Weeks Act History, Photo’s Videos and Information Links

There is a rich history of information relative to the formulation and development of the Weeks Act. Floods, fires, and Forest Service foresters all contributed to the passage of the Weeks Act of 1911, which marked the shift from public land disposal to expansion of the public land base by purchase, the origin of the Eastern national forests. The role played by floods, wildfires, and foresters goes back to the beginnings of the conservation movement and professional forestry in the United States.

• Documents & Videos:
  • Download the "1961 Heritage Restored Video" (34 MB Flash Video File).
  • The Weeks Act of March 1, 1911: The Weeks Law. (PDF 0.04MB)
  • 50th Anniversary USDA Secy Freeman_remarks: 1961(PDF 0.7 MB)
  • 1961 National Forest Reservation Commission Report (PDF 2 MB)
  • Weeks 50th Anniversary Map: Undated (PDF 0.5 MB)
  • Picture of first National Forest Tract: Undated (PDF 3.5 MB)
  • Bridger-Teton Administrative Facilities, History (2003): Summary (DOCX .01MB), Complete Document (PDF 7MB)

• Links to Related Documents and Videos:
  • Forest History Society's Weeks Act video on YouTube (2 minutes).
  • The Weeks Bill, HR11789, Sixty First Congress, First Session 1909. Source: Forest History Society. (PDF 0.8MB)
  • The Battle for the Weeks Bill: American Forestry, vol. 16 (Mar) 1910. Source: Forest History Society. (PDF 2.3MB)
  • Our Eastern National Forests: Record Steady Progress in Acquisition Under the Provisions of the Weeks Law: American Forests and Forest Life, vol. 36 (July) 1930. Source: Forest History Society. (PDF 0.9MB)
  • Portrait of John W. Weeks: Source: Commons Wikimedia. (PDF 0.03MB)
  • The John Weeks Story: a 1961 USFS pamphlet on John Weeks and the history of the Weeks Act. Source: Forest History Society. (PDF 1.6MB)
  • Private Property to Public Property: The beginnings of the National Forests in the South: Gerald W. Williams, Ph.D., National Historian, USDA Forest Service: 2003. Source: Forest History Society. (PDF 0.07MB)
  • Weeks Act: Forest History Society. This site also contains an excellent "Selected Resources" section with links to key Weeks Act documents.
  • Celebrating a Century of the Weeks Act: New Hampshire.com website.
  • John Wingate Weeks Historic Site: New Hampshere Division of Parks and Recreation.
  • Protecting The Forest: The Weeks Act Of 1911 :Plymouth State University
  • Weeks Act and the creation of the White Mountain National Forest: White Mountain History
  • Cooperative Forest Fire Control - a history under the Weeks Act: 1964. Source: Forest History Society. (PDF 4.8MB)
  • America’s Great Outdoors