Government Agencies: Natural Resources

Federal  U.S. Forest Service  U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)  U.S. Forest Service Established in 1905 to manage public lands in national forests and grasslands (which encompass 191 million acres or roughly the size of Texas). Gifford Pinchot, the first Chief of the Forest Service, summed up the mission of the Forest Service— "to provide the greatest amount of good for the greatest amount of people in the long run."

Francis Marion and Sumter National Forests http://www.fs.fed.us/r8/fms/index.php?p=1.1.0.1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZE7Aae-pqkM

 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)  U. S. Department of Commerce  National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Formed in 1970 when some of the oldest agencies in the Federal Government came together: the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey formed in 1807 (physical science agency), the Weather Bureau formed in 1870 (atmospheric sciences), and the Bureau of Commercial Fisheries formed in 1871 (America’s first conservation Agency).

NOAA and Weather http://profhorn.meteor.wisc.edu/wxwise/hurr/hurr.html http://profhorn.meteor.wisc.edu/wxwise/lightning/ltg.html

 U. S. Department of Interior  Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Administers 261 million surface acres of America's public lands, located primarily in 12 Western States

Fish and Wildlife Service Mission is to conserve, protect, and enhance fish, wildlife, and plants and other habitats for the American people. Manage National Wildlife Refuges located throughout the U.S. There are currently over 500 refuges encompassing ~92 million acres

Cape Romaine National Wildlife Refuge

National Park Service By Act of March 1, 1872, Congress established Yellowstone National Park in the Territories of Montana and Wyoming "as a public park or pleasuring ground for the benefit and enjoyment of the people" and placed it "under exclusive control of the Secretary of the Interior." On August 25, 1916, President Woodrow Wilson signed the act creating the National Park Service. The National Park System of the United States comprises 384 areas covering more than 83 million acres in 49 States

Congaree National Park http://www.nps.gov/cong/index.htm

U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Created by an act of Congress in 1879 USGS is the science provider of choice in accessing the information and understanding to help resolve complex natural resource problems across the Nation and around the world. Makes maps

USGS Video Podcasts http://gallery.usgs.gov/videos/297 http://gallery.usgs.gov/videos/334

Topographical Maps

State  SC Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) The agency as organized on July 1, 1994 under the S.C. Restructuring Act is composed of the former Wildlife and Marine Resources Department, Water Resources Commission (non-regulatory programs), Land Resources Commission (non-regulatory programs), State Geological Survey (State Geologist), and S.C. Migratory Waterfowl Committee.

SCDNR Hunting and fishing licenses Boater education courses Law enforcement Education Wildlife and natural resource conservation http://www.dnr.sc.gov/cwcs/species.html

 SC Forestry Commission (SCFC) Established in 1927 and charged with protecting the state’s forests, promoting benefits of forest management, and monitoring the forest’s condition. The agency assists SC residents with management and development of forest resources. They assist private landowners and industry with resource efficiency as well as provide fire protection and environmental education statewide.

Responsible for timber management, stewardship, reforestation, timber marketing, prescribed burning, and fire fighting.

http://www.state.sc.us/forest/fire.htm

America’s Forests: A History of Resiliency and Recovery http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWMejNKeqs0