Peeling Back The Bark
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Take a virtual hike to the Pulaski Tunnel
By James Lewis on August 21, 2011This weekend marks the 101st anniversary of the “Big Blowup,” when 3 million acres of forestland went up in flames during the 1910 fires. In July of this year, I finally made the hike to Pulaski Tunnel outside of …
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“I Would Have Sold it for a Candy Bar” (Weeks Act Series)
By Guest Contributor on July 14, 2011To help celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Weeks Act, we’ve asked Dr. Bob Healy of Duke University’s Nicholas School for the Environment and co-author of classic book, The Lands Nobody Wanted, to write a series of blog …
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June 29, 1915: First Aerial Fire Patrol Took Flight
By James Lewis on June 29, 2011On this date in 1915, what is believed to be the world’s first forest patrol flight was made at Trout Lake, Wisconsin. Aviation pioneer and wealthy Chicago sportsman Logan “Jack” Vilas made the initial flight in order to demonstrate the …
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Have a Wildfire? Call a Historian
By James Lewis on June 27, 2011In her article, “Fire Alarm: Historians, and Thorstein Veblen, to the Rescue,” Patricia Limerick asked why is it that, when a wildfire breaks out, no one calls a historian? After all, she writes, “what is needed are the ‘skills, talents, …
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My Favorite Weeks Act Forests
By Guest Contributor on May 31, 2011To help celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Weeks Act, we’ve asked Dr. Bob Healy of Duke University’s Nicholas School for the Environment to write a series of blog posts in which he’ll reflect on his classic book, The Lands …
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How Counting Sheep Saved the U.S. Forest Service
By Guest Contributor on May 3, 2011May 3, 2011, marks the centennial of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in U.S. v. Grimaud. We are re-posting Char Miller’s blog entry about this landmark case with some additional documents. It originally appeared on April 27 on his blog …
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Happy Birthday, Merle Haggard!
By James Lewis on April 6, 2011On this day in 1937, country music legend—and close friend of Smokey Bear—Merle Haggard was born in Oildale, California. Merle put his own spin on Smokey’s fire prevention message in this poster by declaring “Keep it Country, Keep it Green!” …
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March 1, 1911: Weeks Act Signed into Law
By Eben Lehman on March 1, 2011March 1, 2011, marks the centennial of the Weeks Act—the “organic act” of the eastern national forests. The law has been one of the most successful pieces of conservation legislation in U.S. history. The Weeks Act permitted the federal government …
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The Weeks Act Forests: A Bargain and an Investment
By Guest Contributor on February 24, 2011To help celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Weeks Act, we have asked Dr. Bob Healy of Duke University’s Nicholas School for the Environment to write a series of blog posts in which he’ll reflect on his classic book,…
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Houston, We Have Moon Trees
By Eben Lehman on February 17, 2011Forty years ago last week, Apollo 14 returned from its nine-day journey to the moon and splashed down safely in the Pacific Ocean. The three-man crew consisted of Commander Alan Shepard, Command Module Pilot Stuart Roosa, and Lunar Module Pilot …
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Weeks Act Centennial Series: Revisiting “The Lands Nobody Wanted”
By Guest Contributor on December 3, 2010To help celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Weeks Act in 2011, Peeling Back the Bark has asked Dr. Bob Healy of Duke University’s Nicholas School for the Environment to write a series of blog posts in which he’ll reflect …
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The "Big Blowup" centennial anniversary is this weekend
By James Lewis on August 19, 2010Coming only five years after the U.S. Forest Service’s establishment, the devastating series of forest fires that swept over Montana, Idaho, and Washington on August 20–22 in what is known as the “Big Blowup” struck at a critical and pivotal …
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May 18, 1980: Mount St. Helens erupts, leaves a mess of documents
By James Lewis on May 18, 2010On this day in 1980, Mount St. Helens erupted in Washington on the Gifford Pinchot National Forest and left an altered landscape as well as a mess of historical documents in its wake. The deadliest volcanic event in U.S. history …
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“Big Blowup” Webpage Marks Centennial of 1910 Fires
By James Lewis on May 4, 2010On August 20-21, 1910, fires driven by gale-force winds consumed 3 million acres, several towns, and at least 85 lives in the Montana, Idaho, and Washington. Known as either “The Big Blowup” or “The Big Burn,” no other …
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FHS Comes Strong on the Weeks Act
By James Lewis on March 25, 2010Though the centennial of the Weeks Act is next year, the Forest History Society is already fielding queries about it from U.S. Forest Service employees and others whose work and livelihoods have been affected by the landmark legislation. Sponsored by …
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Remembering Harold Bell, Creator of Woodsy Owl
By James Lewis on December 15, 2009This past weekend the New York Times reported the passing of Harold Bell on December 4 at age 90. Mr. Bell was one of the creators of Woodsy Owl, the Forest Service’s anti-pollution mascot. He was working with agency employees …
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How Turkeys Changed Forest History
By James Lewis on November 25, 2009In the spirit of Thanksgiving and large-scale turkey consumption, we wish to acknowledge the impact of turkeys on forest history. How did a couple of turkeys change history? Well, a better question might be: How did a handful of angry …
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Coweeta Hydrologic Lab Celebrates 75 Years
By Eben Lehman on November 3, 2009In 1934, the Coweeta Experimental Forest was officially established on the Nantahala National Forest. Occupying nearly 4,000 acres just north of the North Carolina-Georgia border and renamed the Coweeta Hydrologic Laboratory in 1948, the site would prove to be the …
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Smokey's Sixty-Five Years of Vigilance
By Amanda T. Ross on August 24, 2009This month marks the birthday of Smokey Bear, who has acted as conservation messenger and protector of America’s forests since August 1944. As part of a fire prevention campaign, Smokey’s visage on posters, signs, buses, and television commercials has encouraged …
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August 5, 1949: Mann Gulch Tragedy
By Eben Lehman on August 5, 2009On this date 60 years ago, the Mann Gulch fire in Montana's Helena National Forest was first spotted. This devastating wildfire would eventually claim the lives of 12 U.S. Forest Service smokejumpers and one fire guard, as well as burn …
