“The President of the United States may, from time to time, set apart and reserve, in any state or territory having public land bearing forests, in any part of the public lands, wholly or in part covered with timber or undergrowth, whether of commercial value or not, as public reservations; and the President shall, by public proclamation, declare the establishment of such reservations and the limits thereof.“

Among the first forest reserves were: • Yellowstone Park • Pecos River • White River • Plum Creek • Pikes Peak • San Gabriel • Battlement Mesa • Bull Run • South Platte • Afognak