Frequently Asked Questions - General
The questions people ask the most can be found here listed by category,
or links are provided to more detailed information.
- What is the difference between the Forest Service, National
Parks, and State Parks?
- The Forest Service is part of the US Department
of Agriculture and manages the national forests and grasslands,
forestry research and cooperation with forest managers on State
and Private Lands. The Forest Service is dedicated to multiple-use
management for the sustained yield of renewable resources such
as water, forage, wildlife, wood and recreation. Multiple-use
means managing resources under the best combination of uses to
benefit the American people while ensuring the productivity of
the land and protecting the quality of the environment. Gifford
Pinchot, the first Chief of the Forest Service, summed up the
mission of the Forest Service - "to provide the greatest
amount of good for the greatest amount of people in the long run."
- The National Park Service is part of the US
Department of Interior and focuses on preservation. They preserve,
unimpaired, the natural and cultural resources and values of the
national park system for the enjoyment, education, and inspiration
of this and future generations. The Park Service cooperates with
partners to extend the benefits of natural and cultural resource
conservation and outdoor recreation.
- State Parks are similar to National Parks but
are managed on state level and can have fewer restrictions.
- When and why was the Forest Service established?
- Congress established the Forest Service in 1905 to provide quality
water and timber for the Nation's benefit. Over the years, the
public has expanded the list of what they want from national forest
and grasslands. Congress responded by directing the Forest Service
to manage national forest for additional multiple uses and benefits
for the sustained yield of renewable resources such as water,
forage, wildlife, wood, and recreation. Multiple use means managing
resources under the best combination of uses to benefit the American
people while ensuring the productivity of the land and protecting
the quality of the environment.
- National forests are America's Great Outdoors. They encompass
191 million acres of land, which is an area equivalent to the
size of Texas. National Forests provide opportunities for recreation
in open spaces and natural environments. With more and more people
living in urban areas national forest are becoming more important
and valuable to Americans. People enjoy a wide variety of activities
on national forest, including backpacking in remote, unroaded
wilderness areas, mastering an all-terrain vehicle over a challenging
trail, enjoying the views along a scenic byway, or fishing a great
trout stream, to mention just a few.
- How are the Forest Service offices organized? There
are four levels of national forest offices:
- National Level: This is commonly called the
Washington Office. The person who oversees the entire forest service
is called the chief. The chief is a federal employee who reports
to the Under Secretary of Natural Resources and Environment in
the US Department of Agriculture. The Chief's staff provides a
broad policy and direction for the agency, works with the President's
Administration to develop a budget to submit to Congress, provides
information to Congress on accomplishments and monitors activities
of the agency.
- Regional Level: There are 9 regions, numbered
1-10 (Region 7 was eliminated some years ago). The regions are
broad geographic areas usually including several states. The person
in charge is called the regional forester. Forest supervisors
of the national forests within a region report to the regional
forester. The regional office staff coordinated activities between
national forest, monitors activities on national forest to ensure
quality operations, provides guidance for forest plans, and allocates
budgets to the forests.
- National Forest: There are 155 national forest
and 20 grasslands. Each forest is composed of several ranger districts.
The person in charge of a national forest is called the forest
supervisor. The district rangers from the districts within the
forest work for the forest supervisor. The headquarters of the
national forest is called the supervisor's office. This level
coordinates activities between districts, allocates the budget,
and provides technical support to each district.
- Ranger District: The district ranger and their
staff may be your first point of contact with the forest service.
There are more than 600 ranger districts . Each district
has a staff of 10 to 100 people. The districts vary in size form
50,000 acres to more than 1 million acres. Many on-the-ground
activities occur on the ranger districts, including trail construction
and maintenance, operation of campgrounds, and management of
vegetation
and wildlife habitat.
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