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HomeMy Public PortalAboutWatts, LyleRICHARD E. MCARDLE APPOINTED CHIEF OF THE UNITED STATES FOREST SERVICE Timber Topics June -July, 1952 LYLE WATTS RETIRES AFTER 40 YEARS OF ACTIVE SERVICE. Appointment of Richard E. McArdle as chief of the Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, was announced recently by Secretary Brannan. He will succeed Lyle F. Watts, chief forester for the past nine years who an- nounced his decision to retire from active duty. McArdle began his forest service career in 1924 as a junior forester assigned to the :pacific Northwest Forest and. Range Experiment Station in Portland. He worked on various research projects at the station for ten years with time out for three years of graduate study during this time. From 1939 to 1942, Watts served as regional forester of the Pacific Northwest Region with headquarters in Portland. Great Leader Paying tribute to Watts, Secretary Brannan said, "He has been one of the mot effective and courageous lead- ers of the Forest Service in the great tradition of its service to the American people. Under his guidance, forestry has taken a much greater part in the Agricul- ture. His other associates and I will miss Lyle Watts very much, but we are Pleased at the prospects of having his advice and. counsel readily available during his well earned retirement." Watts' retirement from active duty as chief of the Forest Service will mark the completion of a public career ser- vice of nearly 40 years. He has headed the federal agency since 1943. Starting as a fire guard in a western national forest, he worked up through the ranks to the nations s too forestry position. in recognition of rids outstanding public service, Watts in 1950 received the Department of Agriculturels distinguished service award "for dis- tinguished and effective leadership in advancing the conservation of forest resources in the United States and internationally." He was commended for his work in stimulating improved forestry practices in this country, for his stalwart defense of Public interests in the use of forest resources and for his important role in the development of a world forestry organization. McArdle (Cont ' d) 25 Years Experience A career government forester, Dr. McArdle has been a member of the Forest Service for more than 25 years. Since 1944 he has served as Assistant Chief in charge of cooperative forestry programs. Under his leadership, the federal programs carried on in cooperation with the states to encourage and facilitate the protection and sound management of the country's forests have been greatly accelerated. McArdle's earlier governmental forestry service includ- ed the directorship of two regional forest experiment stations. He conducted important research work on fire control and timber growth and yield. During a year's absence from the Forest Service in 1934-35, he served as dean of the forestry school at the university of Idaho. He served overseas with the u.S. Army during World War I. A native of Lexington, Ky., McArdle was raised in Nor- folk, Va. He is a graduate of the University of Michi- gan, where he received the bachelor of science degree in forestry in 1923, an ri. S. in i924, and a Ph. D. degree in 1930. He was part-time instructor in for- estry at Michigan University from 1927 to 1930. FAO Activities Prior to his appointment as Chief Forester, Watts' forestry career included service in four of the ten national forest regions, two of which he headed as u.S. regional forester. He also spent several years in re- search work, including five years as director of the Northern Rocky Mountain Forest and Range Experiment station at Missoula, Mont. He was the organizer and first head of the school of forestry at Utah State Agricultural College. Watts is chairman of the standing advisory committee on forestry of the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization. He took an active part in the organiza- tion and development of the forestry branch of FAO and was technical advisor to tree u.S. delegate to general sessions of FAO in Quebec in 1945; Copenhagen in 1946; Washington, D.C. in 1948 and 1949; and Rome in 1951. He was also a U.S. delegate to the Inter -American Con- ference on the Conservation of Renewable Natural Re- sources in Denver in 1943, and attended the united Nations Scientific Conference on the Conservation and Utilization of Resources at Lake Success in 1949.