021, different site in the National Park Service system. All with different name designations. So, these historic parks, seashores, parkways, you are going to interact with the flat-hats and the arrowhead in a lot of different places. The Civilian Conservation Corps is going to impact state and local parks as well. Visitors to Carlsbad Caverns National Park may also be interested in checking out Bottomless Lakes State Park, located 90 miles north of Carlsbad near the town of Roswell, New Mexico. When it opened to the public in 1933, Bottomless Lakes became the very first state park in New Mexico and workers from the Civilian Conservation Corps were responsible for its construction.

BC: I am glad you brought that up. Under the CCC not only were 42 National Parks created, but 711 state parks created. This was really the first program, and only program that I know of, where we had both state parks and national parks that were created. Bottomless Lake State Park is a really cool park. It has eight different lakes that range in depth from 17 (5 meters) to 90 feet (27 meters). It’s pretty interesting because the lakes are not very long, but they are extremely deep. Some activities that you can do in the park include swimming in Lea Lake, hiking on a nice wetland trail, there is a trail that connects seven of the lakes, and opportunities for mountain biking. The lakes themselves are sinkholes, created the same way that the caves at Carlsbad Caverns were created, with sulfuric acid dissolving the limestone. The difference here is the caves collapsed, or caved in, leaving behind these massive holes in the ground that filled in with both rain and ground water.

AM: It sounds to me like you have just described a karst landscape! Listeners to the very first episode of Three Sources of Light may recognize terms such as limestone and sinkhole. Bottomless Lakes State Park is a great place to recreate in the sunshine and escape the 100-degree summer heat by going for a swim, its geology is directly related to Carlsbad Caverns National Park which is a really neat connection in addition to this work of the Civilian Conservation Corps. Per the park superintendent records that rangers here often browse for research, the Civilian Conservation Corps camp that ended up working here at Carlsbad Caverns National Park came here directly from Roswell. Many workers presumably were stationed at both Bottomless Lakes State Park and later also at Carlsbad Caverns National Park. When they arrived here in 1938, what sort of projects were accomplished?

BC: Nationwide they were active from April 4th, 1933 to June 30th, 1942. In our park the work was done towards the end of the program, from August 1st, 1938 to May 22nd, 1942. They were here a little over three years. At Carlsbad Caverns they accomplished many different things. Employee and maintenance buildings were built. They put in a parking lot. They did minor cave trail work. Trails were already established before they were here, but they did some minor things like putting down sand in to prepare future trail work. They poured concrete flooring in the underground lunchroom. Many fought fires and responded to search and rescue missions. The CCC men rebuilt the Walnut Canyon Road after a flood eliminated it. There is another unit of the park called Rattlesnake Springs which is just below the mountain escarpment. This is where the CCC lived. When they were stationed there, they built a ranger residence that is still in use today. They constructed the road, put up fences and created a water diversion ditch for irrigation. Rattlesnake Springs is an oasis in the desert. It’s filled with cottonwood trees and a beautiful pool of water. It’s a great day use area to hangout and watch the wildlife and it is a vital rest stop for migratory birds. A steady source of water for desert dwellers. Our park contains 357 species of birds and that’s thanks to Rattlesnake Springs.

AM: Brian, I know you are a photographer of sorts and often go down to Rattlesnake Springs. What birds have you seen?

BC: Every time I go there, I end up seeing a new species of bird. Every time I at least see turkeys. So that is kind of the guaranteed bird. But there are all different kinds of birds, you know, different waterfowl, just new birds that I’ve never seen before that I am adding to my list.

AM: I also want to point out that this area is a great place to not only see birds, but if we are lucky enough also porcupines.

BC: That is right.

AM: I know we’ve both had success seeing them up in the trees in the early springtime before the leaves grow back in the cottonwood trees. That is always a fun treat. Going down to Rattlesnake Springs can be a very different and rewarding experience than just walking around the Big Room of Carlsbad Cavern. These are all projects and contributions that visitors to the park today use and frequently ask questions about, so the Civilian Conservation Corps has certainly left a lasting impact on Carlsbad Caverns National Park. But let’s jump ahead a few decades. As much recognition as the CCC gets, Mission 66 is often overlooked. So, I’ll ask you a very similar question. What is Mission 66? And how did it help shape the visitor experience here at this park?

