The Benefits of Private Forests
America’s private landowners are key stewards of our forests, but costs for conserving and maintaining their forests can be high. These forestlands provide us with a wealth of goods and services - clean water, clean air, abundant forest products, wildlife habitat, open spaces, and opportunities for outdoor recreation and education. Private forest contributions to these goods and services can be affected by increased housing density also increasing other threats such as wildfires, insects, and pollution.
Some of the report’s key findings include:
- Housing density will increase on more than 57 million acres of America’s private forests between 2000 and 2030.
- Up to 75 percent of the private forests in many regions are predicted to experience a substantial increase in housing density.
- Private forests that play a critical role in supplying our nation with clean water resources, and the timber we need to build homes and communities across the country will be threatened.
- A number of species including the already-endangered Florida panther and the grizzly bear are also expected to be put at risk because of loss of forestland.
The study also identifies areas where other threats to forests - like fire, pollution and disease - will be made much worse as a result of forest loss. Secretary Vilsack wants USDA, the U.S. Forest Service, and national, state and local partners to take an “all hands” approach to address these threats regardless of whether the forests are publicly or privately owned.
It’s important for each of us to understand the benefits that forests provide us in our daily lives - whether we live in an urban, suburban, or rural community. It’s in our best interest to recognize these benefits and heighten the awareness that we all have an investment in making sure our forestland is conserved now and for future generations.
James E. Hubbard is the U.S. Forest Service, Deputy Chief, State and Private Forestry
