Our History

The Kansas Forest Service is the nation’s fifth-oldest state forestry agency, with a legacy of service stretching back more than 135 years. Established in 1887 as the Office of the Commissioner of Forestry, the agency has grown into a statewide leader in forestry, wildfire management, and conservation.

The Foundation of Forestry in Kansas
(1857-1887)

In 1887, the Kansas Legislature recognized the importance of forests to the state’s land, communities, and economy. By creating the Office of the Commissioner of Forestry, lawmakers laid the foundation for what would become the Kansas Forest Service. March 10, 1887, marks our official anniversary, a date we continue to honor each year.

Joseph Trego's sawmill at the Smiths on Little Sugar Creek in Linn County, Kansas Territory. (1857)

• 1857– First known photo of a Kansas sawmill, belonging to Jayhawker Joseph Trego, in Linn County. General Land Office surveys document 1.5 million acresof forest lands in Kansas.
• 1859 – Kansas ranks #15 in the country in value of lumber produced, ahead of notable eastern states such as Minnesota, the Carolinas, Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi.
• 1865 – The Kansas Legislature authorizes a payment of 50 cents per acre for tree plantings, perhaps the first incentive of its kind in the country. In 1868, the law is modified to include payments of $2 for each half-mile of trees planted and maintained along public highways.
• 1869 – Perhaps the earliest such trials conducted in the nation, a series of Tree Species Trials begin at Kansas State Agricultural College, later expanded to include a partnership with the USDA Division of Forestry. These trials included at least 38 species from up to 15 seed sources each.
• 1872 – Kansas Legislature authorizes payments of $2 per acre for up to 25 years, if at least 160 trees per acre survive, later repealed due to the national Timber Culture Act of 1874.
• 1875 – The first Arbor Day in Kansas is celebrated, with 800 trees planted on statehouse grounds in Topeka.
  
• 1878 – First Report on Forestry published by the Kansas State Horticultural Society with extensive county-by-county reports on “timber belts” and lumber production.
• 1887 – Kansas Governor J.A. Martin names Silas C. Robb of WaKeeney as first Kansas “Commissioner of Forestry” and two tree seedling farms were established at Ogallah and Dodge City. Only California and Ohio (both 1885) have established state forestry agencies by this time, with Colorado and New York coming into existence at about the same time as Kansas.

Building a Home at Kansas State University
(1905-1942)

This period marked the formal establishment of forestry within Kansas State University and the foundation of modern forestry in Kansas. Through new state laws, academic leadership, nursery development, and large-scale conservation efforts like the Prairie States Forestry Project, forestry education, research, and cooperative federal-state programs took root across the state.

Marion township tree committee meeting. (1938)

• 1905 – President Theodore Roosevelt establishes Kansas National Forest on 97,280 acres of land west of Garden City along the south side of the Arkansas River. By 1915, the “artificial forest reserve” has failed and is abolished, with a portion remaining today as the Sandsage Bison Range.
  
• 1906 – Reflecting the condition of remaining Kansas forest resources, Kansas annual timber production drops to just 1,040,000 board feet, dead last in the nation.
• 1907 – Two commissioners were named, one for each station at Ogallah and Dodge City, an experiment that does not last.
• 1909 – A new state forestry law resulted in the creation of a Division of Forestry within Kansas State University, led by a State Forester appointed by the Board of Regents.
• 1910 – Charles Scott, a professor of Forestry at Iowa State University, is appointed to the position of Kansas State Forester.
• 1911 – The Weeks Act establishes the principle of federal-state cooperation for forest protection.
• 1916 – Professor Albert Dickens is appointed to the position of State Forester.
• 1920s – State forest nursery was established at Hays, to produce forest planting stock and conduct research.
• 1934 – Prairie States Forestry Project begins, with emergency funds from the USDA Forest Service, and administered in cooperation with state forestry agencies.
• 1935 – The Farm Forestry Project began in the Kansas State Department of Horticulture, leading to the appointment of Lloyd Smith as the first Extension Forester for Kansas. In 1939, Smith will conduct the first forest survey in Kansas since the 19th century, determining that only 1.07 million acres of forest lands remain from an estimated 4.48 million acres a century prior.
• 1938 – Prairie States Forestry Project creates a partnership with Kansas State Extension Forestry to deliver educational activities, resulting in 781 miles of shelterbelts covering 10,425 acres on 1,286 farms in 34 counties by 1939.
• 1942 – With the onset of WWII, the Prairie States Forestry Project comes to a close. More than 35 million trees were planted on 5,000 farms in 29 counties in central Kansas.

Expanding Service Across Kansas
(1943-1965)

Following World War II, forestry services rapidly expanded to meet the needs of landowners, communities, and rural fire districts statewide. New district foresters, watershed planning, nursery operations, and cooperative agreements with the USDA Forest Service strengthened Kansas’s forestry infrastructure while supporting growing industries such as walnut, pecan, and Christmas tree production.

