Logo of the U.S. Forest Service.

The USDA Forest Service is an agency of the United States Department of Agriculture that administers the nation's national forests and national grasslands. In addition, the Research and Development branch of the Forest Service carries out research relevant to forest ecosystems and other natural resources. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... The United States Department of Agriculture (also called the Agriculture Department, or USDA) is a United States Federal Executive Department (or Cabinet Department). ... U.S. National Forests are protected forests and woodland areas in the United States. ... United States National Grasslands are protected areas of the United States. ...

The laws that established the agency and control its actions are: the Forest Reserve Act of 1891; the Organic Administrative Act of 1897; the Transfer Act of 1905 which transferred the forest reserves from the Interior Department to the Agriculture Department and changed the Bureau of Forestry into the Forest Service; the Multiple Use Sustained Yield Act, P.L. 86-517; 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; the Forest and Rangelands Renewable Resources Planning Act, P.L. 95-307; and the National Forest Management Act of 1976. The Forest Reserve Act of 1891 allowed the president to set aside forest reserves from the land in the public domain. ... The National Environmental Policy Act (or, NEPA) was signed into law on January 1, 1970 by US President Richard Nixon. ... The National Forest Management Act of 1976, the primary statue governing the administration of national forests, is an amendment to the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act of 1974, which called for the management of renewable resources on national forest lands. ...

Across the whole United States, there are 155 national forests, organized into ranger districts employing district rangers and other personnel. The districts construct and maintain trails, operate campgrounds, regulate grazing, patrol wilderness areas, and manage vegetation and wildlife habitat. U.S. National Forests are protected forests and woodland areas in the United States. ... Grazing To feed on growing herbage, attached algae, or phytoplankton. ... Broadly, a wilderness area is a region where the land is left in a state where human modifications are minimal; that is, as a wilderness. ... Various species of deer are commonly seen wildlife across the Americas and Eurasia. ... Habitat (from the Latin for it inhabits) is the place where a particular species lives and grows. ...

The Forest Service also has seven Regional Research Stations, including the International Institute of Tropical Forestry and Forest Products Laboratory, that study the ecosystems of the National Forests among other things. The Forest Service also provides funding and technical assistance to non-federal land owners through a branch called State and Private Forestry.

Although a large volume of timber is logged every year, not all National Forests are entirely forested. There are tidewater glaciers in the Tongass National Forest in Alaska and ski areas such as Alta, Utah in the Wasatch-Cache National Forest. In addition, the Forest Service is responsible for managing National Grasslands in the midwest. Furthermore, areas designated as Wilderness, which can so created by an act of Congress, prohibit logging, mining, road and building construction and land leases for purposes of farming and or livestock grazing. Timber in storage for later processing at a sawmill Lumber or Timber is a term used to describe wood, either standing or that has been processed for use—from the time trees are felled, to its end product as a material suitable for industrial use—as structural material for construction... Loggers on break, c. ... This article is on national forests in the United States. ... Categories: Stub | Alaska landmarks | U.S. National Forests ... Official language(s) English Capital Juneau Largest city Anchorage Area  Ranked 1st  - Total 663,267 sq mi (1,717,855 km²)  - Width 808 miles (1,300 km)  - Length 1,479 miles (2,380 km)  - % water 13. ... Alta is a town located in Salt Lake County, Utah. ... Wasatch-Cache National Forest is a national forest located in Utah. ... U.S. National Grasslands are protected areas of the United States. ... The Congress of the United States is the legislative branch of the federal government of the United States of America. ...

Smokey Bear poster

The history of the Forest Service has been fraught with controversy, as various interests and national values have grappled with the appropriate management of the many resources for the "greatest good". These values and resources include grazing, timber, mining, recreation, and wildlife habitat. Because of continuing development elsewhere, the large size of National Forests have made them de facto wildlife reserves for a number of rare and common species. In recent decades, the importance of mature forest for the spotted owl and a number of other species led to great changes in timber harvest levels. Image File history File links Smokey3. ... Image File history File links Smokey3. ... Smokey Smokey Bear is the longest running public service campaign in United States history. ... Grazing To feed on growing herbage, attached algae, or phytoplankton. ... Timber in storage for later processing at a sawmill Lumber or Timber is a term used to describe wood, either standing or that has been processed for use—from the time trees are felled, to its end product as a material suitable for industrial use—as structural material for construction... This article is about mineral extraction. ... People participating in summer luge as a form of recreation, in the Vosges. ... Binomial name Strix occidentalis Xantus de Vesey, 1860 The Spotted Owl, Strix occidentalis, is a species of owl. ...

