Percy George and The Pine Tree Menace
Collectively, foresters view their profession as the saving grace of American timberlands. According to their version of history, prior to the mid-twentieth century abusive lumbering practices in Arkansas and much of eastern North America ravaged the forests, leaving behind cutover wastelands. Then, the professional forester appeared on the scene to reclaim the lands and restore the forest to some semblance of its past glory. The transformation was warmly received by destitute local populations, with the forester emerging as a hero of almost mythic proportions. Even Hollywood and some novelists embraced this perception, casting the forest ranger in glowing light. The reality, as it is in so many cases, was far more complex.