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FORESTRY IN THE UNITED STATES

FORESTRY IN THE UNITED STATES. All Lands in the United States Forested Land in the United States History of Land Use & Development Current & Emerging Issues The Forest Service Today. All Lands in the United States (forests, grasslands, deserts, etc.) Forested Land in the United States

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FORESTRY IN THE UNITED STATES

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  1. FORESTRY IN THE UNITED STATES

  2. All Lands in the United States • Forested Land in the United States • History of Land Use & Development • Current & Emerging Issues • The Forest Service Today

  3. All Lands in the United States (forests, grasslands, deserts, etc.) • Forested Land in the United States • History of Land Use & Development • Current & Emerging Issues • The Forest Service Today

  4. ALL LANDS IN THE UNITED STATES: Ownership Patterns Federal Lands 32% or 290 million hectares Federal State Private Lands 62% or 565 million hectares Private State & Municipal Lands 6% or 57 million hectares Total land base of the United State--912 million hectares.

  5. ALL LANDS IN THE UNITED STATES: Ownership Patterns of Lands Managed by the Federal Government Bureau of Indian Affairs3% Energy/Defense Departments1% Fish & Wildlife Service4% Forest Service8% National Park Service4% Bureau of Land Management12% Interior Department Defense/Energy Department Agriculture Department Total Federal Lands = 290 million hectares (1/3 of US land base)

  6. Federal Land Management Agencies

  7. All Lands in the United States • Forested Land in the United States • History of Land Use & Development • History of the Forest Service • Politics of Forestry • Current & Emerging Issues • The Forest Service Today

  8. FORESTS OF THE UNITED STATES • The United States has the 4th largest forest estate of any nation—exceeded by Russian Federation, Brazil and Canada • The United States has 8% of the world’s forests. • The United States has about 300 million hectares of forest (33% of the land area)

  9. FEDERAL LANDS IN THE UNITED STATES Other types of lands 67% or 612 million hectares Forested land33% or 300 million hectares Total land base of the United States—912 million hectares.

  10. TOTAL FOREST OWNERSHIP IN THE UNITED STATES Other Federal Agencies 9% or 26 million hectares Bureau of Land Management4% or 14 million hectares Forest Service20% or 60 million hectares States, counties & municipals9% or 26 million hectares Private forest lands58% or 174 million hectares Interior DepartmentOther Federal AgenciesAgriculture Department Total forested land in the United States—300 million hectares.

  11. FOREST OWNERSHIP IN THE WESTERN UNITED STATES FOREST OWNERSHIP IN THE EASTERN UNITED STATES Private lands31% or 45 million hectares Federal and State lands 17% or 26 million hectares Federal and State lands69% or 100 million hectares Private lands 83% or 129 million hectares 145 million hectares of forested land West of the Mississippi River 155 million hectares of forested land East of the Mississippi River

  12. LEVELS OF PROTECTION FOR LANDS IN THE US

  13. All Lands in the United States • Forest Land in the United States • History of Land Use & Development • Current & Emerging Issues • The Forest Service Today

  14. HISTORY OF LAND USE & DEVELOPMENT (1800-1900s) • Forests converted to farmland as majority of US population was farmers. • Farmers also cleared forests to provide wood for fencing to contain livestock. By 1850, enough fencing to circle the earth 120 times. • Building of major US cities, like Chicago, consumed large amounts of timber. Forested Area (in million hectares)

  15. HISTORY OF LAND USE & DEVELOPMENT: Deforestation and the Call for Action by 1900 • There was a recognition of land abuse and deforestation • Forests were increasingly seen as a national asset in need of protection from: • Logging • Massive wildfires • Farm clearing and grazing • Wildlife depletion • Watershed erosion • Conservation or “pressure groups” began to form including: • American Forestry Association • Sierra Club • Society of American Foresters • National Audubon Society

  16. HISTORY OF LAND USE & DEVELOPMENT:Start of Federal Conservation • 1800’s—Yosemite and Yellowstone parks established as protected areas by federal government. • 1891—Congress passed Forest Reserve Act, which empowered the President to set aside some of the nation’s public forest land (later renamed national forests).

  17. 1905—FOREST SERVICE ESTABLISHED • The Forest Service was established to manage national forests for protection of watersheds and to produce timber. • The mission has evolved and broadened to include recreation and grazing . • The role of the Agency has shifted dramatically due to changing social, economic, political expectations as well as the evolution of forestry as a discipline.

  18. MANAGEMENT PRIORITIES HAVE EVOLVED: 1900s2000 Timber production  Multiple Use & Conservation Fire suppression  Prescribed burning Road building  Watershed protection

  19. HISTORY OF PUBLIC PARTICIPATION IN FOREST MANAGEMENT • 1962—Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring helped launch a science-based environmental movement. • Present—Environmental non-governmental organization’s (NGO), industry and public involved with forest management.

