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61-584: The trail's western end is at Talimena State Park in southeastern Oklahoma, and the eastern end is at Pinnacle Mountain State Park in the small community of Natural Steps, Arkansas in central Arkansas. The first 192 miles (309 km) lie within the Ouachita National Forest ; the remaining 31 miles (50 km), maintained by Pinnacle Mountain State Park , traverse lands owned by timber companies and Central Arkansas Water . (Plans for

122-466: A U.S. Forest Service firefighter who (along with his crew) watches over a group of rambunctious children while searching for their parents after rescuing them from a fire in the wilderness during a family vacation. The history of the Forest Service has been fraught with controversy, as various interests and national values have grappled with the appropriate management of the many resources within

183-622: A bench and plaque. His surviving wife Maureen and numerous family members were in attendance. Construction of the trail began in May 1971 and was completed by 1981. Mr. Jim Rawlins completed the first documented through hike of the Ouachita Trail in 1983. He also authored the first trail guide "A Hiker's Guide to the Ouachita National Recreation Trail.". The nine original shelters along the eastern portion of

244-530: A decrease of $ 530 million from the 2019 Annualized Continuing Resolution because the "fire fix" cap adjustment becomes available in FY 2020, while the FY 2019 Annualized Continuing Resolution includes $ 500 million above the base as bridge to the first year of the fire fix. The Forest Service, headquartered in Washington, D.C., has 27,062 permanent, full-time employees as of Sept. 20, 2018, including 541 in

305-671: A key role in formulating policy and coordinating U.S. support for the protection and sound management of the world's forest resources. It works closely with other agencies such as USAID , the State Department , and the Environmental Protection Agency , as well as with nonprofit development organizations, wildlife organizations, universities, and international assistance organizations. The Forest Service's international work serves to link people and communities striving to protect and manage forests throughout

366-754: A range of biological, physical, and social science fields to promote sustainable management of United States' diverse forests and rangelands. Research employs about 550 scientists and several hundred technical and support staff, located at 67 sites throughout the United States and in Puerto Rico . Discovery and technology development and transfer is carried out through seven research stations. Research focuses on informing policy and land management decisions and includes addressing invasive insects, degraded river ecosystems , or sustainable ways to harvest forest products. The researchers work independently and with

427-680: A range of partners (formerly through a National Partnership Office ), including other agencies, academia, nonprofit groups, and industry. The information and technology produced through basic and applied science programs is available to the public for its benefit and use. In addition to the Research Stations, the USFS R&;D branch also leads several National Centers such as the National Genomics Center for Wildlife and Fish Conservation . The Forest Service plays

488-635: A regular and recurring presence on a vast amount of public lands, roads, and recreation sites. The primary focus of their jobs is the protection of natural resources, protection of Forest Service employees and the protection of visitors. To cover the vast and varied terrain under their jurisdiction, they use modified 4x4 pickup trucks, Ford Crown Victoria Police Interceptors , special service SUVs , horses, K-9 units , helicopters, snowmobiles , dirt bikes, and boats. Special Agents are criminal investigators who plan and conduct investigations concerning possible violations of criminal and administrative provisions of

549-525: A short history of how agency responsibilities have grown and evolved over its 118-year history in accordance with "what the American people desire from their natural resources at any given point in time." In the spring of 2023, the USDA proposed a change to its regulations to allow for the "responsible deployment of" carbon capture, utilization, and sequestration on National Forests lands. Although part of

610-641: A staff of 10 to 300 people under the direction of a district ranger, a line officer who reports to a forest supervisor. The districts vary in size from 50,000 acres (200 km ) to more than 1 million acres (4,000 km ). Most on-the-ground activities occur on ranger districts, including trail construction and maintenance, operation of campgrounds, oversight of a wide variety of special use permitted activities, and management of vegetation and wildlife habitat. U.S. Forest Service Law Enforcement & Investigations (LEI), headquartered in Washington, D.C. ,

671-444: Is 1 of 7 Oklahoma State Parks that are in the path of totality for the 2024 solar eclipse, with 1 minute and 37 seconds of totality. United States Forest Service The United States Forest Service ( USFS ) is an agency within the U.S. Department of Agriculture that administers the nation's 154 national forests and 20 national grasslands covering 193 million acres (780,000 km ) of land. The major divisions of

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732-724: Is a federal law enforcement agency of the U.S. government. It is responsible for enforcement of federal laws and regulations governing national forest lands and resources. All law enforcement officers and special agents receive their training through Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC). Operations are divided into two major functional areas: Uniformed Law Enforcement Officers (LEOs) enforce federal laws and regulations governing national forest lands and resources. LEOs also enforce some or all state laws on National Forest Lands. As part of that mission, LEOs carry firearms, defensive equipment, make arrests, execute search warrants , complete reports, and testify in court. They establish

