Posts tagged “History”

Malheaur? Chattahoochee? Monongahela? Our nation’s National Forests have some of the most unusual names around. In this post we’ll take a look at the history of a few of them. Chattahoochee National Forest, Georgia : Chattahoochee is thought to come from the Muskogean word meaning “rocks-marked,” possibly referring to the color granite outcroppings along the Chattahoochee River. Chugach National Forest, Alaska : Chugach is the name of a Native Alaska culture and people... (Read more…)

Around the country, National Forests are protecting more than trees. Historical places, grasslands, geological formations and more are scattered across the country. In the Chatthoochee-Oconee National Forest in northern Georgia, petroglyphs at Track Rock Gap provide visitors with a sense of mystery and a window into the past. More than one hundred symbols cover six table-sized soapstone boulders in the gap between Thuderstruck Mountain and Buzzard Roost Ridge. Native... (Read more…)

The largest home in America is also home to the early beginnings of American Forestry. Today, the general public is welcomed into National Forests across the U.S. – our shared public estate. However, this wasn’t always the case. Large tracts of forest land were once the moniker of the rich and famous, serving as private, exclusive playgrounds. But, it turns out that these private estates were also an important component of early American forestry.  And, in the case of... (Read more…)

2011 is a big year for forests; not only has the United Nations designated it as the “International Year of Forests,” but it is also the Centennial Anniversary of the Weeks Act  one of the most influential pieces of legislation to shape our National Forest System.   Starting in in 1891, the U.S. government began setting aside large swaths of public land as “forest reserves” in the West. At the time, forested land east of the Mississippi was suffering after years of unchecked... (Read more…)