The United States Forest Service is responsible for the resurvey, management, and monumentation national forests. Its mission, is to preserve and safeguard the country's resources. It administers several programs that improve the management of these natural resources. Some of these programs include forest fire research and National Recreation Strategy.
National forests were first established in the mid-19th Century. Edward T. Allen of the Pacific Northwest Region was elected as the first regional Forester. In the early decades of the 20th-century, the majority of national forests was managed for timber harvesting or grazing. It was therefore difficult to enjoy these lands for recreation. But the Roaring Twenties brought great growth in recreation. You can now enjoy national forests in a variety of ways, including camping and road construction.
In the 1920s, the Forest Service had 12 regional research stations. These stations provided data necessary for managing federal forests and were responsible to providing dendrological information. However, the need for additional forestry research expanded after World War II. In the 1930s was created the Civilian Conservation Corps program. Enrolled personnel were sent to the West to combat wildfires. CCC built hundreds upon hundreds of lookout stations to help locate and battle fires. More than 1000 men were assigned to fight fires by the 1940s. A few women were also hired, but they rarely worked in the field.
In the 1950s the Forest Service took over primary responsibility for the protection of rural areas from fire. Its first step in this direction was the creation of the Division of Fire Research. It was also given the authority to establish cooperative units. This legislation changed how the Forest Service operated, and gave it the authority to establish cooperative units.
The Forest Service also initiated a professional standard for firefighting. It was also known by the "10 A.M." policy. This required that fires be contained by 10 a.m. after a report of a fire was received. This was a stipulation that was echoed in other Federal agencies.
The Forest Service developed a National Recreation Strategy as a response to economic and social changes that occurred during the Roaring Twenties. The strategy called for public-private partnerships in outdoor recreation.
The creation of an internet network to track lightning strikes was a major component of this strategy. The network has grown to more than 100 stations in the US and can be used to track fires that are started by lightning storms. The Forest Service started to implement an ecosystem-based method of forest management.
Forest Service efforts have been instrumental in the success of the National Recreation Strategy. Its research also has played an important role in shaping the agency's operations. The Wagon Wheel Gap Study on Watersheds was a joint effort by the U.S. Weather Bureau and Forest Service. The study was a precursor to the creation of the National Park Service and the National Wildlife Refuge System.