793-675: Is an Oklahoma state park located in LeFlore County in eastern Oklahoma. The 20 acres (8.1 ha) park is at the Oklahoma entrance to Talimena Scenic Drive , about 7 miles (11 km) north of Talihina, Oklahoma . and 20 miles (32 km) south of Wister . It offers opportunities for camping, hiking, biking, and wildlife watching. The park is the western end of the Ouachita National Recreation Trail , which travels 223 miles (359 km) through

854-734: Is given to Mr. Arthur P. Cowley, a former Public Information Officer of the Ouachita National Forest. Mr. Cowley graduated from the University of Missouri with a BS degree in Forestry and began working for the US Forest Service in 1954. Also he received a Master's Degree in Education from the University of Arkansas in 1978. In the early 1970s Mr. Cowley was instrumental in developing the Forest Service's plan for

915-404: Is on the list of Historic Bridges of the United States (Maumelle River AR 300 Bridge) for Pulaski County , Arkansas. The bridge still stands in the shadow of Pinnacle Mountain, but was made obsolete by a new bridge in 1981. Today, it is only open to pedestrians for fishing and is part of the 223-mile (359 km) long Ouachita National Recreation Trail. The Title of "Father of the Ouachita Trail"

976-549: The Arkansas River Trail include an extension connecting the eastern terminus of the Ouachita Trail to downtown Little Rock 17 miles (27 km) away.) The trail passes through parts of eight counties in Arkansas and one in Oklahoma. From east to west they are Pulaski, Perry, Saline, Garland, Montgomery, Yell, Scott, and Polk, in Arkansas, and Le Flore County in Oklahoma, where the trail ends. At several locations

1037-879: The Multiple Use – Sustained Yield Act of 1960 , P.L. 86-517; the Wilderness Act , P.L. 88-577; the National Forest Management Act , P.L. 94-588; the National Environmental Policy Act , P.L. 91–190; the Cooperative Forestry Assistance Act , P.L. 95-313; and the Forest and Rangelands Renewable Resources Planning Act , P.L. 95-307. From the early 1900s to the present, there has been a fierce rivalry over control of forests between

1098-608: The National Park Service , the Fish and Wildlife Service , and the Bureau of Land Management . GAO ultimately did not offer a recommendation upon the conclusion of its performance audit . The Forest Service remains a part of the USDA. As of 2019, FY 2020 Forest Service total budget authority is $ 5.14 billion, a decrease of $ 815 million from 2019. The budget includes $ 2.4 billion for Wildland Fire Management,

1159-497: The Ouachita Mountains from Talimena State Park to Pinnacle Mountain State Park , just west of Little Rock, Arkansas . In 2010, this park entertained about 7,600 visitors and earned $ 28,400 from activity fees. The operating cost was $ 11,800. It was called one of the five least expensive Oklahoma state parks. Despite threat of closure for budgetary reasons in 2018, Talimena State Park remains open in 2022. The park

1220-663: The Tongass National Forest in Alaska and ski areas such as Alta, Utah in the Wasatch-Cache National Forest . In addition, the Forest Service is responsible for managing National Grasslands in the midwest. Furthermore, areas designated as wilderness by acts of Congress , prohibit logging, mining, road and building construction and land leases for purposes of farming and or livestock grazing. Since 1978, several Presidents have directed

1281-701: The United States General Land Office were combined to create the Bureau of Land Management in 1946. Also of note was that it was not until 1976 that the Federal Land Policy and Management Act became the national policy for retaining public land for federal ownership. Significant federal legislation affecting the Forest Service includes the Weeks Act of 1911, the Taylor Grazing Act of 1934 , P.L. 73-482;

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1342-399: The 195 million acres (790,000 km ) of public land administered by the Forest Service. Individual sites range from 47 to 22,500 ha in size. Operations of Experimental Forests and Ranges are directed by local research teams for the individual sites, by Research Stations for the regions in which they are located, and at the level of the Forest Service. Major themes in research at

1403-493: The 40th anniversary of the completion of the initial sections and opening of the trail. An Arkansas Trails Day event was held at the original Eastern Terminus ( 34°52′17″N 92°49′15″W  /  34.871316°N 92.820932°W  / 34.871316; -92.820932  ( Crowley Plaque ) ) at Lake Sylvia Trailhead in Perry County, Arkansas on Saturday, May 7, 2011. Mr. Cowley's contributions were honored with

