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 In recent years, the Forest Service has attempted to meet 

 greatly increased public demands for the full range of goods and 

 services while at the same time addressing the growing public 

 concern over a broad array of environmental issues. Today, the 

 Forest Service, with the involvement of the public and the 

 Congress, must make choices between competing resources uses. 



Following the passage of the National Forest Management Act in 

 1976, we developed Forest Land and Resource Management Plans 

 based on known demands and the best technical information 

 available at the time. We now are working to adjust to new 

 scientific information and meeting new societal expectations for 

 biological diversity and ecosystem management. 



The Forest Service's workforce is changing over time in response 

 to the growing awareness of ecosystem and watershed management. 

 Responding to the need for technical information, the Forest 

 Service hired its first soil scientists in 1958, fisheries 

 biologists in the late- 1950' s, and hydrologists in the 

 mid- I960' s. By 1980, the Agency employed about 300 soil 

 scientists, 200 hydrologist, and 100 fisheries biologists. 

 Today we employ 260 soil scientists, 270 hydrologists, and 

 nearly 300 fisheries biologists, of which about 75 percent are 

 in the field. We will continue to adjust our orgainization and 

 strategies to meet changing resource management priorities. 