Another controversial issue is the policy on road building within the National Forests. In 1999 President Clinton ordered a temporary moratorium on new road construction in the National Forests to "assess their ecological, economic, and social values and to evaluate long-term options for their management." [1] Five and half years later the Bush administration replaced this with a system where each state could petition the Forest Service to open forests in their territory to road building.

In order to help prevent forest fires, the Forest Service and the Wartime Advertising Council started to release fire education posters featuring a Black Bear on August 9, 1944. The poster campaign was a success and the Black Bear would later be named "Smokey Bear" who for decades was the "spokesbear" for the Forest Service. Bitterroot National Forest wildfire A wildfire, also known as a wildland fire, forest fire, vegetation fire, grass fire, brush fire, peat fire (gambut in Indonesia), bushfire (in Australasia), or hill fire, is an uncontrolled fire often occurring in wildland areas, but which can also consume houses or agricultural resources. ... Binomial name Ursus americanus The American Black Bear (Ursus americanus), also known as simply the black bear or cinnamon bear, is the most common bear in North America. ... August 9 is the 221st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (222nd in leap years), with 144 days remaining. ... 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... Smokey Smokey Bear is the longest running public service campaign in United States history. ...

See also

• List of U.S. National Forests
• United States Chief Foresters

v • d • e  Agencies under the United States Department of Agriculture

Agricultural Marketing Service • Agricultural Research Service  • Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service  • Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion • Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service • Economic Research Service • Farm Service Agency • Federal Crop Insurance Corporation • Food and Nutrition Service • Food Safety and Inspection Service • Foreign Agricultural Service • Forest Service • Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration • National Agricultural Library • National Agricultural Statistics Service • Natural Resources Conservation Service • Risk Management Agency • Rural Development

The United States Department of Agriculture (also called the Agriculture Department, or USDA) is a United States Federal Executive Department (or Cabinet Department). ... Image:US-DeptOfAgriculture-Seal. ... Agricultural Marketing Service - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... The Agricultural Research Service (ARS) is the principal in-house research agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). ... Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is an operating unit of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). ... The Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion (CNPP) is an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture created on December 1, 1994, and is the focal point within the USDA where scientific research is linked with the nutritional needs of the American public. ... The cooperative extension service, also known as the Extension Service of the USDA, is a non-formal educational program implemented in the United States that is designed to help people use research-based knowledge to improve their lives. ... The Economic Research Service (ERS) is the main source of economic information and research from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. ... The Farm Service Agency (FSA) is the USDA agency into which were merged several predecessor agencies, including the Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service (ASCS). ... The Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) administers food security programs. ... The United States Food Safety and Inspection Service is charged with ensuring that all meat, poultry, and processed egg products in the United States are safe to consume and accurately labeled. ... The Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) has primary responsibility for the U.S. Department of Agricultures overseas programs -- market development, international trade agreements and negotiations, and the collection of statistics and market information. ... Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... The United States National Agricultural Library is one of the worlds largest and most accessible agricultural research libraries, and serves as a National Library of the United States and as the library of the United States Department of Agriculture. ... The National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), as part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, collects, summarizes, analyzes, and publishes agricultural production and marketing data on a wide range of items; statistical highlights summarize frequently requested data for the most recent year. ... The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is a relatively small government agency in the United States Department of Agriculture currently comprised of about 12,000 employees. ... Risk Management Agency - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... Rural development in general is used to denote the actions and initiatives taken to improve the standard of living in non-Urban neighbourhoods, countryside, and remote villages. ...

External links

• USDA Forest Service. Retrieved on 2005 November 23.
• U.S. Forest Service Forest Products Laboratory
• USDA Forest Service Research Publications. Retrieved on 2006 January 23.
• USDA State & Private Forestry, Northeastern Area. Retrieved on 2006 November 29.
• Forest Service Meeting Notices and Rule Changes from The Federal Register RSS Feed