Forestry Collection--over 800 images from the Florida Forest Service from the 1930s

Collection Number: S1831
Creator: Florida Forest Service.
Title: Program and Project Photographs, 1931-1940.
Quantity: 811 photographs

Description: This series of photographs documents the programs and activities of the Florida Forest Service, including black-and-white images of virgin forests, controlled burnings, seedling plantings, turpentining, nurseries, state parks, and various Civilian Conservation Corps projects.

Historical Note: The Florida Forest Service was one of a succession of state offices responsible for overseeing the commercial, industrial, and natural resources of Florida's forests. The Florida Forest Service was established in 1928, succeeding the Florida Board of Forestry. It cooperated with federal and state agencies, counties, towns, corporations, and individuals in disseminating information about Florida forests, managing fire prevention and control programs, and enforcing laws pertaining to forests and woodlands.

In 1929 the Florida Forest Service began a reforestation program, producing pine seedlings for sale to Florida landowners to encourage them to replace the trees that had been harvested during early logging activities. The first nursery was established at the state prison at Raiford. The Civilian Conservation Corps, established in 1933, gave great impetus to the forestry program. In 1934 Florida's first forestry training camp for agriculture students was held in cooperation with the forest industry, and in 1935 legislation was passed resulting in the formation of the Board of Forestry and Parks. The Forest Service acquired over 200,000 acres of forest land that decade. In 1969, the Florida Forest Service became the Division of Forestry within the new Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.