The Willamette National Forest will celebrate the Civilian Conservation Corps with an annual potluck picnic Wednesday in Sweet Home.

The picnic is sponsored by the U.S. Forest Service and will take place at Longbow Organization Camp.

Members of the Youth Conservation Corps will also be honored.

In particular the event will honor members of the CCC Company 2097, who built 35 miles of forest roads, 80 miles of trails, 17 miles of telephone lines, six fire lookouts, two dwellings, an office building, a gas and oil station, three campgrounds and eight bridges in Oregon. The members also fought many wildfires.

The event runs from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Longbow Organization Camp is 23 miles east of Sweet Home, off U.S. Highway 20.

The Forest Service is also inviting the public for a camping experience at Longbow for two nights to learn more about the CCC and YCC. The event starts Tuesday and will include campfire stories, guided hikes and more.

Contact: Stefanie Gatchell 541-367-3962 or sgatchell@fs.fed.us.