The Forest Service Meets The Public

The Forest Service, like many public agencies, must listen to the demands of citizen groups that their viewpoints be considered. This report on the experiences of a National Forest in dealing with the public considers the specific techniques of involving the public. A variety of issues ranging from broad land-use planning to narrow, one-time concerns over a 10-year period were studied. The purpose of this study was to evaluate selected cases where public involvement activities were elicited and to identify those aspects which appear to be related to the type of public response received. The case studies and analysis should be helpful to Forest Service personnel engaged in public involvement and to researchers in that field.

First Published in 2011. This book provides a study of the Forest Service, its organization and processes as one of the largest sub departmental bureaus in the federal government; speaking to matters as they stood surrounding 1974. Robinson fits the Forest Service within the larger framework of public land management, analyzing as an administrative institution with emphasis on its general processes, problems and controversies. This brings value to all those who know enough about the problems of resource management to be concerned.