This Day in History: 1875-09-10

American Forests the oldest continuously-active U.S. conservation group, is founded. Originally called the American Forestry Association, these pioneer environmentalists began at a time when there were no national or state forests, and national parks were still a new idea. Americans had been pondering their duty to protect forests since at least the 1850s, when easterners began arriving to marvel at the giant sequoia trees of Yosemite in California. (See “Mother of the Forest. )