First published in 1933, The People's Forests made a passionate case for the public ownership and management of the US's forests in the face of generations of devastating practices. Marshall describes the major values of forests as sources of raw materials, as essential resources for the conservation of soil and water, and as a valued recreational environment. He considers the pros and cons of private and public ownership, deciding that public ownership and large-scale public acquisition are vital in order to save the nation's forests, and sets out ways to intelligently plan for and manage public ownership.