An official website of the United States government Here's how you know Forest Service U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE MENU Home Learn Our History Related Content Cradle of Forestry Grey Towers National Museum of Forest Service History Historical Photos Learn For Kids Educators and Parents Natural Resources Professionals Plants and Animals Our History Our History Lincoln Bramwell, historian for the Forest Service, gives a short overview on the history of the Forest Service, specifically in relation to cultural transformation. Read more Our History Grizzly bear eating fish. Federal forest management dates back to 1876 when Congress created the office of Special Agent in the U.S. Department of Agriculture to assess the quality and conditions of forests in the United States. In 1881 the Department expanded the office into the Division of Forestry. A decade later Congress passed the Forest Reserve Act of 1891 authorizing the President to designate public lands in the West into what were then called “forest reserves.” Responsibility for these reserves fell under the Department of the Interior until 1905 when President Theodore Roosevelt transferred their care to the Department of Agriculture’s new U.S. Forest Service. Gifford Pinchot led this new agency as its first Chief, charged with caring for the newly renamed national forests. More Stories Learn about your forest, grassland or region Read our stories When The Mountains Roared Home Meet Our People Forest Service Chiefs Women in the Forest Service Honorary Forest Rangers Faces of the Forest Service About the Forest Service Dig Deeper History & Culture USDA Forest Service: The First Century The Greatest Good: A Forest Service Centennial Film Historical images and maps 1910 Fire Commemoration Information Site Visit Us Managing the Land Learn Science and Technology Working with Us About the Agency Inside the FS askUSDA Contact Us Sitemap Policies & Links Our Performance Careers Report Fraud on USDA Contracts Visit OIG Plain Writing Open FOIA Accessibility Statement Privacy Policy Non-Discrimination Statement Anti-Harassment Policy Information Quality USA.gov Whitehouse.gov eGov Feedback No FEAR Act Data Forest Service U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE