Bernard Fernow
| Bernhard E. Fernow | |
|---|---|
Bernhard Fernow
|
|
| Born |
January 7, 1851 Inowrocław, Province of Posen, Kingdom of Prussia |
| Died | February 6, 1923 (aged 72) Toronto |
| Residence | Ithaca, New York; Toronto |
| Nationality | German |
| Citizenship |
Prussian United States |
| Alma mater | University of Königsberg; Prussian Forest Academy at Münden |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Forestry |
| Institutions | U.S. Division of Forestry (USDA), Cornell University, University of Toronto |
Bernhard Eduard Fernow (pronounced /ˈfɜːrnaʊ/ FUR-now; January 7, 1851 – February 6, 1923) was the third chief of the USDA's Division of Forestry of the United States from 1886 to 1898, preceding Gifford Pinchot in that position, and laying much of the groundwork for the establishment of the United States Forest Service in 1905. Fernow's philosophy toward forest management may be traced to Heinrich Cotta's preface to Anweisung zum Waldbau (Instruction in Silviculture) or Linnaeus' ideas on the "economy of nature." Fernow has been called the "father of professional forestry in the United States."
Fernow was born in Hohensalza (Inowrocław) in the Prussian Province of Posen. He spent time with his uncle, who managed the estate of his extended family. After finishing his secondary studies, Fernow spent a year in the Prussian forest service. He then studied at the University of Königsberg and the Royal Prussian Academy of Forestry at Münden, his studies being interrupted for military service in the Franco-Prussian War. Before graduating from college, he met Olivia Reynolds, an American woman accompanying her brother during his studies in Germany. They got engaged, and he followed her to the United States. Married in 1879, the couple had five children. Olivia actively helped him in the many aspects of his work.
He emigrated to the United States in 1876, leaving an upset family in Germany who had been expecting him to manage the family estate. He found little market in the United States for his skills as a professional forester, and worked various odd jobs until 1878 when he got a job in Pennsylvania managing the 15,000 acres of woods which were used to obtain charcoal for the foundry of Cooper-Hewitt and Co. Fernow's observation and works like Report on the Forests of North America (Charles S. Sargent, 1884) showed him the need for proper forest management in the U.S., and he lectured on the subject. Through his job and trade connections, he got to know Abram S. Hewitt, who was influential in President Grover Cleveland's decision to give Fernow a job at the USDA.
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