Chippewa and BSU Agreement for Camp Rabideau

The Chippewa National Forest boasts the distinction of being home to the best preserved CCC camp in existence – Camp Rabideau. Camp Rabideau is within the Blackduck District, just off the Lady Slipper Scenic Byway. The Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) was established by President Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1933 as a response to crippling unemployment during the Great Depression by putting hundreds of thousands of young men to work in environmental conservation. The most visible of these efforts is the red pine plantations that are common across the region and nation, where more than 3.5 billion trees were planted. 

That history of reforestation and forestry is deep in the bones of Camp Rabideau. The Camp has a history of housing forestry programs, with it being the home of University of Illinois forestry and engineering students from 1945 to 1973. The Chippewa is hoping to build on that history and assist Bemidji State University in educating future forestry students and outdoor leadership.

On Friday, May 10, staff officers Michelle Holland and Ashlee Lehner toured Camp Rabideau with BSU professors, hosted by Archeologist, Sean Dunham, and Recreation Specialist, Corey Hamilton. This effort between CPF and BSU has been in the works for some time, we’ve been working toward building mutual benefits for both parties. For instance, by having a degree program that qualifies students for professional series here on the Forest, it benefits our communities to know they can continue to work locally in the woods they have grown up in. Bemidji State is the ultimate beneficiary by gaining access to the excellent compound of Camp Rabideau.

Bemidji State University recently passed the accreditation standards of the Society of American Foresters, which allows graduates to qualify for professional series needed for some programs, such as silviculture. This accreditation is greatly needed here in the Northwoods, many community members want to work in our woods but are required to move elsewhere to gain the knowledge needed to secure a career. BSU now gives our community an opportunity to stay close to home.

Students will be able to sleep, eat, and play right at the camp, much like the original inhabitants of the CCC camp ninety years ago. In the original CCC days, young men were taught skills they could apply right at the camp, like the woodworking on display in the camp’s infirmary. Undergraduates achieve complete immersion in their subjects by having Camp Rabideau as their home for the field session. Students at the camp will likely spend two weeks having classes taught in the buildings, sleeping in the barracks, and dining in the mess hall; giving undergraduates the opportunity to dive deeper into their studies and learn from their surroundings. Currently, BSU is interested in hosting not only their new forestry program students, but also those interested in gaining an Outdoor Leadership certification.

Camp Rabideau is readying itself for this new group of long-term visitors; the barracks have been undergoing renovation and a new kitchen is being built now. All these upgrades will position the Camp for the first BSU undergraduates in fall of 2025. This agreement between BSU and CPF will strengthen our ties to the local community and likely provide lifelong memories for the students during their field session.