1464-491: The Chief. Research stations include Northern, Pacific Northwest, Pacific Southwest, Rocky Mountain , and Southern . There are 92 research work units located at 67 sites throughout the United States. there are 80 Experimental Forests and Ranges that have been established progressively since 1908; many sites are more than 50 years old. The system provides places for long-term science and management studies in major vegetation types of

1525-630: The Department of Agriculture and the Department of the Interior. Their roles overlap but numerous proposals to combine the two have failed. Most recently, in 2009, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) evaluated whether the Forest Service should be moved from the Department of Agriculture to the Department of the Interior, which already manages some 438 million acres (1,770,000 km ) of public land through

1586-478: The Department of Agriculture, the Forest Service receives its budget through the Subcommittee on Appropriations—Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies. The Forest Service achieved widespread awareness during the 1960s, as it became the setting for the long running classic TV show Lassie , with storylines focusing on Lassie's adventures with various forest rangers. The iconic collie's association with

1647-486: The Experimental Forests and Ranges includes: develop of systems for managing and restoring forests, range lands, and watersheds; investigate the workings of forest and stream ecosystems; characterize plant and animal communities; observe and interpret long-term environmental change and many other themes. There are nine regions in the Forest Service; numbered 1 through 10 (Region 7 was eliminated in 1965 when

1708-478: The Forest Service adapt current policies and develop new policies and actions to conserve and manage the national forests and grasslands for climate resilience, so that the Agency can provide for ecological integrity and support social and economic sustainability over time?" Ancillary questions pertained to both "adaptation planning" and "adaptation practices". The background section of the proposed rulemaking includes

1769-768: The Forest Service and other statutes under the United States Code . Special agents are normally plainclothes officers who carry concealed firearms, and other defensive equipment, make arrests, carry out complex criminal investigations, present cases for prosecution to U.S. Attorneys , and prepare investigative reports. All field agents are required to travel a great deal and usually maintain a case load of ten to fifteen ongoing criminal investigations at one time. Criminal investigators occasionally conduct internal and civil claim investigations. The 193 million acres (780,000 km ) of public land that are managed as national forests and grasslands are collectively known as

1830-446: The Forest Service balances resource extraction, resource protection, and providing recreation. The work includes managing 193 million acres (780,000 km ) of national forest and grasslands, including 59 million acres (240,000 km ) of roadless areas ; 14,077 recreation sites; 143,346 miles (230,693 km) of trails; 374,883 miles (603,316 km) of roads; and the harvesting of 1.5 billion trees per year. Further,

1891-502: The Forest Service fought fires on 2.996 million acres (12,120 km ) of land in 2007. The Forest Service organization includes ranger districts, national forests, regions, research stations and research work units and the Northeastern Area Office for State and Private Forestry. Each level has responsibility for a variety of functions. The Chief of the Forest Service is a career federal employee who oversees

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1952-401: The Forest Service led to Lassie receiving numerous awards and citations from the U.S. Senate and the Department of Agriculture, and was partly responsible for a bill regarding soil and water pollution that was signed into law in early 1968 by President Lyndon Johnson , which was dubbed by some as "The Lassie Program". In the 2019 family comedy movie Playing With Fire , John Cena plays

2013-729: The Interior Department to the Bureau of Forestry, henceforth known as the United States Forest Service . Gifford Pinchot was the first United States Chief Forester in the Presidency of Theodore Roosevelt . A historical note to include is that the National Park Service was created in 1916 to manage Yellowstone and several other parks; in 1956, the Fish and Wildlife Service became the manager of lands reserved for wildlife. The Grazing Service and

2074-582: The National Forest System. These lands are located in 44 states, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands and comprise about 9% of the total land area in the United States. The lands are organized into 155 national forests and 20 national grasslands. The mission of the National Forest System is to protect and manage the forest lands so they best demonstrate the sustainable multiple-use management concept, using an ecological approach, to meet

2135-472: The Oklahoma-Arkansas state border 46 miles (74 km) from the western end of the trail. The low point is 270 ft (82 m) at the entrance to Pinnacle Mountain State Park on the eastern end of the trail. Because of the low elevations and southern latitude, the best times to hike the trail are the early spring and late autumn; winter months are often warm enough, also. In July to September,

2196-416: The Ouachita Trail is a volunteer group devoted to maintaining the trail. ( https://friendsoftheouachita.org/wp/ ) While well-maintained, the trail is lightly used. In a ranking of U.S. long-distance trails on a number of criteria by Backpacker Magazine , the trail ranked third for solitude and fourth for signage. The high point on the trail is 2,610 ft (800 m) on Rich Mountain , which straddles