The Riley County Rural Fire Department with a truck from the excess property program. (1970s)

• 1943 – Military service requirements resulted in three Extension Foresters in the same year: Richard Johnson, George Fisher, and Robert Cameron.
• 1946 – After two years with a vacant Extension Forester position, Dr. Donald Duncan is named to the position.
• 1951 – Harold Gallaher was appointed to the Extension Forester position. The state forest nursery in Hays was closed due to objections from commerical nurseries in the area.
• 1954 – The “Small Watersheds Bill” provides an Extension Watershed Planning Forester, kickstarting the watershed forestry program in Kansas, one of the first in the nation. By 1967, at least 64,500 acres of forest management was planned and conducted within 29 watersheds.
• 1956 – Kansas State Extension entered into a groundbreaking agreement with the USDA Forest Service to provide comprehensive, cooperative forestry assistance for Kansas.
• 1957 – District Extension Foresters were hired to expand technical assistance, located in Hutchinson, Iola, and Manhattan (two personnel). A new tree nursery was established in Manhattan, distributing 600,000 seedlings the first season.
• 1958 – Kansas Nut Growers Association is formed to support the burgeoning walnut and pecan industry in the state. By 1961, Extension Foresters report that this industry is valued at $2 million annually.
• 1961 – Extension Forester position was clarified by the Kansas Legislature, also designating the position as State Forester, leading “Kansas State and Extension Forestry.”
• 1962 – State and Extension Forestry entered into an agreement with the USDA Forest Service so the State Forester could “excess trucks, water tanks, pumps, and other equipment for use by rural fire protection districts.” More than $11 million in property, including more than 1,600 trucks and 500 trailers, were issued by 1968.
• 1963 – New programs to train “timber improvement contractors” and help landowners market timber begin. A program to develop fire protection in rural Kansas was initiated by the Kansas Forest Service, resulting in 267 rural fire districts organized and more then 3,000 firefighters trained by 1968.
• 1964 – Half a million seedlings were distributed to 45 Kansas Christmas tree growers this year, rapid growth for an industry that had zero Kansas growers as recently as 1956. This growth was supported by Kansas Extension research efforts.
• 1965 – Supported by an appropriation from the Kansas Legislature, district forester John Strickler begins woodland surveys, which by 1968 result in some of the most comprehensive and up-to-date information on timber resources in the country. Kansas has at least 1.4 million acres of productive woodlands with 2.5 billion board feet of lumber at this time, according to the data.

A Modern Forestry Agency Takes Shape
(1967–1998)

During these decades, the Kansas Forest Service matured into a fully modern, statewide agency. New facilities, expanded rural fire and urban forestry programs, landmark federal legislation, and evolving partnerships solidified KFS’s role in conservation, community forestry, and wildfire support—culminating in the agency officially becoming the Kansas Forest Service in 1997.

The Kansas Forest Service state office. (1968)

• 1967 – With funding from the USDA Forest Service, construction begins on the State and Extension Forestry building in Manhattan, still occupied today as the state office for Kansas Forest Service. Interior paneling is made of 12 native Kansas timber species.
• 1968 – The state office facility was built on the Kansas State University campus in Manhattan, housing the state forester, program coordinators, and support staff.
• 1970 – The Rural Fire Program Shop was added to manage federal excess military property, providing much-needed equipment for rural fire departments across Kansas.
• 1971 – The Kansas Urban and Community Forestry Assistance Program, one of the first in the nation, was began under a pilot program with the USDA Forest Service. Kansas ranks first in the nation in black walnut timber production this year.
• 1974 – The Conservation Tree Planting Program Greenhouse was constructed, producing container-grown hardwoods, evergreens, and pollinator plants for conservation plantings.
• 1977 – The Department of Forestry was reorganized within Kansas State University, combining the positions of State Forester and Department Head.
• 1978 – The Cooperative Forestry Assistance Act is passed, solidifying strong cooperation between the USDA Forest Service and the state, providing support for extension forestry and rural fire assistance activities throughout the state to the present day.
• 1980 – Baldwin Woods, in Douglas County, is named a “National Natural Landmark” and will later become the first Forest Legacy project in Kansas.
• 1981 – Harold Gallaher retires as State Forester, and John Strickler served as acting State Forester until Jay Schultz was hired the following year. A second statewide forest inventory, again supported by an appropriation from the Kansas Legislature, is conducted.
• 1987 – Tom Warner was hired as Forestry Department Head, and Ray Aslin was hired as State Forester, dividing the previously joined positions.
• 1990 – The Farm Bill includes a Forestry Title for the first time.
• 1997 – The agency name is changed from Kansas State and Extension Forestry to Kansas Forest Service.
• 1998 – Dr. Charles Barden was hired as the Kansas Extension Forester, consolidating forestry extension duties into a single position, rather than spreading those duties across the Kansas Forest Service field staff.

Carrying the Legacy Forward
(2009-Present Day)

From its origins in the late 19th century to today’s 42-member team of foresters, fire managers, and specialists, the Kansas Forest Service continues to evolve while staying true to its mission:

“Sustaining and enhancing natural resources and communities through forestry and wildland fire management.”

Kansas Forest Service staff on K-State campus. (2024)

• 2009 – Jackman Demonstration Forest established in Butler County.
• 2010 – Kansas Forest Service completes the first statewide Forest Action Plan.
• 2008 – Larry Biles, a district forester with Kansas Forest Service in the 1960s and 70s, then the USDA Forestry Extension leader from 1990-2003, is hired as State Forester.
• 2016 – Baldwin Woods was established as the first Forest Legacy project in Kansas.
• 2018 – Increased legislative funding expands the Kansas Forest Service fire management program, including contracting with aerial suppression assets.
• 2019 – Following the retirement of Larry Biles, the Kansas Forest Service hires Jason Hartman as State Forester.
• 2020 – The Kansas Forest Action Plan is updated.