CDCR

Conservation (Fire) Camps

Facts and figures

Total Staff (CDCR) 2009: 9
Total Staffing (CAL-FIRE/LAC) 2009: 13
Total # Inmates (as of 12/31/2009): 110

Camp Products

Information not available.

Community service projects

Big Trees State Park
•           Fuel breaks
•           Campground clean up
•           Hazard tree removal
•           Trail work
•           Control burning –
Army Corps of Engineers - New Hogan Lake:
•           Campground maintenance
•           Boundary line clearance
•           Maintaining fish habitat
East Bay Municipal Utilities District:
•           Trail work
•           Fence building
•           Debris burning
United States Forest Service – Stanislaus National Forest:
•           Construct fuel breaks
•           Assist with control burns
•           Campground maintenance
Calaveras County Fairgrounds “Frogtown”:
•           Grounds maintenance
•           Cement work
•           Painting
•           Construct Fire Prevention booth at fair
            Calaveras County Road Department and Calaveras Fire Safe Council:
•           Brush removal on county roads
Local water districts
•           Facility maintenance
•           Fuel reduction
•           Flume rebuilding.
County Schools:
•           Grounds maintenance
•           Fuel reduction
County Parks:
•           Construction projects
•           Grounds maintenance County Cemeteries:
•           Grounds maintenance

Welcome to Vallecito Conservation Camp #1

3225 SIX MILE ROAD, ANGLES CAMP, CA 95222
PH: 209-736-4922

Camp Staff

Camp Staff: CDCR:
DALE AHLERS, Camp Commander
KEITH PETREY, Assistant Commander

CalFire: Vivian De La Rosa, Division Chief
CDCR: Seven Correctional Officers, one Correctional Sergeant and one CorrectionalLieutenant (Camp Commander).

CAL FIRE:
Ten Fire Crew Captains, one Heavy Equipment Mechanic, one Water and Sewage Plant operator, one Office Technician.

Camp History

Vallecito Conservation Camp, CC#1, was constructed and opened in 1958. Vallecito Conservation Camp is under the administrative supervision of Sierra Conservation Center (SCC). The camp’s primary mission is to provide inmate fire fighting crews for fire suppression and flood control activities in Calaveras and Tuolumne County areas as well as throughout the state of California. In addition to fire suppression and flood control, inmate fire crews provide a workforce for community service projects in the local area. The CAL FIRE in-camp project is fire hose pressure testing and repair. The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) in-camp project is a large vegetable garden.

CDCR is responsible for the supervision, care and discipline of inmates. CDCR and CAL FIRE cooperatively maintain Vallecito camp. CAL FIRE supervises the inmate work crews on all community service projects. CAL FIRE is responsible for the safe custody of inmates while on their daily community service projects. Vallecito Camp maintains and operates a Mobile Kitchen Unit (MKU) which is dispatched to various emergencies throughout the state and is capable of serving large quantities of meals in remote areas. CDCR and CAL FIRE share the responsibility of training the supervising the inmate crew necessary to support this operation.

Inmate Programs

Spiritual services are provided by community volunteers. There is currently a General Equivalency Diploma (GED) program available for the inmates during their non work hours. Inmates quickly learn that life at a conservation camp is more desirable than behind the walls of a prison and, therefore, conduct themselves accordingly.