CAREERS IN FORESTRY 



Prepared by the Forest Service 



FORESTRY AS A PROFESSION 



The man who chooses a career in forestry has the opportunity to 

 serve his fellowmen in a vitally important field. Forestry deals with 

 the development of forests in such a way as to perpetuate their many 

 services and benefits to mankind. The forests provide wood and other 

 products for man's use; they prevent erosion of the soil and regulate 

 streamflow and water supply for irrigation, for hydroelectric power, 

 for industry, and for home use; they harbor wildlife, and serve as vast 

 playgrounds for outdoor recreation. 



When forestry is practiced, timber becomes a continuous crop pro- 

 duced under scientific methods compatible with other important uses 

 of the land. American forestry has developed various techniques, ap- 

 plicable to different forest types and regions, in timber growing and 

 harvesting; protection from fire, disease, and insects; watershed pro- 

 tection; and wildlife and recreation management. Range manage- 

 ment is also in the field of forestry, because in the Western United 

 States large areas of livestock grazing lands are intermingled with 

 forests and must be handled coordinately. 



Foresters are today charged with the solution of one of our Nation's 

 major economic problems, that of putting to the best use for human 

 welfare the 664 million acres of land most suitable for forest purposes. 

 Complete and thorough training is fundamental to a career in the 

 profession. 



Forest officers installing a study transect to determine whether range vege- 

 tation is improving or deteriorating under grazing use. Data are taken at 

 about 5-year intervals. John Muir Wilderness Area in California. 



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