Democracy In Action

Forest Land Ownership in the

United States

“How we got to where we are today.”

Jim Ostrowski – Registered Professional Forester

The question was “What to do with the Western lands?”

Land Ownership In the West

• 1776-1860’s – Private property! Most lands were for distribution to private citizens to develop commerce and the economy.

• 1862 Homestead Act – 160 acres of unclaimed federal lands for free!

• 1862 Pacific Railroad Acts – Granted lands to the railroads as partial compensation for construction of the transcontinental railroad.

• 1864 Yosemite NP, 1872 Yellowstone NP – The idea of National Parks was born.

• 1891 – Forest Reserves Act – Allowed the president to set aside public lands for water and soil conservation.

The West Was Won – 1870-1890

• Railroads linked the East and West Coasts.

• Native Americans subdued

• Virtual extinction of the Bison

• 1893 World Columbian Exposition and “Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show”

People’s Understanding of the World Around Them Was Changing!

• Animals had rights?

• Scientific understanding of nature.

• Nature could be managed to serve our needs

• The endless frontier and its resources were not endless after all.

• “Conservation” – the wise use of our resources

Teddy Roosevelt 1858-1919

• President from 1900-1908

• Founder of the Boone and Crocket Club. 1887

• Created the first federal wildlife reserves.

Gifford Pinchot 1865-1946

• First Chief of the Forest Service • “The Greatest Good, for the greatest

number of people over the long term.”

John Muir 1838-1914

• Father of the National Park System.

• “Preserve the land as it is.”

Steven T. Mather 1867-1930

• Became wealthy as a director of the Borax Company and later starting a competing company. Created the slogan “20 Mule Team Borax”

• First Director of the National Park Service 1916-1929

• Lobbied to create the NPS and worked to develop the Agency.

• Created a lasting blueprint for park management and use.

National Forest System

Created from lands still in the public domain primarily from 1890-1908

Commercial conifer lands are about 18.5 MM acres or 18.5% of California.