Ansel Hall

Ansel Hall was the first Chief Naturalist and first Chief Forester of the United States National Park Service. He was also the first Park Naturalist in Yosemite National Park, where he established innovative programs and founded the Yosemite Museum Association. His energy and competence attracted national attention and he was quickly promoted to his federal posts. In 1930, he co-wrote a report for Oakland which advocated for the establishment of interconnected parklands that would define an urban landscape. This was a revolutionary notion and it led to the creation of the East Bay Regional Park District.