The US Forest Service has been searching for an identity almost since the federal government began managing trees in the 19th century. It started in 1876 inventorying public lands to prevent over-logging. Then it became the lumber provider to the nation. Now, just shy of its 150th birthday, the Forest Service faces another fundamental reorganization announced by Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins last week. Or not. A week after Rollins’ announcement, the Senate Agriculture Committee ordered a “Review of the USDA Reorganization Proposal.” Many public lands watchdogs hoped the hearing would clarify where the idea came from and how the Forest Service’s tree focus fit in the farm-and-ranch world of the Department of Agriculture. …The National Association of Forest Service Retirees was aghast.“We do not see anything in the proposal that would improve services or efficiency,” they wrote. …While logging occurs far from the average American’s attention, forest fires are literally front-page news.