Who designates national forests?
Who designates national forests? Congressionally Designated Special Management Areas in the National Forest System. In 1891, Congress authorized the President to reserve public forests to protect the lands and resources. The many presidential proclamations and subsequent land purchases have led to the current National Forest System.
How are national forests established?
The Forest Reserve Act of 1891 was signed into law by President Benjamin Harrison after two decades of debate about public land policy and concern about exploitative logging, putting in place the means to protect wooded areas as “forest reserves,” to be managed by the Department of the Interior.