gppg

cubic feet. The following pdf versi

the brochure has been corrected.
U.S. Forest Facts and

Historical Trends

U.S. Forest Facts and

Historical Trends

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE FOREST SERVICE

http://fia.fs.fed.us
Introduction

The 2000 Renewable Resources Planning Act Assessment

(2000 RPA Assessment) is the fourth assessment prepared

in response to the mandate in the Forest and Rangeland

Renewable Resources Planning Act of 1974, P.L. 93-378,

88 Stat. 475, as amended (RPA). The 2000 RPA

Assessment consists of a summary report and supporting

documents (available at

http://www.fs.fed.us/pl/rpa/list.htm). Renewable resources

in this assessment include outdoor recreation, fish and

wildlife, wilderness, timber, water, range, and minerals.

In addition, and for the first time, there is an assessment

of the urban forest resource. Data presented in this

brochure highlight the findings of the 2000 RPA assessment regarding forest resource statistics: reserved forest

land, timber land, forest landownership, forest composition, mortality, growth and removals, tree planting, products made from timber, and urban influences on forest

land area. Regional data are reported geographically as

North, South, and West.

1

North

South

West
Forest Inventory

Various attributes of the forest resource are inventoried by

the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service (USDA

Forest Service) Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA)

Program and reported in the RPA Assessment and various

supporting documents. To provide timely, scientifically

reliable estimates of the status, condition, and trends of

the Nation’s forests, the FIA has conducted field inventories for more than 70 years using state-of-the-art technology. These inventories have provided critical information

in the development and implementation of policies and

practices that support sustainable forestry in the United

States. Seven national reports based on FIA data have

been produced since 1953.

Extensive field measurement from FIA inventories

include over:

• 4.5 million remote sensing plots interpreted for land

use

• 125,000 permanent field plots systematically located

across all forest lands in the United States

• 100 characteristics measured at each plot location

• 1.5 million trees measured to evaluate volume, condition, and vigor

Additional information about FIA may be found at

http://fia.fs.fed.us.

2

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 30%

United States in a world context

Timber production for industrial products

Population

Land area

Forest land

Reserved forest

Timber inventory

25%

5%

9%

10%

7%

5%

25%
Land and Forest Area

It is estimated that—at the beginning of European settlement—in 1630 the area of forest land that would become

the United States was 1,045 million acres or about 46

percent of the total land area. By 1907, the area of forest

land had declined to an estimated 759 million acres or

34 percent of the total land area. Forest area has been relatively stable since 1907. In 1997, 747 million acres—or

33 percent of the total land area of the United States—

was in forest land. Today’s forest land area amounts to

about 70 percent of the area that was forested in 1630.

Since 1630, about 297 million acres of forest land have

been converted to other uses—mainly agricultural. More

than 75 percent of the net conversion to other uses

occurred in the 19th century. 

Stability, however, does not mean that there has been no

change in forest land area. There have been shifts from

agriculture to forests and vice versa. Some forest land has

been converted to more intensive uses, such as urban

uses. Even on areas where forest land has remained stable, there have been changes as forests respond to human

manipulation, aging, and other natural processes. The

effects of these changes are reflected in the information

presented in this brochure.

3

Forest land trends in the United States, 1850-1997

450

West

Million acres

400

350

300

250

200

150

100

1850 1860 1870 1880 1890 1900 1907 1920 1938 1953 1963 1977 1987 1997

South

North
Reserved Forest Land

Reserved forest land has doubled since 1953 and now

stands at 7 percent of all forest land in the United States.

This reserved forest area includes State and Federal parks

and wilderness areas but does not include conservation

easements, areas protected by nongovernmental organizations, and most urban and community parks and

reserves. Significant additions to Federal forest reserves

occurred after the passage of the Wilderness Act in 1964. 

