Rand Schenck

Forest Under Siege: The Story of Old Growth After Gifford Pinchot

Wild Arts Festival welcomes Rand Schenck and his book Forest Under Siege: The Story of Old Growth After Gifford Pinchot. Rand explores 100 years of Pacific Northwest forestry and just how close the region’s forests came to extinction. He describes Gifford Pinchot’s love of the woods and his intention to make the National forests serve the common citizens rather than the wealthy timber lords. As a boy, Rand Schenck backpacked in the same mountains and woods where Gifford Pinchot worked as the first chief of the U.S. Forest Service. Rand is a storyteller, a historian, and a passionate advocate for the Pacific Northwest’s old-growth forests. Rand’s love of nature led to a career in environmental activism. He has since broadened his focus to include climate change. As one of the founders of the nonprofits 350PDX and Mobilizing Climate Action Together, he works to guide forest management toward reducing climate change. You can learn more at wsupress.wsu.edu/product/forest-under-siege/