About Us
USDA FOREST SERVICE
Established in 1905, the Forest Service is an agency of the U.S.
Department of Agriculture. The Forest Service manages public lands
in national forests and grasslands.
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."
National forests and grasslands encompass 191 million acres (77.3
million hectares) of land, which is an area equivalent to the size
of Texas. ![Link to USDA Forest Service information.](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20090115142358im_/http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/global-websites/images/buttons/more.gif)
FOREST SERVICE HISTORY
Many early settlers of the west thought that there was an inexhaustible
supply of natural resources, which led to overgrazing, over logging
and destruction of public lands. There were only a few proponents
of conservation and wise use of public lands in the country at the
time. On May 25, 1907, the Inyo became the first national forest
in California to administer public lands, "for the greatest
good of the greatest number in the long run." ![Link to USDA Forest Service information.](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20090115142358im_/http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/global-websites/images/buttons/more.gif)
BUDGET INFORMATION
The Forest Service gets its budget through the Department of Agriculture
budget as approved by Congress. Get more budget details about the
Forest Service. ![Link to USDA Forest Service budget information.](https://webarchive.library.unt.edu/web/20090115142358im_/http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/global-websites/images/buttons/more.gif)
DOING BUSINESS WITH US
All Forest Service contracting opportunities are available through
FedBizOpps, the federal
government contracting portal site.
Look under the Department of Agriculture locations to find Forest
Service-specific opportunities.
NEW CENTURY OF SERVICE
We celebrate our 100th birthday in 2005. At our "New Century
of Service" site, find out how we're preparing to provide another
hundred years of service through your national forests and grasslands.
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