  20. HISTORY OF PUBLIC PARTICIPATION IN FOREST MANAGEMENT: More Public Demand for Environmental Conservation • During the last 30 years, Congress passed laws that require: • Systematic review of federal operations that might cause environmental damage; • Federal agencies to seek public participation on forest management; • Assessment of environmental and social impacts; • Preservation of endangered species, clean air water. • Including: • National Forest Management Act (1976) • National Environment Policy Act (1970) • Endangered Species Act (1973) • Clean Water Act (1972) • Clean Air Act (1990)

  21. All Lands in the United States • Forest Land in the United States • History of Land Use & Development • Current & Emerging Issues • The Forest Service Today

  22. CURRENT AND EMERGING ISSUES: Invasive Species Affecting Forest Health • Millions of acres in all ownerships are threatened by 4,500 invasive plant and animal species— spreading at an accelerated rate, threatening biodiversity and forest health. • Environmental damage and millions of dollars in economic loss—High profile issue. • Control is expensive and controversial.

  23. CURRENT AND EMERGING ISSUES: The Idea of Fire Changes Over the Century • Early 1900’s—Forest Service works to suppress fires, develop new systems to boost effectiveness in firefighting. • 1950’s-Today—Research shows necessity of fire in ecosystems. Public opinion lags behind • Today—Complete suppression of fire contributes to deteriorating forest health. Public opinion still lags behind. • Congress considering new laws to lower the risk of wildfires—environmental groups feel this is an excuse for more commercial logging and access to roadless areas.

  24. CURRENT AND EMERGING ISSUES: Habitat Fragmentation • US is losing a lot of open space to development. • There is a corresponding decline in habitat quality on national forest land. • There must be more work across jurisdictions to protect habitat all across the landscape

  25. CURRENT AND EMERGING ISSUES: Unmanaged Recreation • When recreational use reaches high levels, it must be managed to protect resources. • There are a lot more impacts from off-highway vehicles than 10 or 20 years ago. • Manage use by restricting it to designated roads, trails and areas.

  26. CURRENT AND EMERGING ISSUES: • Logging • Forest harvest on National Forests remains very controversial. • Logging on private lands—also controversial because in some cases overharvesting is taking place. • Through the use of harvest treatments, Forest Service trying to combat fire and forest pest risks and mitigate catastrophic fires. (For ex. President Bush’s Forest Health Initiative to allow thinning.)

  27. CURRENT AND EMERGING ISSUES: Timber Certification • Environmentalists advocating third-party certification • Industry initially advocating varying systems of self-certification now yielding to public pressure and agreeing to voluntary third-party certification. • Forest Service believes certification must be market-driven, not regulated by federal agency. • Forest Service focuses on providing information on all certification systems.

  28. CURRENT AND EMERGING ISSUES: The Country’s Changing Ethnic Composition & Non-timber Forest Products • Changing social, demographic & economic conditions in the US  changing demand for forest products • For example, Asian immigrants harvest non-timber forest products in the Pacific Northwest-- harvest of edible mushrooms valued in the millions.

  29. POLITICS OF FORESTRY: The Media • Public participation in forestry supports and is supported by a free and open press, which has advantages and disadvantages. • Advantages • Allows for debate, allows participation in forest management • Causes government agencies to be more careful because of public scrutiny • Allows industry and NGOs to use the media to promote their message with public • Disadvantages • Complex issues may be reduced to simple “sound bites.” • Media often reduce stories to simple ones and present opposing views for “balance.” • Technical experts often do not make complex information understandable to the media.

  30. All Lands in the United States • Forest Land in the United States • History of Land Use & Development • Current & Emerging Issues • The Forest Service Today

  31. WHAT IS THE FOREST SERVICE TODAY? A decentralized organization of over 30,000 employees “Caring for the Land and Serving People”

  32. Federal Land Management Agencies

  33. MAIN BRANCHES OF THE FOREST SERVICE There are 155 forests and 20 grasslands in the United States (77 million ha./191 million acres) across 9 NFS regions in the US. The Forest Service is responsible for: • Watershed management • Recreation • Timber management • Wilderness and protected areas • Habitat/forest/grassland management

  34. MAIN BRANCHES OF THE FOREST SERVICE Cooperates with State organizations, other local government agencies, tribal government, private landowners, forest users on: • Watershed management • Fire management • Urban forestry • Forest insect and disease protection • Assistance to non-industrial private landowners • Indigenous-tribal relations • Conservation education

  35. MAIN BRANCHES OF THE FOREST SERVICE Provides scientific and technical knowledge through the work of: • Research Stations—Six stations across the US • Forest Products Laboratory • International Institute for Tropical Forestry (Puerto Rico)

  36. FOR MORE INFORMATION Please visit our website: www.fs.fed.us

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