THE USDA FOREST SERVICE— The First Century

There have been thousands of changes to the national forests over the last 100-plus years. The most significant change has been the establishment of the USDA Forest Service to administer our national forest heritage. The creation of the national forests marked the end of the frontier in American life. The purpose of the Federal Government changed from that of giving or selling the public domain to reserving and managing the public forest lands for the people of the United States and for future generations. Following are some of the important changes that have occurred on the 191 million acres of national forests and grasslands.

National Forests and National Grasslands

Prior to 1891, there were no national forests—or forest reserves as they were first called—and no national grasslands. Today there are 187,811,680 acres of national forests; 3,839,174 acres of national grasslands; and 813,965 acres of purchase units, land utilization projects, research and experimental areas, and related lands—a total of 192,464,819 acres of land administered by the USDA Forest Service for the people of the United States.

National Forest Receipts

In the late 1800's, the forested public domain land, some of which became the national forests, was not on the State and county tax rolls and thus contributed nothing to local, State, and Federal funding. Currently the Forest Service collects $967.8 million in receipts. In addition, the national forests contribute to the States and counties more than $229,035,000 as part of the receipts collected from timber sales, grazing, recreation, mineral extraction, and special use authorizations (including firewood, plants, Christmas trees, cabins, resorts, and outfitters and guides). These funds, used for schools and roads, generally represent 25 percent of the receipts collected during the year, the other 75 percent are deposited to the U.S. Treasury.

Fire

Before 1905, an estimated 30 million acres of forest area were burned each year. Currently the amount of fire damage is approximately 1.9 million acres per year on all ownerships.

Grazing

Before 1905, many millions of sheep and cattle grazed the public domain forest lands. Today the Forest Service administers approximately 50 million acres of rangeland in 33 States. Currently 8,783 grazing allotments (around 9.3 million head months) contribute $7.0 million to the Forest Service receipts, annually.

Timber

Before 1905, very little timber was harvested from the lands destined to become national forests. Most of the timber that was harvested was used by homesteaders, miners, and railroads. By 2002, the national forests produced about 1.7 billion board feet of timber generating $164 million in gross revenues.

Reforestation

Prior to 1905, there was no reforestation on cut-over or burned-over areas. One hundred years later, the Forest Service is planting trees on 277,900 acres annually. There will always be forests for future generations.

Fishing

Before 1905, there was minimal fishing on waters in what would become the national forests. Currently fishing contributes 18.9 million visitor days annually on 2.3 million acres of lakes, ponds, and reservoirs; 128,000 miles of fishable rivers and streams; and 16,500 miles of coasts and shorelines. The Forest Service also administers millions of acres of streamside (riparian) habitats. In 1996, recreational fishing generated $8.5 billion worth of economic value.

Hunting

Prior to 1905, hunting was minimal on what would become the national forests, with much coming from hardy outdoor recreationists on extended trips or on areas near homesteads and cities. Today hunting on the national forests contributes around 19.4 million visitor days annually and the Forest Service administers millions of acres of wildlife habitat while the States control the numbers of huntable animals.

Minerals

Prior to 1905, the value and dollar amount of minerals removed from public domain timberlands was not known—but in some cases, it was substantial. Presently there are about 7,000 active mining claims on approximately 5.9 million acres of National Forest System lands and another 1,000 or so pits and quarries that provide common variety minerals such as sand, gravel, stone, and pumice. In 1998, about 10 million barrels of oil, 150 billion cubic feet of natural gas, and 115 million short tons of coal were produced on National Forest System lands.

Recreation and Tourism

Before 1905, recreation was quite limited on what would become the national forests, with much recreation use being for weeks or months at a time in the mountain peak country, popular hot springs, and easily accessible camping and fishing places. Today recreation use on the national forests is enormous, with more than 860 million visits (or about 341 million recreation visitor days) contributing about $47.6 million to the Treasury each year. There are 140 ski areas, 485 resorts, over 4,000 campgrounds, 73 major visitor centers, and 4,100 private businesses, which provide more than 139,000 jobs on and adjacent to the national forests.

Soil and Water Resource Improvements

Before the national forests existed, destruction or massive changes to waterways caused by uncontrolled development from mining, grazing, and timbering developments were rampant on the public domain. In 1998, restoration for fish habitat was accomplished on about 1,600 miles of streams and 9,500 acres of lakes, with another 38,500 acres of land improvements.

Trails

Prior to 1905, there were few trails in or through the mountains, and most of those were older American Indian trails, hunter or game trails, or stock driveways. Currently there are more than 133,000 miles of national forest trails, fewer than several decades back but considerably more than 100 years ago.

Roads

Before 1905, there were only a few roads—mostly private, toll wagon roads—on what would become the national forests. A little over 100 years later, there are 381,000 miles of roads, ranging from dirt roads to interstate highways and 7,700 miles of National Scenic Byways in 30 States. In 1998, the Forest Service decommissioned almost 2,100 miles of unneeded roads.

