United States Forest Service

The United States Forest Service, a United States govenment agency within the United States Department of Agriculture, is under the leadership of the United States Secretary of Agriculture.

The laws that established the agency and control its actions are: The Organic Administrative Act of 1897; the Multiple Use Sustained Yield Act, P.L. 86-517; the National Forest Management Act, P.L. 94-588; the National Environmental Policy Act, P.L. 91-190; the Cooperative Forestry Assistance Act, P.L. 95-313; and the Forest and Rangelands Renewable Resources Planning Act, P.L. 95-307.

Across the United States, there are 155 National Forests, organized into ranger districts. The districts construct and maintain trails, operate campgrounds, patrol wilderness areas, and manage vegetation and wildlife habitat .

The Forest Service also has Regional Laboratories that research the ecosystems of the National Forests.

Although many boardfeet of timber are logged every year, not all National Forests are covered with good timber. There are tidewater glaciers in the Tongass National Forest in Alaska and ski areas such as Alta, Utah in the Wasatch-Cache National Forest[?].

See also List of U.S. National Forests.