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  • About the U.S. Forest Service

    Established by Congress in 1905, the Forest Service is a multi-faceted agency under the U.S. Department of Agriculture that manages and protects 154 national forests and 20 grasslands in 44 states and Puerto Rico–spanning 193 million acres of land, roughly the size of Texas. The agency’s mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the nation’s forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations.

    The Forest Service has an elite wildland firefighting team and the world’s largest forestry research organization. Their experts provide technical and financial help to state and local government agencies, businesses, private landowners and work government-to-government with tribes to help protect and manage non-federal forest and associated range and watershed lands.

    Their work is augmented through partnerships with public and private agencies that help the Forest Service plant trees, improve trails, educate the public, and improve conditions in wildland/urban interfaces and rural areas, just to name a few. The team also promotes sustainable forest management and biodiversity conservation internationally.