Land and forest area trends in the United States1

Region 

Category Year U.S. North South West

Million acres

Land 1997 2,263 413 535 1,315 

Of which:

Forest 1997 747 170 214 363 

1987 739 166 211 362 

1977 744 164 217 362 

1963 762 166 228 368 

1953 756 161 226 369 

1938 760 159 221 380 

1907 759 139 236 385 

1630 1,045 298 354 394 

Of which:

Timber land 1997 504 159 201 143 

1987 486 154 197 135 

1977 492 153 200 139 

1963 515 157 209 150 

1953 509 154 205 150 

Reserved 1997 52 8 4 40 

forest 1987 48 8 3 37 

1977 35 6 2 27 

1963 27 4 1 22 

1953 26 4 1 21 

Other 1997 191 3 9 179 

forest 1987 205 3 11 191 

1977 216 5 15 196 

1963 220 5 18 196 

1953 221 3 20 198 

4

1In addition to the land area of the United States at that time, estimates for 1938

include forest area in the regions that would become the States of Alaska and Hawaii.

Estimates for 1907 also include forest area in the regions that would become the States

of Alaska, Arizona, Hawaii, and New Mexico. Estimates for 1630 represent the forest

area in North America for regions that would become the 50 States within the current

United States. Source for 1938: U.S. Congress (1941). Source for 1907 and 1630: R.S.

Kellogg (1909).
5

Timber Land and Other Forest Land 

Timber land is fairly evenly distributed among the three

major regions of the United States. Other forest land,

such as slow-growing forests of spruce in interior Alaska

and pinyon-juniper in the interior West, dominate many

western landscapes and comprise more than one-fourth

of all U.S. forest land.

Trends in reserved forest land in the United States

50

West

Million acres40

30

20

10

0

North

1953 1963 1977 1987 1997

South

0 50 100 150 200

Forest land by region and land class, 1997

West

South

North

250

Million acres

Timber land

Other forest

Reserved forest

While forest reserves are common in most western forest

types, comprising 11 percent of their total forest area,

only 3 percent of eastern forests are in reserves such as

parks and wilderness.
Ownership of Forest Land

Ownership of forest land by region and land class, 1997

Onwer class/ Region 

land class U.S. North South West

Million acres

National forest 147 12 12 123

Timber land 96 10 11 75

Reserved forest 28 1 1 25

Other forest 23 0 0 22

Other public 170 30 13 127

Timber land 50 22 10 17

Reserved forest 23 6 3 14

Other forest 97 1 1 95

Forest industry 68 15 37 16

Timber land 67 15 37 15

Reserved forest 0 0 0 -

Other forest 1 0 0 1

Other private 363 114 152 97

Timber land 291 112 143 35

Reserved forest 1 0 0 1

Other forest 71 2 8 61

All owners 747 170 214 363

Timber land 504 159 201 143

Reserved forest 52 8 4 40

Other forest 191 3 9 179

East vs. West

The ownership of forest land in the United States varies

from East to West. While private forest land predominates in the East, public ownership is predominant in the

West.

6

Forest ownership in the Eastern United States

Public 17.4%

67 million acres

Private 82.6%

318 million acres
7

Public vs. Private Management Activity

As timber production shifts from public to private land,

there is an increasing need to have information on the

management objectives of the private forest land owners.

This information is critical to policies promoting sustainable forestry in the United States. Recent studies have

shown that only 5 percent of the private forest landowners in the United States have a written management plan.

However, these plans cover 39 percent of the private forest area in the United States. Private forests provided 89

percent of the Nation’s timber harvest in 1996.

Forest ownership in the Western United States

Private 31.1%

113 million acres

Public 68.9%

250 million acres

Percent of private forest

land under a written

management plan

0% 10% 20% 30%

Management of private forest land in the United States

Source: Birch, 1995

Percent of private forest

landowners with a written

management plan

40%
Forest Composition

Forest Type and Stand Origin

The forests of the United States are very diverse in composition and distribution—from the oak-hickory and

maple-beech-birch forests that dominate the North to the

expansive pine forests of the South to the majestic

Douglas-fir and ponderosa pine forests of the West. 

