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About the Agency

About the Agency


Caring for the Land and Serving People

Established in 1905, the Forest Service, an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, is the nation’s foremost federal forestry organization. The agency is a world leader in forest research, providing leadership in the sustainable management, conservation, use, and stewardship of natural and cultural resources on national forests and grasslands in the United States.

Dedicated Forest Service employees manage the National Forest System, which consists of 154 national forests and 20 national grasslands covering 193 million acres in 43 states, the Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico. The agency’s renowned fire management organization provides critical expertise in making communities and infrastructure safer. Moreover, the agency helps communities; state, local, and tribal governments; forest industries; and private forest landowners improve conditions in both urban and rural areas. In total, the Forest Service helps to steward about 900 million forested acres in the U.S., including 130 million acres in urban areas, which most Americans now call home.

Connect to us

We have approximately 35,000 employees working across the country. Find out how to contact us.

Reporter resources

Our newsroom is a reporter's gateway to national new releases, leadership speeches, congressional testimony, and other useful information.

Meet our leaders

The Forest Service structure includes the Washington Office, regions, and research stations. Meet our key agency leadership.

Managing public funds

Tracking our activities through budget and performance measures provides insight into how we manage fiscal responsibilities.

Read up on our work

Our publications provide information through reports, research and more. The searchable list of publications date back to 2010.

Guiding our work

A variety of regulations and policies guide our work. The agency often seeks public comments on how we address changes to how we work.

This is Who We Are

Learn more about the Forest Service mission, purpose and value and how we are creating and sustaining a culture that is values based, purpose driven and relationship focused.

 

https://www.fs.usda.gov/es/about-agency