Vallecito Conservation Camp #1

Vallecito Conservation Camp (CC#1) was constructed and opened in 1958. Vallecito Conservation Camp is under the administrative supervision of Sierra Conservation Center (SCC). CDCR is responsible for the security, supervision, care, and discipline of the incarcerated camp participants. CAL FIRE maintains the camp, supervises work of the incarcerated fire crews and is responsible for their custody while assigned to daily CAL FIRE work projects. CDCR staff may accompany the hand crews while assigned to emergencies to assist in their care and security.

Participants volunteer for the Conservation Camp Program. No one is involuntarily assigned to a conservation camp.

When not fighting fires, incarcerated crew members perform conservation and community service projects. Accordingly, CAL FIRE determines conservation projects.

Specifically, ongoing and completed projects by Vallecito crew members include:

• NCPA: Hazardous fuel reduction, hazardous tree removal, watershed maintenance, and campground maintenance
• Big Trees State Park: Fuel breaks, campground clean up, hazardous tree removal, trail work, and control burning.
• Army Corps of Engineers – New Hogan Lake: Campground maintenance, boundary line clearance, and maintaining the fish habitat.
• East Bay Municipal Utilities District: Trail work, fence building, debris burning, and hazardous tree removal.
• United States Forest Service – Stanislaus National Forest: Hiking trail construction and maintenance, constructing fuel breaks, assisting with control burns, and campground maintenance.
• Calaveras County Fairgrounds “Frogtown”: Grounds maintenance, cement work, painting, constructing fire prevention booth at fair event, and assisting with setting up for major functions.
• Calaveras County Road Department and Calaveras Fire Safe Council: Brush removal on county roads.
• Local water districts: Facility maintenance, fuel reduction, and flume rebuilding.
• County Schools: Grounds maintenance, fuel reduction, grounds/building maintenance/construction.
• County Parks: Construction projects and grounds maintenance.
• County Cemeteries: Grounds maintenance and fuel reduction.

Vallecito maintains and operates a Food Dispensing Unit (FDU). The FDU is accordingly dispatched to various emergencies throughout the unit and is capable of serving up to 350 meals in remote areas.

CAL FIRE also operates a Fire Hose testing and repair station for the Tuolumne-Calaveras Ranger Unit and several fire departments within the two counties.

Just as in every CDCR prison, every conservation camp offers rehabilitative and educational services. Spiritual services are provided by community volunteers, and the camp also offers weekly AA and NA programs. There is also a General Equivalency Diploma (GED) program and College Courses are available for camp participants during their non-work hours. Finally, CDCR operates a Hobby Craft Program for a limited amount of qualified crew members.

For stories featuring current and former Conservation (Fire) Camp Program participants, read Inside CDCR.

Visiting can also be a critical part of an incarcerated person’s rehabilitation. For more information, visit the Scheduling Visits at Conservation (Fire) Camps page.