When young Charlie Brightelot first spies the mysterious barracks in the woods near his home, he's not sure what to think. His father explains that the barracks will soon house young men serving in the Civilian Conservation Corps. President Franklin D. Roosevelt established the work relief program to help employ millions of young men during the Great Depression. Not everyone is happy to see these young men and Charlie's father questions their value. But when a fire threatens the forest, Roosevelt's Tree Army springs into action.