Not your father's forest service

The US Forest Service today is not the Forest Service our parents and grandparents knew.  Below is a Dixie National Forrest map from 1962.  The text is more interesting than the map.  The first line reads "You, as a citizen of the United States, are joint owner of this mountainous area".  It goes on to highlight the recreation, private resorts, wildlife, timber, forage, and energy development in the area.

Some quotes from the Forest Service map:

• "About 29 Million board feet of timber can be harvested year after year on the Dixie National Forrest indefinitely."
• "Roads built to harvest timber provide access to recreation and scenic areas."
• "The forage crop on the Dixie National Forest is harvested by about 20,000 cattle and 37,000 sheep.  These animals belong to approximately 400 farm and ranch families that depend upon summer grazing to round out their livestock operations."
• "Practically all of the Dixie National Forest is open to mineral prospecting and oil and gas exploration.  Coal and iron ore deposits have been mined for many years in southern Utah.  Over one million acres on Dixie National forest have been leased for oil exploration within the last few years."

The multiple use philosophy embraced by the forest service in 1962 in no way resembles the forest service management philosophies of today.  Unfortunately, many of the policies limit access, reduce recreation opportunities, and eliminate economic activities.

If you want a PDF copy of this map, email me at [email protected].