The U.S. Forest Service is a federal agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.  Its motto is caring for the land and serving people.  The U.S. Forest Service manages public lands in national forests and grasslands.  The mission of the U.S. Forest Service is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the nation’s forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations.

In order to fulfill the above mission, the U.S. Forest Service follows certain guiding principles.  The principles are:

• the use of an ecological approach to the multiple-use management of the national forests and grasslands;
• the use of the best scientific knowledge in making decisions and select the most appropriate technologies in the management of resources;
• respect to private property rights;
• strive for quality and excellence in functioning:
• strive to meet the needs of customers in fair, friendly, and open ways;
• form partnerships to achieve shared goals;
• promote grassroots participation in decisions and activities;
• value and trust one another and share leadership;
• maintain high professional and ethical standards; and
• follow laws, regulations, executive direction, and congressional intent.

The U.S. Forest Service is the largest forestry research organization in the world.  It provides technical and financial assistance to state and private forestry agencies.

The U.S. Forest Service functions as a lead federal agency in natural resource conservation.  It provides leadership in the protection, management, and use of the nation’s forests, rangeland, and aquatic ecosystems.  The agency integrates ecological, economic, and social factors to maintain and enhance the quality of the environment.  In order to ensure sustainable ecosystems by restoring and maintaining species diversity and ecological productivity that helps provide recreation, water, timber, minerals, fish, wildlife, wilderness, and aesthetic values for current and future generations of people, the agency implements land and resource management plans.

The major divisions of the agency include: the National Forest System, State and Private Forestry, and the Research and Development branch.

The U.S. Forest Service Law Enforcement & Investigations unit (LEI) of the U.S. government is responsible for enforcement of federal laws and regulations governing national forest lands and resources.  With respect to national forests, the officials of the Forest Service designated by the Secretary of Agriculture aids in the enforcement of the laws of the states or territories with regard to stock, for the prevention and extinguishment of forest fires, and for the protection of fish and game.  They assist other federal bureaus and departments on request from them, in the performance of the duties imposed on them by law[i].

The employees of the U.S. Forest Service have the authority to make arrests for the violation of the laws and regulations relating to the national forests.  The arrested persons are taken for trial before the nearest U.S. commissioner within whose jurisdiction the forest is located[ii].

The powers of officers and employees of the U.S. Forest Service are:

• to carry firearms;
• to conduct investigations of criminal violations;
• to make arrests with a warrant or process for misdemeanor violations, or without a warrant or process for violations of such misdemeanors;
• to serve warrants and other process issued by a court or officer of competent jurisdiction;
• to search with or without warrant or process any person, place, or conveyance according to federal law or rule of law; and
• to seize with or without warrant or process any evidentiary item according to federal law or rule of law[iii].

[i] 16 USCS § 553.

[ii] 16 USCS § 559.

[iii] 16 USCS § 559c.