The U.S. Forest Service is a federal agency under the direction of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. They manage over 193 million acres of land in their jurisdiction. The Forest Service was established in 1905 and has since been responsible for managing national forests and grasslands, providing technical and financial assistance to state and private forestry agencies, and continuing to expand forestry research. The Forest Service has both a motto and a mission. Their motto is “Caring for the Land and Serving People” (Hazlegreaves, 2021) while their mission is to “sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the nation’s forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations” (Christiansen, 2019).
The welcoming view waiting for you at the Stanley Ranger Station. Photo credit: Jenna Downing
The Forest Service is able to live up to its motto and mission through five main activities. The first is to protect and manage the natural resources of the lands. The Forest Service is able to implement this with the hiring of Forest Rangers who go out and patrol their assigned area. For example, the Forest Service hires people as Wilderness Rangers. These rangers are responsible for making sure hikers are following leave-no-trace principles and special Wilderness Area rules and regulations. The next activity is to research all aspects of forestry, rangeland management, and forest utilization. The third is to provide community assistance and cooperation with State and local governments, forest industries, and private landowners. This is to help protect and manage non-federal forests and associated watershed lands to help sustain and improve conditions that exist in rural areas. In addition to that, they focus on supporting an effective workforce that reflects the diversity of the U.S. Lastly, the Forest Service provides international assistance to formulate policy that continues to support the protection of the world’s forest resources as a whole.
Tin Cup Trailhead Wilderness Boundary of the Alice-Toxaway Loop. Photo Credit: Jenna Downing
The Forest Service’s five values are; service, conservation, interdependence, diversity, and safety.
Service: One of the main jobs of the Forest Service is to serve the public, which includes local communities and the environment. While doing their daily assignments, Forest Service staff strive to improve the conditions of our forests and grasslands while ensuring the public benefits from their experiences.
Conservation: Forest Service staff must attend to their daily duties and operations with an ecological approach. They rely on the most current and up-to-date scientific knowledge and must select the appropriate technologies to implement for proper resource management.
Interdependence: The Forest Service collaborates with various entities throughout both federal and state-level agencies and localized non-profits (like SIHA!) Together, we all work towards the common goal of preserving and maintaining the land for future generations.
Diversity: The Forest Service, like all federal agencies, supports diversity and inclusivity in their staff. They respect the different perspectives, backgrounds, and cultures they run into daily to try to create a warm and welcoming environment.
Safety: The safety of everyone involved with the Forest Service and on their grounds is of the utmost importance. Being held accountable to these five values is essential for the agency to function properly as the staff continues to care for the land and serve the people they impact.
U.S. Forest Service Official Badge Logo. Photo Credit: Jenna Downing
Christiansen, C. (2019, March 15). Living our values – this is who we are. US Forest Service. Living Our Values
Hazlegreaves, S. (2021, January 4). The U.S. Forest Service: Caring for the land and serving people. Open Access Government. https://www.openaccessgovernment.org/the-u-s-forest-service-caring-for-the-land-and-serving-people/100772/
Jenna comes from Upstate New York and is a Naturalist this season with SIHA. She thanks you for taking time out of your day to read up on the National U.S. Forest Service and Their Core Values. She hopes you learned something new today and feel inspired to learn more about the Sawtooths!