History of the United States Forest Service

Starting in 1876, and undergoing a series of name changes, the U.S. Forest Service grew to protect and utilize millions of acres of forest on public land. Gifford Pinchot, an early advocate of scientific forestry, along with President Theodore Roosevelt and conservation organizations, led the effort to manage forest for the public good.[1][2][3]

Gifford Pinchot and Theodore Roosevelt were influential in the early history of the Forest Service

History

In 1876, Congress created the office of Special Agent in the Department of Agriculture to assess the state of the forests in the United States. Franklin B. Hough was appointed the head of the office. In 1881, the office was expanded into the newly formed Division of Forestry. The Forest Reserve Act of 1891 authorized withdrawing land from the public domain as "forest reserves," managed by the Department of the Interior. In 1901, the Division of Forestry was renamed the Bureau of Forestry. The Transfer Act of 1905 transferred the management of forest reserves from the General Land Office of the Interior Department to the Bureau of Forestry, henceforth known as the US Forest Service.[3] Gifford Pinchot was the first Chief Forester of the US Forest Service.[4][5] In 1911, Congress passed the Weeks Act, authorizing the government to purchase private lands for stream-flow protection, and to maintain the lands as national forests. This made it possible for the national forest system to expand into the eastern United States.

Significant federal legislation affecting the Forest Service includes the Weeks Act of 1911, the Multiple Use - Sustained Yield Act of 1960, P.L. 86-517; the Wilderness Act, P.L. 88-577; the National Forest Management Act, P.L. 94-588; the National Environmental Policy Act, P.L. 91-190; the Cooperative Forestry Assistance Act, P.L. 95-313; and the Forest and Rangelands Renewable Resources Planning Act, P.L. 95-307.

Timeline

1876 The Office of Special Agent for forest research is created in the Department of Agriculture to assess the state of the forests in the United States.
1881 The Office of the Special Agent is expanded into the newly formed Division of Forestry.
1891 The Forest Reserve Act of 1891 authorizes withdrawing land from the public domain as "forest reserves," managed by the Department of the Interior.
1901 The Division of Forestry is renamed the Bureau of Forestry.
1905 The Transfer Act of 1905 transfers the management of forest reserves from the General Land Office (within the Department of the Interior) to the Bureau of Forestry (within the Department of Agriculture). The name of the agency changes to the Forest Service.
1905–1945 National forest management focuses on protecting lands against overgrazing, controlling and combating fire, protecting fish and game, and providing public recreation.
1910 The Great Fire of 1910
1911 The Weeks Act authorized the Secretary of Agriculture to purchase cutover, denuded, and other forested lands for flood and fire control. This new authority led to the expansion of National Forests in the Eastern United States and the protection and restoration of millions of acres of land.
1922 The General Land Exchange Act of 1922 authorized the Secretary of Interior to obtain title to privately owned land located within national forest boundaries.
1944 The Forest Service begins a campaign stating "Only YOU can prevent forest fires" using a fire-injured bear as a symbol to be careful. Today, Smokey Bear is one of the most widely recognized icons in America.
1946–1960 National forests experience increased demand on forest resources, especially timber and recreation.
1960–1980 in response to shifting public values, the Forest Service shifts focus to managing land as integrated systems, instead of individual resources.
1989 The Chief 's New Perspectives initiative stresses ecosystem management and sustainability and is aimed to place timber management in line with other forest values including biodiversity, water quality, and recreation.
2001 The National Fire Plan is created to address the buildup of fuels caused by decades of fire suppression, climate change, and developments adjacent to forests.

List of Forest Service Chiefs

	Forest Service Chief Foresters	Years of Service	Name of Agency	Education
a.	Franklin B. Hough[nb 1]	1876–1883	Division of Forestry	Union College, Western Reserve College
b.	Nathaniel H. Egleston	1883–1886	Division of Forestry	Yale University, Yale Divinity School
c.	Bernhard Eduard Fernow	1886–1898	Division of Forestry	University of Königsberg; Prussian Forest Academy at Münden
1	Gifford Pinchot	1898–1901	Division of Forestry	Yale University
		1901–1905	Bureau of Forestry
		1905–1910	U.S. Forest Service
2	Henry "Harry" Solon Graves	1910–1920	U.S. Forest Service	Yale University
3	William B. Greeley	1920 -1928	U.S. Forest Service	University of California & Yale Forestry School
4	Robert Y. Stuart	1928–1933	U.S. Forest Service	Dickinson College & Yale Forestry School
5	Ferdinand A. Silcox	1933–1939	U.S. Forest Service	College of Charleston & Yale Forestry School
6	Earle H. Clapp	1939–1943 (acting)	U.S. Forest Service	University of Michigan
7	Lyle F. Watts	1943–1952	U.S. Forest Service	Iowa State College & Forestry School
8	Richard E. McArdle	1952–1962	U.S. Forest Service	University of Michigan
9	Edward P. Cliff	1962–1972	U.S. Forest Service	Utah State College
10	John R. McGuire	1972–1979	U.S. Forest Service	University of Minnesota & Yale Forestry School
11	R. Max Peterson	1979–1987	U.S. Forest Service	University of Missouri
12	F. Dale Robertson	1987–1993	U.S. Forest Service	University of Arkansas
13	Jack Ward Thomas	1993–1996	U.S. Forest Service	Texas A&M University, West Virginia University, University of Massachusetts
14	Michael Dombeck	1996–2001	U.S. Forest Service	University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point and the University of Minnesota
15	Dale N. Bosworth	2001–2007	U.S. Forest Service	University of Idaho
16	Gail Kimbell	2007–2009	U.S. Forest Service	University of Vermont, Oregon State University
17	Thomas Tidwell	2009–2017	U.S. Forest Service	Washington State University
18	Tony Tooke	2017–2018	U.S. Forest Service	Mississippi State University
19	Vicki Christiansen	2018–present	U.S. Forest Service	University of Washington

Sources:[6][7]

Notes

Dr. Franklin B. Hough was originally given the title of "Forestry Agent" in 1876. In 1881 the title was changed to "Chief". When Pinchot became Chief of the Division, he requested that his title be changed from "Chief" to "Forester". The title "Chief Forester" was adopted in 1935.

References

"U.S. Forest Service History Collection". Forest History Society. Retrieved October 19, 2011.
"History". U.S. Forest Service. Retrieved October 19, 2011.
"The Big Burn-Transcript". American Experience. PBS. February 3, 2015. Retrieved January 23, 2019.
Williams, Gerald W. (2000). The USDA Forest Service --- The First Century (PDF). U.S. Department of Agriculture. Retrieved October 19, 2011.
"United States Forest Service FAQ" (PDF). Retrieved November 30, 2013.
"Chiefs of the U.S. Forest Service". Forest History Society. Retrieved October 19, 2011.
"History --- Leadership Time Line". U.S. Forest Service. Retrieved October 19, 2011.