Discover History
On December 20, 1892, the San Gabriel Timberland Reserve was created by President Harrison. The creation of the reserve, which was the forerunner of the Angeles, was in response to public concern about watershed values as early as 1883. Floods resulting from burned slopes were causing issues with communities below.
In 1905, reserves across the country were transferred from the Department of the Interior to the Department of Agriculture and renamed "national forests" in 1907. The San Gabriel National Forest consisted of the southern section of the present-day Angeles National Forest and portions of the San Bernardino National Forest.
In 1908, the name of the "San Gabriel National Forest" was changed to "Angeles National Forest." In 1926, the eastern area was divided and San Bernardino National Forest recreated.
The founding of the National Forest System and the USDA Forest Service has its roots in the last quarter of the 19th century. The national forests (at first called forest reserves) began with the Forest Reserve Act of 1891, which allowed the president to establish forest reserves from timber-covered public domain land. Several early leaders and visionaries, along with willing presidents (especially Theodore Roosevelt), scientific and conservation organizations, and newly trained forestry professionals, led the successful effort in retaining millions of acres of National Forest System land for future generations. Learn more follow the link to the National History website.