Current Issues

Private forests are critical for safeguarding the air we breathe, the water we drink, the sky we see, the wildlife we love, and the inspiration we desire. Of the 751 million acres for forestland, over half (56 percent) is managed privately and of that, individuals or families own 262 million acres (62 percent). Too often, these private forests are put at risk as owners may be forced to sell in order to pay property, estate or other taxes.

The first step to engaging family forest owners in good forest management and long-term stewardship objectives is a solid outreach, education, and technical assistance strategy where we can engage family forest owners on a basic level and help move them along the continuum, where they might eventually seek to implement conservation practices using USDA Farm Bill conservation programs.

Approximately 80 percent of our nation’s fresh water resources originate in forests. America’s family-owned woodlands, the largest forest ownership group in the United States covering roughly 262 million acres, are essential green infrastructure that supplies the nation with clean water. However, many of these forests are at risk—roughly 1.5 million acres of forest are lost each year to development. The United States Forest Service predicts that by the year 2030, roughly 44.2 million acres of forests will experience substantial increases in development. With the disappearance of these forests, we lose the natural green infrastructure that keeps our water clean.

Family woodland owners, who own roughly one-third of the nation’s forests and woodlands, are greatly impacted by invasive (non-native) forest pests — plants, insects and disease. The damage to our communities, our environment, and our economy from these invasive species is tremendous.  Some estimate the damages at over $138 billion annually, due to losses in the forest products industry, the tourism and recreation industry, and woodland owner income.  If a forest pest infests  a family woodland owner’s land, it can mean  complete destruction of their land, loss of a significant family treasure, a severe reduction in land-based income, and elimination of wildlife habitat despite intense investment in time, effort, and money.

America’s family-owned forests, covering more than  262 million acres, supply the bulk of the nation’s renewable wood products. Green products are in high demand, as more and more architects, builders, contractors, wholesalers, retailers and consumers elect to reduce their environmental impacts with the purchase of green products. The building sector, one of the largest users of forest products, is greening its industry with private-sector green building rating systems. However, many of these policies are outdated, and in an effort to support these private-sector standards, policy makers often attempt to mandate these standards without careful consideration of the implications for all U.S. forest owners. 

The nation’s family forests have great potential to fuel the next generation of America’s renewable energy. Families and individuals own roughly 262 million acres and are the largest forest ownership group in the U.S. These lands can supply a large portion of renewable materials, mostly small diameter trees and harvesting byproducts, that can be converted into renewable energy. Additionally, generating renewable energy from sustainably managed family forests means family forest owners will have additional markets and revenue streams, which in turn further incentivize family forest owners to keep their forests as forests.

One of the greatest threats to the health of our planet is climate change. Our nation’s forests, owned mostly by families and individuals, are a critical piece to fighting this serious threat. Around the world, forest ecosystems, both trees and soil, sequester about a quarter of all carbon pollution that contributes to climate change. In the United States, forests and forest products capture and store 12% of our carbon emissions, an amount that could grow up to 20% with better management practices.

Fire typically conjures images of destruction. However, most forests rely on fire to reduce dense underbrush, restore nutrients to the soil, and provide important wildlife habitat. Over the last century, the United States has had a policy of fire suppression due to the risks wildfires pose to humans and communities.  Unfortunately, this policy has led to unhealthy, overly-dense conditions in many forests, the loss of some unique, fire-dependant ecosystems, and a degraded wildlife habitat. Without controlled fire, forests less resilient and created the potential for massive greenhouse gas emissions when catastrophic wildfires do occur.