RETIREMENT OF ALBERT F. POTTER 



On April 15 Mr. Potter resigned from the position of Associate 

 Forester in the Forest Service. The announcement of this retirement, 

 after nearly twenty years of continuous service, was received with 

 genuine regret not only among the members of the Service with whom 

 he has worked so long, but also in forest circles generally. 



When the first Forest Reserves (as they were then called) were 

 established in northern Arizona, Mr. Potter, at that time a successful 

 stockman of that region, was selected by the Arizona sheep men to go 

 to Washington as their representative and endeavor to secure some 

 modifications of the regulations then in force for grazing live stock 

 on the reserves. Mr. Potter spent some time in Washington in con- 

 ference with officials in charge of the Reserves, who were so impressed 

 with his ability that he was asked to join them and assist in working 

 out the many problems that were confronting them in organizing and 

 putting under administration the Forest Reserves then being established 

 in various parts of the West. The opportunity for doing real con- 

 structive work was so attractive to Mr. Potter that on his return to 

 Arizona he disposed of his stock interests and early in 1901 returned 

 to Washington to become a "grazing expert" in what was then known 

 as the Bureau of Forestry in the Interior Department. In 1901 he was 

 made Forest Inspector. When the Forest Reserves were transferred 

 to the Department of Agriculture in 1905 he followed their fortunes, 

 and in 190G was appointed Inspector of Grazing in the present Forest 

 Service. In 1907 he became Assistant Forester, and succeeded Overton 

 W. Price as Associate Forester on the former's retirement from the 

 Service in 1910, which position he has since filled. 



Although his position as Associate Forester brought new duties and 

 responsibilities, Mr. Potter was always in close touch with the grazing 

 work of the Service. His foresight and ability to grasp the details of 

 difficult problems and resourcefulness in every emergency made him 

 a tower of strength to the Branch of Grazing. 



Seldom has any man had greater opportunities to do real construc- 

 tive work on broad national and conservation lines as was offered Mr. 

 Potter when he entered the work of the old Bureau of Forestry and 

 few men in the Government service have surpassed him in their record 

 of accomplishment. Here was an empire of public land wliich for manv 



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