As head of Montana’s Bitterroot National Forest from 1935 to 1955, and as an outspoken conservation activist through the 1970s, Guy M. Brandborg had a profound impact on the U. S. Forest Service and timber management practices nationwide. Dedicated to the principle of ensuring a sustained yield of all forest resources, "Brandy" Brandborg sought to protect watersheds, wildlife habitat, and long-term jobs through a program of careful, selective timber harvesting. Following his retirement, he spoke out against the Forest Service's new program of rapid clearcutting that threatened an entire way of life in his beloved Bitterroot Valley. A consummate behind-the-scenes organizer, Brandborg raised the "Bitterroot Controversy" to a national issue, gaining full-page coverage in major newspapers and on television. His efforts drew attention in the nation's capital, leading to the influential Bolle Committee and reform of timber practices across the entire national forest system. He also contributed materially to the passage of the National Forest Management Act of 1976, the single most important law affecting public forestry since the creation of the Forest Service.
The issues that energized G. M. Brandborg a half century ago are still with us today—and his vision of public forestry that truly serves the public is one we must still work to bring about.
The issues that energized G. M. Brandborg a half century ago are still with us today—and his vision of public forestry that truly serves the public is one we must still work to bring about.
Reviews:
" A very important book to forest policy history, conservation history, and the history of rural land use"
--Kathryn Davis, Humanities and Social Sciences Online
"A riveting local story with national implications for the Forest Service. This book deserves a wide reading."
--William G. Robbins, Environmental History
"An award wining account of one of the seminal public lands battles of the 1960s and 1970s."
--Ed Madej, former president, Montana Wilderness Association
