USDA Forest Service

1
USDA Forest Service
2
FS owns 8.5 of the total land area in United
States
3
Organization of USFS

• Four main program components
• National Forest System
• Forest Service Research Development
• State and Private Forestry
• International Forestry

4
Organization of National Forest System
Under Secretary of the Dept. of Agriculture
Chief of FS
Research Development
Regional Foresters (9)
Forest Supervisors
State Private Forestry
International Programs
District Rangers staff
5
Organization of National Forest System
Under Secretary of the Dept. of Agriculture
Chief of FS
Research Development
Regional Foresters (9)
Forest Supervisors
State Private Forestry
International Programs
District Rangers staff
6
Research Stations (Regions)

• North Central
• Northeastern
• Pacific Southwest
• Rocky Mountain
• Pacific Northwest
• Southern

7
Northeastern Research Station
8
Organization of National Forest System
Under Secretary of the Dept. of Agriculture
Chief of FS
Research Development
Regional Foresters (9)
Forest Supervisors
State Private Forestry
International Programs
District Rangers staff
9
International Programs

• Promotes sustainable forest management
  internationally through
• Disaster Assistance Support Program
• Technical Cooperation Program
• Policy Program

10
International Programs
Asian Longhorned beetle
Beetle exit holes
11
Organization of National Forest System
Under Secretary of the Dept. of Agriculture
Chief of FS
Research Development
Regional Foresters (9)
Forest Supervisors
State Private Forestry
International Programs
District Rangers staff
12
Forest Service Regions (9)

• Northern
• Rocky Mountain
• Southwestern
• Intermountain
• Pacific Southwest
• Pacific Northwest
• Southern
• Eastern
• Alaska

13
(No Transcript)
14
State Private Forestry

• Conservation Education
• Cooperative Forestry
• Fire and Aviation Management
• Forest Health Management

15
Organization of National Forest System
Under Secretary of the Dept. of Agriculture
Chief of FS
Research Development
Regional Foresters (9)
Forest Supervisors
State Private Forestry
International Programs
District Rangers staff
16
National Forest System

• National Forests
• National Grasslands
• National Wilderness Areas
• National Forest Roadless Areas

17
National Forests

• A large forest ecosystem used for recreation,
  timber, wildlife, range, and watershed purposes.
• Designated by Secretary of Agriculture.
• 155 NFs.

Finger Lakes National Forest
18
National Grasslands

• A large grassland ecosystem used for recreation,
  range, wildlife, timber, and watershed purposes.
• Designated by Secretary of Agriculture.
• 20 NGs.

19
Little Missouri National Grassland, ND
Sharp-tailed grouse
Prairie dogs
20
Little Missouri National Grassland, ND
Herding cattle
Oil drilling
21
National Wilderness Areas

• Large, primitive areas preserved in their
  natural, untouched condition.
• Non-mechanical recreation permitted as long as
  wilderness character is not harmed.
• Designated by Congress.

Pack trip on wilderness area in Shoshone NF
22
NF Roadless Areas

• Large, primitive areas located in NFs NGs (85.5
  million acres).
• While most RAs are roadless, some may have roads.
• Designated by Secretary of Agriculture or Chief
  of the Forest Service.

23
Evolution of the FS
24
Creation Act of 1891

• Allowed the President to set aside forest reserve
  lands from the national public domain.

Shoshone NF (original Yellowstone Timber Reserve)
25
Organic Administrative Act of 1897

• Created the Division of Forests in the USDI for
  timber and water purposes.

Gifford Pinchot, First FS Director
26
Transfer Act of 1905

• Transferred the USDI Division of Forests to USDA.
• Created USDA Forest Service.

27
Weeks Act of 1911

• Made it possible for the FS to purchase lands to
  protect navigable streams.
• Most of the forest reserve land in the east was
  purchased through this act.

Nantahala River, Nantahala NF
28
Multiple-use Sustained-yield Act of 1960

• Changed the purposes
• of the USFS to
• Recreation
• Water
• Wildlife
• Timber
• Range

Campground, Shoshone NF
29
Forest Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning
Act of 1974

• Mandated periodic assessment of forest and
  rangeland resources.
• Mandated long-range planning by the Forest
  Service.

30
National Forest Management Act of 1976

• Required the USFS to create a management plan for
  each national forest.
• Made public input in the planning process
  mandatory.

31
Challenges for the USFS

• Increasing demand for recreation
• about 286 million recreational visits/year
• Federal budget problems
• Proposed 2004 4.8 billion
• 96.5 million increase (uncontrollable costs)
• 24.4 million increase (other activities)
• 8.4 billion backlog in repairs maintenance

32
Challenges for the USFS

• Necessity of increasing user fees
• Managing areas for multiple use
• Impacts of use on natural resources

33
CASE STUDYShoshone NF, Wyoming
Rocky Mountain Region 2.5 million acres Annual
budget 8.3 million
34
5 districts within the National Forest
35
Wildlife Management
Culvert removal ON Squaw Creek to enable fish
movement.
36
Wildlife Management

• Grizzly bear monitoring
• Visitor education about bears

37
Land Management

• Timber sales
• Fuel reduction harvests
• Grazing permits
• Prescribed burns

38
Fire Management monitoring
39
Visitor Recreation

• Trailer tent camping permitted
• 164,000 visitor days spent camping (1997)

Campground at Shoshone NF
40
Visitor recreation

• Dispersed camping in 5 wilderness areas within
  Shoshone
• 1.4 million acres of wilderness

Beartooth Mountains Wilderness Area
41
Visitor recreation

• Scenic driving on the Buffalo Bill Cody National
  Scenic Byway
• About 21,000 visitor days/year

42
Visitor Recreation
Fishing platform
43
Visitor Recreation
1,388 miles of trails
Popo Agie Wilderness Area
44
Visitor Recreation
Pack trips
45
Visitor Recreation
Many sites with the forest are on the National
Register of Historic Places
Wapiti Ranger Station
46
Visitor Recreation
Many sites with the forest are on the National
Register of Historic Places
Mine shafts
47
Interpretation

• Limited to trailhead signs and several guidebooks

48
Cooperating with Local Business Owners
Brooks Lake Lodge, Shoshone NF
49
Cooperating with Local Business Owners
Sleeping Giant Ski Area, Shoshone NF