6 MISC. PUBLICATION 249, U. S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE 
is part of the forester’s regular duties in many positions. Nearly every for- 
ester, whether consciously or not, is helping to mold public sentiment. 
Hence his job requires ability to meet people and gain the confidence of the 
public. 
In public forestry the spirit of service is a most important requisite for 
success. It is the spirit that causes men to place the interests of society and 
of the group at large above the interests of one’s self or of the few. It is 
exemplified in the policy that governs the administration of our national 
forests—of so managing the forests as to promote the greatest good for the 
greatest number of our people in the long run. 
Conservation of our natural resources is today one of the greatest internal 
problems of the Nation, and conservation with use is the essence of forestry. 
The forest is a resource that must be conserved; it is also an agency for the 
conservation of other natural resources such as soil, water, wildlife, and 
forage. The work done in forest conservation in this country has been 
accomplished by men imbued with the spirit of service and believing whole- 
heartedly in what they are doing. The task of carrying this work forward 
demands men capable of overcoming great obstacles. 
THE FIELD OF WORK 
Foresters are now employed by the Federal Government; the States, most 
of which have forestry departments; municipalities; lumber companies and 
private owners of timberland; wood-using industries; educational institu- 
tions; and organizations conducting research or promotional work in forestry. 
Up to the close of the first decade of this century, the United States Gov- 
ernment was the principal employer of American foresters. In 1912 it was 
officially estimated that 60 percent of the foresters in this country were in 
Federal Government work and that fully 95 percent had been so engaged 
at one time or another. Since then the States, municipalities, educational 
institutions, and private corporations have absorbed large numbers of grad- 
uating foresters. However, with the expansion of the Federal Government’s 
forestry activities in recent years, it still remains the largest employer of 
trained foresters. 
Although the majority of professional foresters now in Federal Govern- 
ment employ are in the United States Forest Service, a number of foresters 
are employed in the management of forest lands on Indian reservations 
under the Bureau of Indian Affairs of the Department of the Interior. 
Foresters are also employed in the National Park Service, the Bureau of 
Land Management, and Fish and Wildlife Service of the same Department; 
in the Income Tax Unit of the Treasury; in the Tennessee Valley Authority; 
in the Department of Commerce; and in the Soil Conservation Service of 
the Department of Agriculture. 
Careers in the Forest Service 
The Forest Service is proud of its spirit of public service. In employing 
new personnel it seeks to obtain men and women who are not only properly 
trained for the work but have high ideals and a strong desire to serve the 
public. 
