Forest Management

From the earliest days of the agency, the U.S. Forest Service has held forest management as a primary focus. Protecting the nation's forests from timber thieves and profiteers spurred the creation of the forest reserves in 1891. Since that time, the national forest system has grown to include 191 million acres. Controversies and management challenges have often kept stride with this growing system, whether caused by fire policies, logging practices, road building, wilderness designations, wildlife or watershed protection, or states and counties asserting rights of ownership. In recent years the concept of ecosystem management has gained wide acceptance and spurred dramatic changes in the way the Forest Service views the forests in its care. Sustainable forestry has become the goal.

Clearcutting

Williams, Gerald. Controversy Over Clearcutting

Backiel, Adela and Ros W. Gorte. "Clearcutting in the National Forests," Congressional Research Service, (1992) [html]

Robertson, F. Dale. "Statement Concerning H.R. 169, Clearcutting and Ecosystem Managment." (1992) [html]

Road Building

Buck, C.J. "Forest Roads or Forest Fires?" (1936) [pdf] [html]

States' Rights

States' Rights and the National Forests (an overview)

Ecosystem Management/ Sustainable Forestry

Miller, Char. "Back to the Garden: The Redemptive Promise of Sustainable Forestry, 1893-2000." (2000) [pdf]

"Traditional Forestry Hits the Wall: Excerpts of Interviews with F. Dale Robertson and George M. Leonard." (2000) [pdf]