2257-672: The Ouachita Trail. As a Recreation Staff Specialist with the US Forest Service in Hot Springs, he assisted in the first phases of construction of the Ouachita Trail. He handled trail planning and coordination of trail construction on the forest from 1965 until 1979 when he moved to California as Public Information Officer and later became the Big Tree Coordinator for the Sequoia National Forest. During his time in Arkansas, Mr. Cowley served as President of

2318-772: The Society of American Foresters, 1977-78 President of the Arkansas Recreation and Parks Association and Vice Chairman of the Arkansas Trails Council. He also helped formulate Training Resources in Environmental Education (TREE) and received numerous awards, including the 1974 Arkansas Wildlife Federation's "Forester of the Year" award. He retired from the US Forest Service in 1988. Mr. Cowley died on Mar 4, 2010, just one year prior to

2379-538: The USFS to administer National Monuments inside of preexisting National Forests. The Forest Service also manages Grey Towers National Historic Site in Milford, Pennsylvania , the home and estate of its first Chief, Gifford Pinchot . By 1935, the U.S. Forest Service's fire management policy stipulated that all wildfires were to be suppressed by 10 am the morning after they were first spotted. In August 1944, to reduce

2440-451: The agency are the Chief's Office, National Forest System, State and Private Forestry, Business Operations, as well as Research and Development. The agency manages about 25% of federal lands and is the sole major national land management agency not part of the U.S. Department of the Interior (which manages the National Park Service , the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Bureau of Land Management ). The concept of national forests

2501-485: The agency would have to put $ 400 to $ 500 million in wildfire prevention projects on hold because funding for firefighting was running low as the fiscal year ended. The decision was meant to preserve resources for fighting active fires burning in California, Oregon, Washington and Idaho. Politicians of both parties indicated they believed the then-current funding structure was broken, but did not agree on steps to fix

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2562-646: The agency. The Chief reports to the Under Secretary for Natural Resources and Environment in the U.S. Department of Agriculture, an appointee of the President confirmed by the Senate. The Chief's staff provides broad policy and direction for the agency, works with the Administration to develop a budget to submit to Congress, provides information to Congress on accomplishments, and monitors activities of

2623-642: The agency. There are five deputy chiefs for the following areas: National Forest System, State and Private Forestry, Research and Development, Business Operations, and Finance. The Forest Service Research and Development deputy area includes five research stations, the Forest Products Laboratory , and the International Institute of Tropical Forestry , in Puerto Rico. Station directors, like regional foresters, report to

2684-633: The current Eastern Region was created from the former Eastern and North Central regions. ). Each encompasses a broad geographic area and is headed by a regional forester who reports directly to the Chief. The regional forester has broad responsibility for coordinating activities among the various forests within the region, for providing overall leadership for regional natural resource and social programs, and for coordinated regional land use planning. The Forest Service oversees 155 national forests, 20 grasslands, and one tall-grass prairie. Each administrative unit typically comprises several ranger districts, under

2745-491: The diverse needs of people. The goal of the State and Private Forestry program is to assist with financial and technical assistance to private landowners, state agencies, tribes, and community resource managers. It provides assistance by helping sustain the United States' urban and rural forests and their associated communities from wildland fires, insects, disease, and invasive organisms. Approximately 537 staff are employed in

2806-544: The funding allocation. During the 2019–2020 bushfires in Australia, the US Forest Services sent a contingent of firefighters. They worked alongside firefighters from other American fire departments. In April 2023, the U.S. Forest Service published a proposed rulemaking in response to climate change on the topic of improving climate resilience on the public lands that it manages. The agency introduced

2867-825: The future. The report is entitled "Managing the Impacts of Wildfire on Communities and the Environment: A Report to the President In Response to the Wildfires of 2000"—The National Fire Plan for short. The National Fire Plan continues to be an integral part of the Forest Service today. The following are important operational features of the National Fire Plan: In August 2014, Tom Vilsack, the Secretary of Agriculture, announced that

2928-461: The headquarters office and 26,521 in regional and field office. The USDA Forest Service'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. Its motto is "Caring for the land and serving people." As the lead federal agency in natural resource conservation, the Forest Service provides leadership in

2989-616: The most widely recognized slogans in the United States. According to the Advertising Council , Smokey Bear is the most recognized icons in advertising history and has appeared almost everywhere via Public Service Announcements in print, radio, television. Smokey Bear, an icon protected by law, is jointly owned by the Forest Service, the Ad Council and the National Association of State Foresters . In 1965, at

