Wildlife

Policies for wildlife management in the Forest Service have evolved over time. Aldo Leopold laid the foundation for wildlife management while working for the agency in the Southwest Region, from 1909-1924.

In the 1960s, clear cuts on the Monongahela National Forest in West Virginia, angered wild turkey hunters. They convinced the Isaak Walton League to sue the Forest Service. The agency lost the case. Subsequent legislation led to the National Forest Management Act of 1976, which requires the agency to conduct its planning to ensure a diversity of plant and animal species.

In 1990, the northern spotted owl was added to the endangered species list and national forests and timber dependent communities in Washington and Oregon were scrutinized while teams of individuals worked out the habitat boundaries and harvesting compromises.

The Forest Service Headquarters History Collection contains legislation, newspaper clippings, biographical information and other sources documenting wildlife policy in the agency. A staff member can accommodate requests for original documents from the collection.

Birds

Northern Spotted Owl
Puerto Rican Parrot
Red-Cockaded Woodpecker
Whooping Crane

Fish

Snail Darter

Additional sources of information:

"Wildlife Resource Trends in the United States" 1999 [pdf]