Wilderness

Prior to 1905, the national forest areas in the West were practically all untracked wilderness areas; in the East, what would become national forests were mostly lands that had been cut, burned, or farmed. By 1996, there were 387 congressionally designated wilderness units in the National Wilderness Preservation System. This amounts to 34.8 million acres of wilderness (about 1 acre in 6 of the National Forest System). The Forest Service manages 75 percent of the designated wilderness within the lower 48 States, or about 63 percent of all wildernesses in the National Wilderness Preservation System.

Wild and Scenic Rivers

In 1905, the rivers on what would become national forests were almost entirely wild, with a few rivers or creeks diverted for irrigation and mining operations. Over a century later, Congress has recognized more than 4,348 miles or 946,118 acres on the national forests as part of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System.

National Monuments

Prior to 1905, there were no national monuments managed by the Forest Service. The Antiquities Act of 1906 authorized the President to establish national monuments. Between 1906 and 1933, about a dozen national monuments were established on the national forests. Those monuments were transferred to the National Park Service in 1933. Since then, two national monuments have been established in Alaska and two others in California. Two national volcanic monuments have been established in Washington and Oregon. The national acreage for the Forest Service is now 3.8 million acres. In addition, the Forest Service manages several monuments for the National Park Service.

Wildlife Habitat Restoration

Before the National Forest System was established, wildlife habitat was often changed or destroyed by the many activities—some illegal—on the public domain forest lands. In 1998, the Forest Service restored over 167,000 acres of terrestrial habitat, including nearly 42,000 acres within rangeland ecosystems.

Forest Research

Prior to 1905, there were basically no organized research studies on forests. Today the Forest Service supports approximately 3,005 research studies concerned with the national forest resources.

Forest Service Employees

Before 1905, a handful of Government employees in the Department of Agriculture were paid to study the forestry situation in America. In 2002, the Forest Service employed about 30,000 permanent full-time positions (about 38 percent women and 16 percent minorities) and another 14,700 temporary positions, which range from archeologists to wilderness guards.

Special Employment Programs

Prior to 1931, there were no special employment programs on the national forest lands. Today the Forest Service has 18 Job Corps centers, with 8,976 students between the ages of 16 and 22 employed on conservation projects and education programs. Job Corps students accomplished almost $18.5 million worth of work on national forest projects. YCC employed another 894 enrollees on the national forests during the summer months, returning $1.14 in work for each dollar appropriated. The Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) has about 5,873 low-income persons, 55 or older, participating in national forest and other Forest Service projects, returning $1.45 in work value for each appropriated dollar.

Volunteers in the National Forests

Before 1905, (and the next 30 years) there were no "official" volunteers on the lands that became national forests. However, over 100 years later, 90,678 volunteers have contributed work valued at $38 million. Volunteers often serve as hosts to oversee the daily operation of the many Forest Service recreational facilities.

Dale N. Bosworth—Fifteenth Chief, 2001-Present Dale N. Bosworth became the 15th Chief of the Forest Service on April 12, 2001. Bosworth held positions as regional forester for the Intermountain and Northern Regions before he was chosen to be Chief of the Forest Service. During his time as Chief of the Forest Service, he has recognized the agency to give more authority and dollars to the regions and national forests, to better respond to "analysis paralysis" (the efforts by some to slow Forest Service work through numerous appeals and lawsuits), and to implement the National Fire Plan 2000. During Bosworth's tenure, the increasing danger to communities from wildfires and heavy "fuel loads" in forests became major issues. The fires of 2002 were very difficult for the Forest Service, especially in terms of acres burned and money spent on firefighting. Dale Bosworth wrote: On the national forests...long-term ecosystem health drives everything we do. It determines whether or not—and where and how—we decide to cut trees. Our vegetation management projects are guided by the principle that what we leave on the land is more important than what we take away...Some people say we ought to leave the land alone to heal itself. But it is an illusion to think that just leaving nature alone will restore the open old-growth pine forests...Competition for limited resources will keep the dense trees that are there now small forever—or until they are destroyed by insects or fire. In fact, the original open forests were probably never entirely natural; studies suggest that they evolved together with American Indians and their natural land management practices, particularly burning...Our American Indian heritage teaches the need for active management. I think we can find common ground for deciding at the local level what our priorities and treatments should be. Today, we have amazing new opportunities for collaboration. New technologies such as the Internet allow us to work together with partners all across the landscape...If we work together based on shared goals for the land, everyone benefits. Ecologically, we can benefit the land by restoring ecosystems to something more resembling their condition at the time of European settlement. Socially, we can benefit our local communities by helping people make themselves safer from wildland fire. Economically, we can benefit our citizens by providing jobs and by helping them take advantage of local business opportunities to utilize excess trees and brush. When you think about it, the national forests and grasslands are a great unfinished experiment. We as a Nation are testing a hypothesis—the hypothesis that a great system of public lands can provide benefits to many different people, for generation after generation, forever and ever. The jury is still out. People all over the world are watching and waiting to see if what we are doing is the right thin. A lot is at stake. From an article in Fire Management Today (based on his 2002 McClure Lecture at the University of Idaho).