Few, if any, people stopped to consider the consequences of their actions. In 1891 the federal government, recognizing that something must be done to protect the resources upon which the economy was dependent, began to set aside forest reserves. However, the reserves simply locked up the resources; they did not ensure proper management of the forests. In fact, at that time, few people had any concept of forest management.
It would be years before Gifford Pinchot would emerge as the leading voice for conservation and forest management. Recognizing the effect settlers were having on the landscape, Pinchot warned, "The man who skins the land and moves on does the country more harm than good. He may enrich himself and a few others for a very brief time, but he kills the land."
However, Pinchot also realized that the prosperity of the U.S. depended upon the use of these resources. He knew that, "Without enough wood, water, and forage it would be a very poor kind of a country. If these great resources should become scarce or hard to get, future growth and prosperity would be severely handicapped." Pinchot, aware of the need to train people to manage forest resources, helped to establish the first school of forestry in the U.S. In 1905 Gifford Pinchot was named head of the newly created National Forest Service. The policy of this new branch of government was to ensure "The greatest good of the greatest number in the long run."
Not long after the creation of the National Forest Service, the government established the San Juan National Forest. At the time of its establishment miners, farmers, railroaders, ranchers, and others all laid claim to the area's timber resources. Under the new management policies set up by Pinchot, miners on a patented claim could cut and dispose of timber in any way they desired. Farmers were encouraged to occupy only land suitable for agriculture, with no valuable timber resources. The ranchers, lumbermen, railroaders, and others who cut timber, grazed livestock or used the resources for other commercial purposes, were required to obtain a permit. Many of the area ranchers were unhappy with this situation and organized groups such as the "Montezuma and Dolores Cattlemen's Association" and "The Mancos Cattlemen's Association" in opposition to the policies of the Forest Service. They believed that the government was locking up the resources and interfering with development. However, as Pinchot pointed out, the "National Forests are for use by all the people. Their resources are now used in such a common-sense way that instead of being used up they keep coming. They are for present use, for use a few years ahead, and for use a long time ahead."
Though use of the natural resources is still at the heart of forest policy today, there has been a shift toward preserving the National Forests, as more people have begun to recognize the value of the natural beauty and recreational opportunities they offer. Automobiles and the completion of roads such as Wolf Creek Pass, brought more people into the San Juan National Forest to hunt, fish, camp, hike, and even film major motion pictures. A 1974 Forest Service Publication claimed, "With such a wide range of recreational opportunities, the San Juan National Forest truly is distinctive as one of America's Playgrounds."
Today, 100 years after its creation, the San Juan National Forest still issues permits for the use of its resources. However, the growth of recreation within the National Forest system has led to a shift in policy where tourism, wildlife management, and cultural resource protection play an important role in shaping how the natural resources are managed.
So the next time you go backpacking or fishing in the San Juan National Forest, or purchase a permit to graze your cattle or cut a Christmas tree, take a moment to reflect on the way things could have ended up, had it not been for the forward thinking of men like Gifford Pinchot and their management of our forest resources.
