The U. S. Forest Service in the Pacific Northwest

The Northwest has been at the forefront of forest management and research in the United States for more than one hundred years. In The U.S. Forest Service in the Pacific Northwest, Gerald Williams provides an historical overview of the part the Forest Service has played in managing the Northwest’s forests.

Emphasizing changes in management policy over the years, Williams discusses the establishment of the national forests in the region, grazing on public land, the Great Depression, World War II, and the rise of multiple-use management policies. He draws on extensive documentation of the post-war development boom to explore its effects on forests and Forest Service workers. Presenting such controversial issues as roadless areas and wilderness designation, timber harvesting, forest planning, ecosystems, and spotted owls, Williams demonstrates the impact of 1970s environmental laws on national forest management.

The book is rich in photographs, many drawn from the Gerald W. Williams Collection, Oregon State University Archives. Extensive appendices provide detailed data about Pacific Northwest forests.

Chronicling a century of the agency’s management of almost 25 million acres of national forests and grasslands for the people of the United States, The U.S. Forest Service in the Pacific Northwest is a welcome and overdue resource.

This work was completed through the collaborative efforts of the author and the Pacific Northwest Forest Service Association, with support from the U. S. Forest Service.

• Listen to the author on Jefferson Public Radio
• Visit the Gerald W. Williams Collection