America’s First Forest: Carl Schenck and the Asheville Experiment

“America’s First Forest: Carl Schenck and the Asheville Experiment” is a one-hour documentary.   There will be two showings, at 12:00 noon and again at 6:30 pm.  Following the film, Executive Producer James G. Lewis will be on hand to answer questions. The Pisgah National Forest was established in 1916.  Today it covers over 500,000 acres, including 86,700 acres purchased from Edith Vanderbilt in 1914.  That land had been part of George Vanderbilt’s 125,000 acre country estate—Biltmore. In 1892 Vanderbilt hired Gifford Pinchot to manage his vast property.  Three years later Carl Schenck replaced Pinchot and changed the direction of managing Vanderbilt’s forestland.  He not only helped restore the land, he established the country’s first forestry school and helped launch the American conservation movement. The film, produced for the Forest History Society by Bonesteel Films, tells the story Schenck and the Biltmore Forest School.

These programs are sponsored by the Friends of the Library.  Cookies and iced tea from Blue Ridge Bakery, also courtesy of the Friends will be available at the noon program.