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NATIONAL MUSEUM OF FOREST SERVICE HISTORY SELECTS DIVERSE CONSERVATION VOICES TO JOIN NATIONAL COUNCIL

MISSOULA, MT--The National Museum of Forest Service History (Museum) Board of Directors announced the establishment and inaugural membership of its National Council today. Members of the Council will advise and assist the Board in achieving the goals and objectives of the Museum.

“The Board is pleased to welcome these honorable men and women to the Museum’s National Council,” said Gray Reynolds, Museum president. “Their breadth of experience and associations with the U.S. Forest Service reflect the role that cooperators and partners have played in shaping the conservation legacy of the agency.  We especially look forward to working with members of the Council to shape the development of the National Conservation Legacy and Education Center.”

The advisory panel includes industry executives, former federal agency administrators and representatives of recreation, energy, wildlife, academic, tribal and forestry interests. The fourteen inaugural Council members are:

Michael Berry, President, National Ski Areas Association, Lakewood, Colorado
Robert Bibb, Chairman/CEO, Bibb Engineers, Kansas City, Missouri
Ann Forest Burns, Vice President, American Forest Resource Council, Portland, Oregon
Derrick Crandall, President and CEO, American Recreation Coalition, Washington, DC
Stanley Dempsey, Chairman, Royal Gold, Inc., Denver, Colorado
Smoke Elser, Wilderness Outfitters Consulting Group, LLC, Missoula, Montana
Merv George, Jr., Program Manager, Region 5 Tribal Relations, U.S. Forest Service; former Tribal Chair of the Hoopa Valley Indian Tribe, Vallejo, California
Larry Grimes, General Counsel, National Coal Council, Washington, DC
Dr. James Earl Kennamer, Chief Conservation Officer, National Wild Turkey Federation, Edgefield, South Carolina
Dr. Hal Salwasser, Executive Dean, Division of Earth Systems Science, Dean of the College of Forestry and Director, Oregon Forest Research Laboratory, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon
John Turner, Managing Partner, Triangle X Ranch; former Assistant Secretary of State for Oceans and International and Scientific Affairs; former Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Moose, Wyoming
Dr. Bill Whitsitt, Executive Vice President, Devon Energy Corporation, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Pat Williams, Senior Fellow Emeritus, O’Connor Center for the Rocky Mountain West at the University of Montana; former nine-term Congressman for Montana, Missoula, Montana
Clayton Yeutter, Senior Advisor, Hogan Lovells; former Secretary of Agriculture; former U.S. Trade Representative, Washington, DC

National Council members are individual volunteers who work with members of the Board to introduce the work of the Museum and plans for the National Conservation Legacy and Education Center to potential partners. They advise the Board on the development of partnerships that will advance the organization’s educational and interpretive goals.

The establishment of the National Council comes as the site preparation, building design and exhibit planning for the National Conservation Legacy and Education Center is underway. The Center, to be built in Missoula, Montana, will provide a showcase for combined collections of more than 40,000 objects. The 30,000 square-foot conservation education center, national repository, exhibit and event space will encourage visitors to explore the history of the lands and people that have defined the nation and given meaning to the term conservation. Through its virtual museum and traveling exhibits, the Center will reach the larger public on-line and on-the-road.

The Forest Service was established with the intent to manage its public lands for the “use of the people.”  Gifford Pinchot, the first Chief of the U.S. Forest Service, believed that “all land is to be devoted to its most productive use for the permanent good of the whole people, and not for the temporary benefit of individuals or companies.” Pinchot’s philosophy has guided the vision for the Forest Service and challenged its leaders, collaborators and detractors for more than one hundred years: if there is a conflict over the intended use or benefit of our natural resources, then “the question will always be decided from the standpoint of the greatest good of the greatest number in the long run.” 

In the century that has followed the founding of the Forest Service, the agency has navigated an ever changing definition of the greatest good shaped by the social, cultural, political, economic and ecological evolution of our nation. The exhibits and programs of the Center will explore the Forest Service’s stewardship of our vast public lands for multiple uses to benefit the American people.   

Providing conservation education and illuminating the historical context for conservation in the U.S. are key components of the Center’s mission. The Center will focus attention on the insights gained from the past to inspire future conservation actions and innovations.

 “We look forward to working with our new National Council to represent the many voices that have shaped our conservation heritage and to share what we have learned with the public,” said Dave Stack, executive director.

About the National Museum of Forest Service History
The National Museum of Forest Service History, a national nonprofit organization, was founded in 1988. The NMFSH is dedicated to collecting, preserving, and interpreting the entire national history of the USDA Forest Service, giving due consideration to the partnerships and collaborations that have enriched the forest and grasslands of the United States, for the education and enjoyment of the general public, scholars, and historical researchers. For more information, visit www.nmfs-history.net

View Council member biographies

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