The Forest Service
Fighting for Public Lands
Published on 1. November 2006
Book
Hardback
480 pages
978-0-313-33794-9 (ISBN)
Description
Established in 1905, The Forest Service is steeped in history, conflict, strong personalities (including Theodore Roosevelt and Gifford Pinchot), and the challenges of managing 193 million acres of national forests and grasslands. This unique federal agency is one that combines forest management with wildlife, fish, recreation, mining, grazing, and hundreds of other uses. It operates in the midst of controversy and change. The original intent was to protect the public forests, protect the water supplies, and, when appropriate, provide timber. Much has changed over the last 100 years including many new laws, but the fact that these lands are still fought over today shows the foresight of politicians, foresters, scientists, and communities. This work brings to light the many and varied activities of the agency that many people know little about in a world that is constantly changing.
Written by a former Forest Service national historian, topics discussed in the work include wilderness and the Wilderness Act of 1964, recreation battles and interagency rivalry with the National Park Service, timber management including clearcutting, ecosystem management, roadless area and controversies over RARE and RARE II studies, fish and wildlife management including endangered species before and after the Endangered Species Act of 1973, and mining and the General Mining Act of 1872. It also discusses the future challenges: forest fires, water protection and restoration, recreation, involving the public, and fish and wildlife.
Written by a former Forest Service national historian, topics discussed in the work include wilderness and the Wilderness Act of 1964, recreation battles and interagency rivalry with the National Park Service, timber management including clearcutting, ecosystem management, roadless area and controversies over RARE and RARE II studies, fish and wildlife management including endangered species before and after the Endangered Species Act of 1973, and mining and the General Mining Act of 1872. It also discusses the future challenges: forest fires, water protection and restoration, recreation, involving the public, and fish and wildlife.
Reviews / Votes
"Williams spent 24 years working for the USDA Forest Service at local and national levels. Here, he offers a history of the department from its roots in the early 19th century, highlighting significant legislation, controversies, achievements, and figures that have lent the organization its current legacy. He also discusses the structure and function of each branch of the Forest Service, the department's relationship to other federal agencies, offers selected biographies of important figures, and concludes with a chronology of key events. Six appendices contain statistics on game refuges, timber sales, and national forests; discuss the histories of American Forest Congresses and Forest Service memorabilia; and detail major laws affecting the agency. This book is part of a series on understanding the U.S. government, and will be of use for research in high school grades and above." - SciTech Book NewsMore details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
United States
Publishing group
Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
Target group
College/higher education
Professional and scholarly
Dimensions
Height: 260 mm
Width: 183 mm
Thickness: 30 mm
Weight
1090 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-313-33794-9 (9780313337949)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
E-Book
11/2006
1st Edition
Greenwood Press
€140.99
Available for download
Person
Gerald W. Williams taught for two years at Indiana State University, then one year as recreation research director for the City of Eugene, OR. He started working for the Forest Service in 1979, focusing on social/policy analysis, long-range planning, and social impact analysis/socioeconomic assessment/human dimension at all levels of the agency. Williams retired from the Forest Service in 2005, and is currently living in Portland, OR, where he is a historical researcher, writer, and teacher. He has authored and compiled extensive works regarding the social sciences in the Forest Service. He has written several books, as well as numerous professional reports, papers, and journal articles.
Content
Series Foreword Preface Introduction 1 ? The Forest Service: Fighting for Public Lands A Growing Concern about Natural Resources, 1873-1905 The Early Forest Service and Custodial Management Era, 1905-1933 The Great Depression and World War II, 1933-1945 Timber Management and Multiple Use, 1946-1970 Public Participation and Environmentalism, 1970-1990 2 ? The 1990s and the Early Twenty-first Century Ecosystem Management Alaska Issues The Salvage Rider Natural Resource Agenda National Forest Management Act Planning Rule International Cooperation and Research Roads and Roadless Areas Watershed Restoration Major Fire Events and Policy Milestones Community Assistance, Tribal and Civil Rights, and Urban Issues Reinventing the Forest Service Rocky Mountain Front Issues Four Threats Process Predicament Fire and Healthy Forests Terrorism, Columbia, and Hurricanes Featuring the Forest Service: Olympics and Centennial Reorganizing and Safety Restoration of Ecosystems 3 ? Structure and Functions of the Forest Service Managing the National Forest System State and Private Forestry Research and Development International Programs Roadless and Wilderness Forest Fires and Firefighting 4 ? Challenges for the Twenty-first Century Preventing Fire in the Forests Watershed Protection/Restoration and Water Use Regulating Recreation on the National Forests and Grasslands Preserving Fish and Wildlife-Responsible Habitat Management Involving the Public in Federal Land and Natural Resource Management Decisions Conclusion 5 ? Organization of Forest Service Management Four Administrative Levels Reorganization Attempts in the Past: The Executive Branch Reorganization Attempts in the Past: The Legislative Branch Several Options for Internal Reorganization Several Options for Reorganization or Elimination Conclusion 6 ? Selected Biographies of Persons Associated with the USDA Forest Service 7 ? Relationships with Other Federal Agencies USDI General Land Office USDI Geological Survey USDI National Park Service USDI Bureau of Land Management USDI Fish and Wildlife Service USDC National Marine Fisheries Service USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service 8 ? Chronology of Key Events and People Appendix 1. National Forests by Name, State, and Acres (2004) Appendix 2. American Forest Congresses Appendix 3. Forest Service Badges, Patches, and Chinaware Appendix 4. Game Refuges on National Forests Appendix 5. Forest Service Timber Sales and Harvest Levels Appendix 6. Major Laws Affecting the USDA Forest Service Bibliography Index