Southern Forest Research Centennial
Every Picture Tells a Story: Reflections on a Century of Forest Service Research in the South
This 90-minute program was a look back over the past 100 years, and included stories about the people, places, programs, and relationships that have made the legacy of Forest Service research in the South possible. View the webinar recording on Adobe Connect here →
On July 1, 1921, the USDA Forest Service opened not one, but two new experiment stations in the southern United States. The Appalachian (headquartered in Asheville, NC) and Southern (in New Orleans, LA) Forest Experiment Stations each started with a handful of staff and a broad mission—to sustain and restore the South’s forests. With more determination and inspiration than budget, these pioneers were the first in a long line of dedicated public servants that continues to the current day.
Over the past 100 years, the structure and organization of Forest Service Research and Development (R&D) in the South has changed considerably, but the work has continued. With the impending centennial of formal Forest Service R&D approaching, the Southern Research Station would like to document as much of its history as possible.
Air layering loblolly pine at the Crossett Experimental Forest. Man in photo may be Hoy Grigsby. (Forest Service photo by Daniel Todd)
Therefore, we are looking for people to contribute articles and images related to the history of the South’s forest experiment stations over the decades. With a rich legacy of images and a wide range of topics on the people, places, programs, and policies, we hope to assemble several collections of historical photographs, maps, blueprints, line drawings, and other documents that will be made permanently available through the Forest Service Research Data Archive as well as some other outputs. These include a planned “coffee table” book of some of the great images we have available, as well as a collection of contributed articles written on topics related to our research program.
Those interested in helping out—and these can include current and former SRS employees, National Forest System staff, university partners, outside collaborators, or any other knowledgeable persons—are asked to contact Dr. Don C. Bragg with their thoughts and suggestions.
Please check back on this web page frequently to look for updates and further instructions.
To see what we have collected so far, visit the Southern Research Station Historical Documents and Images collection at the Research Data Archive →
