forsest service essays

forsest service essays Since World War 2, the Forest Service had gone through a major revolution that it included the need to be more efficient and cost-effective in production of timber as a crop from national forest lands. However, the increased effort of timber production clashed with environmental issues, the need for more recreation and wildlife viewing. In 1960, law with management of the national forests according to a philosophy of sustained yield and multiple use charged the Forest Service. This was the production of timber, preservation of fish and wildlife habitat, watershed maintenance, mining, grazing, and recreation. In the 1960s, demand for timber led the Forest Service to adopt the practice of clearcutting used also by the commercial timber industry. Vast forest tracts were stripped of all trees, leaving an unsightly bald area. As a result of many environmental consequences by clearcutting, environmentalists and the general public became livid and filed several lawsuits against the Forest Service. They urged restoration of damaged areas and more equitable multiple-use management in the future. In particular, emphasis has been placed on managing the forests in terms of broad concepts of land use and environmental quality. Like other federal agencies, the Forest Service must now assess the environmental impact of proposed actions, such as building new roads through the forests or granting rights to drill for oil or mine for coal and other minerals The main goal of The National Forest Service in modern times is to find a balance between forest protection and resource production. With the given pressures of increasing population growth and heightened demand for forest resources in recent years, the task has proven difficult. A special program in 1990 called the New Perspectives for Managing the National Forest System was established within the Forest Service as a means to achieve this balance. The Program's objective was to enhance the ...