Documentary Films
Documentary Films Available from the Forest History Society
The Forest History Society has produced award-winning films on the history of log-moving and fire-fighting technologies. In 2016, our film America's First Forest, about forester Carl Schenck and the first forestry school in America, premiered on PBS stations around the country and won a Midsouth Regional Emmy Award. FHS also contributed to the production of The Greatest Good, a thought-provoking film about the U.S. Forest Service.
America’s First Forest: Carl Schenck and the Asheville Experiment
The Emmy Award–winning film America’s First Forest: Carl Schenck and the Asheville Experiment tells the story of how Carl Schenck, a German forester, came to America in 1895 to manage the forests at the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina. …
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Timber on the Move: A History of Log Moving Technology
Timber on the Move documents the development of log moving technology and its impact on the land—from the use of oxen in colonial New Hampshire to the introduction of helicopter and balloon yarding in the 1970s in the Pacific Northwest. …
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Up in Flames: A History of Fire Fighting in the Forest
Up in Flames documents the development of North American fire detection, communication, and fire suppression technology from the inception of the lookout tower to the weather satellite. Historical footage shows the devastation of fires such as Idaho’s 1910 Big Blowup …
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The Greatest Good: A Forest Service Centennial Film
The Greatest Good tells the story of the U.S. Forest Service and the public lands the agency manages. Produced by the U.S. Forest Service and distributed by the Forest History Society, the film weaves historic footage and still photographs with …
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The Soundtrack to the Documentary “The Greatest Good”
“This Project is dedicated to all the foresters, past and present, for their heroic work in protecting and preserving our National Forests.” – Lance Bendiksen, composer and producer.
About the composer: Brooklyn-born producer and musician Lance Bendiksen’s career began on …
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