Fishlake National Forest

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"Where conflicting interests must be reconciled, the question shall always be answered from the standpoint of the greatest good of the greatest number in the long run."

Gifford Pinchot, Father of the Forest Service
Chief Forester 1905-1910

When the USDA Forest Service was created, there were about 760 million acres of forestland. Today, there are nearly 750 million acres of forestland. Sustaining the national forests during the last century while the country’s population grew by nearly 300 percent is a conservation success story.

The Forest Service and the Fishlake National Forest celebrated their Centennial Anniversary on July 1, 2005. In the late 1890s Congress set aside selected forests and grasslands for the protection of watersheds for communities, and so that the land would be managed in perpetuity for multiple uses. In July 1905 President Theodore Roosevelt transferred the care of those forests and grasslands to the U.S. Department of Agriculture Bureau of Forestry, later renamed the Forest Service.

Since its beginning 100 years ago, the mission of the Forest Service has been tied to the relationship that Americans have with the land. It’s a relationship founded on the premise that natural resources may be used wisely while sustaining them for generations to come. In all endeavors, today’s Forest Service remains grounded in the firm belief that the outcome must serve “the greatest good of the greatest number in the long run.”

Rangeland Management

The Forest Service has undergone many changes in its management of rangelands. In the early 1800s, free forage on unclaimed public domain lands allowed the building of cattle and sheep empires. The ranges soon became over-grazed, overstocked, and overcrowded. Congress stepped in the early 1900s and designated the Forest Service as the pioneer grazing control agency. By 1906 to 1907, the Forest Service had established its system of range regulation. This includes permits, limits on herd size, grazing seasons, allotments, and rental fees. The system has served as a pattern for other agencies concerned with resource protection and the pursuit of society's goals.