History

In 1926, the California Forest Experiment Station, which later became the Pacific Southwest (PSW) Research Station, was established at the University of California, Berkeley. Today, PSW represents the research and development branch of the USDA Forest Service in California and Hawaii and the U.S.-affiliated Pacific Islands. PSW develops and delivers science-based information, technologies, and applications to help people make informed decisions about natural resource management, conservation, and environmental protection. 

The comprehensive history publication below covers forestry science in California, Hawaii, and the Pacific Islands by the Forest Service prior to 1926 and then that of PSW to 2000. The growth of forestry research in America and California is described and considers forest research in context of the New Deal, World War II, environmental forestry, and ecosystem research in California and Hawaii.