Art Savage spent four decades in forest protection and management, working as a Forest Ranger from 1939 to 1971 and serving at Pequot Lakes from 1939 until his retirement in 1979. He grew up on a farm in Waseca County, graduated from Elysian High School, earned a forestry degree from the University of Minnesota, and began his career in Montana as a Technical Forester for the Civilian Conservation Corps. He then went to Wisconsin, where he directed 400 young men in planting 3 million trees in one season before starting service at Pequot Lakes. There his equipment consisted of 6 pump tanks, 6 shovels, and 2 axes, and he used his own vehicle to chase fires while also drawing on the Pequot Lakes High School Forest Fighting Crew when needed. He staffed the Pequot Lakes fire tower, traveled throughout the area battling fires, educated people about forest management and wildfire prevention, and mentored young forest rangers. In the community he was regarded as a friend, teacher, leader, and hero, and among his peers in the Forest Service he was highly respected for hard work and integrity. After his retirement, Keith Simar succeeded him as District Forester, followed by Greg Kvale and then Curt Cogan; when districts were dissolved in 1994 and replaced by Field Stations, Pequot Lakes became a new Area with Keith Simar as area Forest Supervisor. Fire Program Forester positions were then created to administer wildfire functions, including fire towers, with Curt Cogan serving in that role followed by Paul Lundgren. The Pequot Lakes area is now administered from the Backus DNR Area Forestry Office, and as Backus Area Forest Supervisor in 2014, Curt Cogan brought the Pequot Lakes Fire Tower back into use for fire detection until his retirement in 2016.