The Forest Reserve Act of 1891 was signed into law by President Benjamin Harrison after two decades of debate about public land policy and concern about exploitative logging, putting in place the means to protect wooded areas as “forest reserves,” to be managed by the Department of the Interior.

In the United States, national forests are established through a legislative process governed primarily by the Forest Reserve Act of 1891 and the Transfer Act of 1905. The process began when Congress authorized the President to "withdraw" public lands from the homesteading pool and designate them as "forest reserves" to protect timber resources and water flow. Today, the creation of a new national forest generally requires an Act of Congress, though the Secretary of Agriculture has some authority to adjust boundaries or acquire new land for conservation. Unlike National Parks, which are managed for "preservation" and public enjoyment by the Department of the Interior, National Forests are managed for "multiple use" (including logging, mining, grazing, and recreation) by the U.S. Forest Service under the Department of Agriculture. This management philosophy, pioneered by Gifford Pinchot, treats the forest as a "renewable resource" that should provide the "greatest good for the greatest number in the long run." Once established, a forest must follow a "Land and Resource Management Plan," which is updated every 15 years to balance ecological health with the economic needs of the nation.