Established in 1905, the U.S. Forest Service is steeped in history, conflict, and strong personalities, including Theodore Roosevelt, Gifford Pinchot, and Smokey the Bear. The original idea was to protect public forests and water supplies, and when appropriate, provide timber. But efforts over the last century to manage national forests and grasslands have come under intense criticism and launched many legal battles. We talk about the controversies and future challenges of public land management with Gerald Williams, author of the forthcoming, "The U.S. Forest Service in the Pacific Northwest, A History." In 2007 the OSU Libraries acquired the Gerald W. Williams Collection, consisting of the collected historic photographs, personal papers, and research library of Gerald "Jerry" Williams.