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The Forest Service was established in 1905 and is an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The Forest Service manages public lands in national forests and grasslands, which encompass 193 million acres. more »

Spotlight

Centennial

On February 1, 1905 the forest reserves were transferred from the General Land Office in the Department of Interior to the Department of Agriculture. The Transfer Act moved over 63 million acres and 500 employees to USDA where a corps of trained foresters were ready to begin the conservation of America’s forests. Now the Forest Service manages over 193 million acres with over 35,000 employees. In 2005 the agency commemorates its Centennial with an array of events and activities that add value to its mission of caring for the land and serving people. Join Us in commemorating the Forest Service Centennial.

Great Backyard Bird Count

Instead of your own backyard this year, visit America's backyard and participate in the 8th Annual Great Backyard Bird Count on your National Forests and Grasslands. During the President’s Day weekend of February 18-21, 2005, people across the North American continent will be getting outside and counting birds and reporting them over the internet. Instructions for participating can be found at www.birdsource.org/gbbc/

Features

Avalanche Awareness

Did you know that almost all avalanche accidents occur in the back-country, and not on the ski slopes? This is because avalanche control is done within ski area boundaries. Ski areas and highway avalanche control crews, routinely knock down avalanches with explosives before the public arrives each morning. They have done their job so well that they have nearly eliminated avalanche fatalities at ski areas and on highways. To learn more about avalanche awareness please visit the National Avalanche Center website at www.fsavalanche.org

Winter is here!

It’s winter, let’s head for the trails!! With skis and snow shoes that is!! Did you know that during the winter months, pedestrian trails on national forests are often used for cross-country skiing and sometimes snow shoeing? Take the opportunity to enjoy your national forests during the winter! Please visit www.recreation.gov to find more information on where you can go for winter recreation and hut-to-hut reservations for cross-country skiers and snow shoers.

BE SAFE! Here are some important tips to follow in order to enjoy the outdoors more safely this winter:

• Bring a change of dry clothes, especially for children, to change into after a day of winter sports.
• Before you venture out to enjoy the outdoors, check your vehicle for proper equipment for winter sports and travel.
• Look up the current safety conditions in the area you are going to visit. You can do this by checking the website of the location or calling beforehand to get the latest weather and safety update.

Quick Facts

The Forest Products Laboratory worked with the U.S. Navy to restore the U.S.S. Constitution, the world’s oldest commissioned warship. By using FPL’s nondestructive evaluation technique, decay in the wooden structure could be detected without dismantling large sections of the ship. Only the few boards where decay was found needed to be removed and replaced. To learn more about this leading wood research institute, visit the Forest Products Laboratory website.

Website Information

Web Survey

As you leave our site, a pop-up window may ask you to complete a survey that will help us improve the Forest Service website. The survey gathers no personal information about you. We hope you will take time to respond! more »