BC: Following WWII, visitation to public lands skyrocketed. In fact, National Park Service visitation rose from 3.5 million visitors in 1931 to 30 million by 1948. An eight and a half percent increase. Many remote parks now became accessible through highways and automobiles. Americans also had more spending money and more leisure time. With this influx of people, something needed to be done for the parks. The NPS would be turning 50 soon, so the idea was to make a ten-year program staring in 1956. The goal was to finish in time for the 50th anniversary of the park service on August 25th, 1966. The government spent $1 billion dollars, or $9 billion dollars in today’s money adjusting for inflation, on Mission 66. Nationwide, we added over 2,000 miles (3,218 kilometers) of new and rebuilt roads. Over 49,000 parking spaces. 936 miles (1,506 kilometers) of trails rebuilt and added. 575 new campgrounds, over 17,000 new campsites built. 743 picnic areas.

AM: Lunch is very important. Got to make sure we get those picnic sites in.

BC: With Mission 66, we also have a modernization of buildings. Many parks received water, sewer and electricity for the first time. Over 1,000 park housing structures, 50 boat marinas were added. 584 new restrooms and 82 new campfire circles and amphitheaters that were built. Here at Carlsbad Caverns we have the Bat Flight Amphitheater that was created which allows visitors to comfortably watch Brazilian free-tailed bats fly out of the cave each summer evening.

AM: Yeah, that amphitheater is very important. There are a few historic photos of the bat flight programs prior to that amphitheater. A lot of visitors jammed into the desert trying to find a comfortable spot to sit. The amphitheater makes that way more convenient, and safer for the resource. Now we are very thankful for that amphitheater.

BC: Definitely. Yeah, it allowed the visitors to not be stepping on the plants. Now that they are all in one area, they are able to see the bats easier. 52 new national parks that were created including our first National Scenic River, Ozark National Scenic Riverways in Missouri. And the first National Recreation Area, the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area in Utah. One of the biggest features of Mission 66 was the creation of the visitor center. There were 114 different visitor centers built, including our own here at Carlsbad Caverns. Our visitor center was built and opened to the public in 1957. It was one of the earlier projects accomplished. The goal of the visitor center was attempting to combine different functions of an entire park village into a single building for a one stop service unit. This was done to minimize the impact on the environment and make it easier for the visitor. Our visitor center is a combination of a place to eat, a place to shop, a place to look at museum exhibits, a place to enter the cave, and a place for employees and supervisors to have their office.

AM: Would you say that this celebration of the National Park Service and modernization of its visitor facilities mirrored the way Americans used and viewed their public lands in the mid-20th Century? BC: It was, and still is a balancing act. It is our job to protect and to preserve park resources. And yet in order to build buildings and put in structures, you do impact the environment. The goal was to do as little harm as possible, while still allowing for increased visitation.

AM: Also, very convenient places to get your passport stamp.

BC: That is right.

AM: So out of these two national spending programs, brand new visitor center complexes, and an expanded agency with new parks. What are the chances there is a third public works initiative to talk about?

BC: There sure is. Yeah, immediately after Mission 66 ended, Parkscape USA began. AM: Parkscape USA. To me that sounds more like the name for an outdoor amusement park. I’m intrigued. Please share more of your research and knowledge on that.