3050-614: The need for such rulemaking as: Climate change and related stressors, such as wildfire, drought, insects and disease, extreme weather events, and chronic stress on ecosystems are resulting in increasing impacts with rapid and variable rates of change on national forests and grasslands. These impacts can be compounded by fire suppression, development in the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI), and non-climate informed timber harvest and reforestation practices. The foundational question pertained to climate adaptation : "How should

3111-543: The number of forest fires , the Forest Service and the Wartime Advertising Council began distributing fire education posters featuring a black bear . The poster campaign was a success; the black bear would later be named Smokey Bear , and would, for decades, be the "spokesbear" for the Forest Service. Smokey Bear has appeared in innumerable TV commercials; his popular catch phrase, "Only YOU can prevent forest fires"—later changed to wildfires—is one of

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3172-426: The overall direction of a forest supervisor. Within the supervisor's office, the staff coordinates activities among districts, allocates the budget, and provides technical support to each district. Forest supervisors are line officers and report to regional foresters. The administration of individual National Forests is subdivided into Ranger Districts. The Forest Service has over 600 ranger districts. Each district has

3233-473: The program and is administered through National Forest System regions and the Northeastern Area of the United States. The research and development (R&D) arm of the Forest Service works to improve the health and use of the United States' forests and grasslands . Research has been part of the Forest Service mission since the agency's inception in 1905. Today, Forest Service researchers work in

3294-637: The protection, management, and use of the nation's forest, rangeland, and aquatic ecosystems. The agency's ecosystem approach to management integrates ecological, economic, and social factors to maintain and enhance the quality of the environment to meet current and future needs. Through implementation of land and resource management plans, the agency ensures sustainable ecosystems by restoring and maintaining species diversity and ecological productivity that helps provide recreation, water, timber, minerals, fish, wildlife, wilderness, and aesthetic values for current and future generations of people. The everyday work of

3355-751: The request of the Joint Chiefs of Staff , the Forest Service was commissioned by the Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA) to research the use of forest fire as a military weapon. A report was published in June 1970 and declassified in May 1983. In September 2000, the Departments of Agriculture and the Interior developed a plan to respond to the fires of 2000, to reduce the impacts of these wildland fires on rural communities, and to ensure sufficient firefighting resources in

3416-524: The trail were built by the United States Forest Service (USFS) in the 1980s and 1990s. In 2013, Friends of the Ouachita Trail (FoOT) embarked on a program to build additional shelters along the remainder of the trail, with a goal of having shelters evenly spaced throughout. Download coordinates as: 34°41′28″N 94°25′49″W  /  34.6910°N 94.4304°W  / 34.6910; -94.4304  ( Ouachita National Recreation Trail ) Talimena State Park Talimena State Park

3477-414: The trails switches back between two counties. Scott County actually has very little of the trail, with a couple of small corners of the county traversed. There are two federally designated wilderness areas that the Ouachita Trail passes through: the Flatside Wilderness Area in Perry and Saline Counties in Arkansas and the Upper Kiamichi River Wilderness Area in Le Flore County, Oklahoma. The Friends of

3538-461: The weather tends to be too hot to hike comfortably, and water access points tend to dry up. The trail meets the 37.8-mile Womble Trail north of the community of Story, Arkansas . [1] In the 1920s, a one-lane truss bridge was built on the old Highway 300 to cross the Big Maumelle River ( 34°51′05″N 92°29′00″W  /  34.851448°N 92.483315°W  / 34.851448; -92.483315  ( Big Maumelle River Bridge ) ). It

3599-399: The world. The program also promotes sustainable land management overseas and brings important technologies and innovations back to the United States. The program focuses on conserving key natural resource in cooperation with countries across the world. Although a large volume of timber is logged every year, not all National Forests are entirely forested. There are tidewater glaciers in

3660-400: Was born from Theodore Roosevelt 's conservation group, Boone and Crockett Club , due to concerns regarding Yellowstone National Park beginning as early as 1875. In 1876, Congress formed the office of Special Agent in the Department of Agriculture to assess the quality and conditions of forests in the United States. Franklin B. Hough was appointed the head of the office. In 1881, the office

3721-401: Was expanded into the newly formed Division of Forestry . The Forest Reserve Act of 1891 authorized withdrawing land from the public domain as forest reserves managed by the Department of the Interior . In 1901, the Division of Forestry was renamed the Bureau of Forestry . The Transfer Act of 1905 transferred the management of forest reserves from the United States General Land Office of

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