The United States Forest Service (USFS) is responsible for the resurvey and management of federal lands and for monumentation of national forests. Its mission it to protect and preserve the country's natural resource. It administers several programs that improve the management of these natural resources. Among these programs are forest fire research and the National Recreation Strategy.
The mid-19th-century saw the beginning of national forests. Edward T. Allen was the first regional forester in the Pacific Northwest Region. In the early decades of the 20th-century, the majority of national forests was managed for timber harvesting or grazing. Because of this, recreation on these lands was not a rapid development. However, recreation grew tremendously during the Roaring 20s. National forests offer more opportunities than ever to enjoy them, from camping to road construction.
In the 1920s the Forest Service operated 12 regional research centers. These labs were devoted to dendrological data and other information necessary to manage federal forests. The need for additional research in forestry increased after World War II. The Civilian Conservation Corps was established in the 1930s. The Civilian Conservation Corps program sent its enrolled members to battle wildfires in West. CCC created hundreds of towers called lookout towers which were used for finding and fighting fires. Over a thousand men were working to put out fires by 1940. Although some women were employed, they rarely served in the field.
In the 1950s, the Forest Service assumed primary responsibility for fire protection for rural areas. It took the first step towards this goal by creating the Division of Fire Research. It was also granted the authority to create cooperative units. This legislation changed how the Forest Service operated, and gave it the authority to establish cooperative units.
The Forest Service also created a professional standard for firefighters. It was known as 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 Federal Agency stipulation.
As the Roaring Twenties began to fade, the Forest Service responded to the changing social and economic circumstances by developing a National Recreation Strategy. The strategy called for public-private partnerships in outdoor recreation.
A major part of the strategy was the creation of a computer network to track lightning strikes. The network, which has now grown to over a hundred stations nationwide, is also used to monitor the location of fires that start during lightning storms. The Forest Service has begun to implement an ecosystem-based approach to forest management.
The success of the National Recreation Strategy has been a testament to the efforts of the Forest Service. Its research also has played an important role in shaping the agency's operations. For instance, the Wagon wheel gap watershed study was a joint U.S./Canada project. Weather Bureau, and the Forest Service. This study was used as a guideline for the creation of the National Park Service.