BC: There were many projects and buildings from Mission 66 that were either in the middle of construction, or some were not completed. New planned projects from Mission 66 had not even been started needed to be worked on. Many parks needed to deal with increasing visitation as well. 1956, the start of Mission 66, annual visitation was 61.6 million people. By the end of Mission 66 in 1966 the total annual visitation had reached 133 million people. So, with more than doubled visitation, and the fact that not every project was completed under Mission 66, Parkscape USA was created. Now there were four main parts to that. Parkscape is basically named for the landscape, the seascape, the riverscape, and the cityscape. Those are the different parkscapes. The goal was to end March 1st, 1972. That end date was picked because that was when Yellowstone National Park would to turn 100. The goal of Parkscape USA was to complete the park system by 1972. This included protecting as many areas of national significance as possible. Parkscape USA did many things including: pushing to develop cooperative programs with other organizations and agencies, utilizing the national park concept to improve life within American cities, communicating the values of park conservation so that citizens would better appreciate their heritage, and learn to be in harmony with our environment by developing an international assistance program by extending assistance to others, and exploring mutually helpful programs with other nations. Parkscape USA also focused on creating more urban parks and instilling conservation values. Under Parkscape USA the National Preservation Act of 1966 was created, this gives a sweeping protection of historic sites including buildings, structures, and archeological sites.

AM: One of the previous parks that I personally worked at before coming here to Carlsbad Caverns was Gateway National Recreation Area which is in New York City. They have a bunch of different sites spread out amongst Queens, Brooklyn, on Staten Island. It was created in 1972 and now that I am kind of reading in-between the lines and know a little more about Parkscape USA, it definitely fits into that initiative of bringing the parks closer to the people in urban centers. It is not a cave, but visitors and listeners to this podcast may be interested to know that the only wildlife refuge managed by the National Park Service does exist right in the middle of New York City, at Gateway National Recreation Area’s Jamaica Bay. But analyzing this list of work done here at Carlsbad Caverns National Park in this Parkscape USA era, it does reflect that shift towards conservation. You have at that time developed trails inside the cave are resurfaced, the elevator shaft was sealed with revolving doors to maybe prevent the cave pools from drying out and help maintain that humidity level, and a trained cave rescue team was formed. It was during this period that our park also gained a neighbor?

BC: We did. We gained Guadalupe Mountains National Park. It was created in 1966 and would open to the public in 1972. This park is just 45 minutes away from Carlsbad Caverns. A great place to go hiking. It features Guadalupe Peak, the highest natural peak in Texas. McKittrick Canyon a beautiful trail to hike and see the fall colors. Guadalupe Mountains helps to protect more of the Chihuahuan Desert, a very unique desert.

AM: I am continuously reminded whenever I go hiking down at Guadalupe Mountains how diverse this desert is. I am so used to the shrubs and the barren landscape of the canyons here at Carlsbad Caverns and you go just a little bit down the road, gain a little bit of elevation, and all of a sudden you are in a pine forest in the Guadalupe Mountains. So, a really really rewarding park. It pairs well. You get the best of the Chihuhuan Desert on the surface with the hiking trails, and also down inside of the cave. But I would like to wrap up this conversation by talking briefly about the restrooms inside of Carlsbad Cavern, which may produce a chuckle and it is very good to know that there are indeed restrooms inside of the cave. Having a facility underground inside of a massive cavern is a luxury that I personally do not take for granted. The water supply for Carlsbad Caverns National Park is piped to the top of the escarpment from Rattlesnake Springs, which we just mentioned a little while ago. That infrastructure was first installed by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s. But funding from Mission 66 two decades later allowed for a 1-million-gallon water storage tank to be built here in the desert, and under Parkscape USA, a new sewage treatment system was constructed on the site. Something interesting to think about next time you flush underground. All three public works initiatives we’ve chatted about wrapped into one project. On that note, I do want to say thank you for your time, and research, and enthusiasm. It has been a pleasure talking about bringing the parks to the people.

BC: Yeah. It has been great sharing a little history with you and thanks for having me on the podcast.

[Conclusion Music]

GABE MONTEMAYOR: Hello listeners. Thank you for listening to Three Sources of Light. This podcast is produced by the Interpretation and Education Division at Carlsbad Caverns National Park. Episodes are researched, developed, and hosted by Park Guides Anthony Mazzucco and James Gunn. Today you also heard the voice of Brian Cole. All audio engineering, music, and sound effects are made in house by Park Guide Gabe Montemayor. This episode was recorded in March of 2021. For more information about Carlsbad Caverns National Park please visit our National Park Service website at www.nps.gov/cave. Thanks for listening.