8

0 20 40

Forest land by cover type in the Eastern United States

1997

Red/white/jack pine

Spruce-fir

Longleaf/slash pine

Loblolly/shortleaf pine

Oak-pine

Oak-gum-cypress

Elm-ash-cottonwood

Maple-beech birch

Aspen-birch

Other types

Nonstocked

60 80 100 120 140

Million acres

Oak-hickory

Timber land - 360.4 million acres total

Reserved - 10.2 million acres total

Other - 12.2 million acres total
U.S. forests are predominantly natural stands of native

species. Planted forest land is most common in the East

and heavily comprised of planted stands of native pine in

the South.

9

0 20 40

Forest land by cover type in the Western United States

1997

Douglas-fir

Ponderosa pine

Fir-spruce

Hemlock-Sitks spruce

Lodgepole-pine

W. Hardwoods

Pinyon-juniper

Chaparral

Nonstocked

60 80 100

Million acres

Other softwoods

Timber land - 143.2 million acres total

Reserved - 40.2 million acres total

Other - 179.1 million acres total

Total area of planted and natural forest in the

Eastern United States, 1997

Planted 10.4%

40 million acres

Natural 89.6%

344 million acres
Stand Age and Average Annual Harvest Area

After intensive logging in the late 19th century and early

20th century, 55 percent of the forests on the Nation’ s

timber land is less than 50 years old. Six percent of the

Nation’s timber land is more than 175 years old. [Large

areas of old forest are in designated reserves and are not

depicted in the timber land graphic shown.]

10

Total area of planted and natural forest in the

Western United States, 1997

Planted 3.6%

13 million acres

Natural 96.4%

350 million acres

Timber land by region and stand age class, 1997

120

West

Million acres

100

80

60

40

20 North

South

10

0

30 50 70 90 125 175 200

and Median age older

Graphic does not include 22 million acres of uneven-aged timber land in the North.
Trends in Growing Stock Volume, Mortality,

Growth, and Removals

Growing stock inventory, growth, removals,

and mortality on timber land by region and species 

group in the United States, 1953-1997

Volume Region 

category Year U.S. North South West

All species Billion cubic feet

Inventory 1997 835.7 214.3 256.4 365.1 

1987 781.7 190.0 244.6 347.0 

1977 733.1 163.0 223.4 346.7 

1963 665.6 128.3 174.1 363.2 

1953 615.9 103.7 148.5 363.7 

Growth 1996 23.5 5.4 10.7 7.4 

1986 22.6 5.5 10.0 7.1 

1976 21.9 5.3 11.3 5.3 

1962 16.7 4.4 8.1 4.2 

1952 13.9 3.7 6.7 3.5 

Removals 1996 16.0 2.8 10.2 3.1 

1986 16.0 2.7 8.2 5.0 

1976 14.2 2.5 6.7 5.0 

1962 12.0 2.1 5.5 4.4 

1952 11.9 2.1 5.7 4.1 

Mortality 1996 6.3 1.6 2.2 2.5 

1986 4.6 1.2 1.7 1.7 

1976 4.1 1.1 1.3 1.7 

1962 4.3 0.9 1.2 2.2 

1952 3.9 0.7 1.0 2.2 

Softwoods

Inventory 1997 483.9 49.4 104.8 329.6 

1987 467.6 47.6 105.6 314.3 

1977 467.0 43.9 101.2 321.9 

1963 449.8 33.7 75.1 341.0 

1953 431.8 27.1 60.5 344.3 

Growth 1996 13.4 1.2 5.9 6.3 

1986 13.0 1.3 5.5 6.2 

1976 12.5 1.6 6.3 4.6 

1962 9.6 1.2 4.7 3.7 

1952 7.7 1.0 3.6 3.1 

Removals 1996 10.1 0.7 6.5 2.9 

1986 10.9 0.7 5.3 4.9 

1976 10.0 0.7 4.4 4.9 

1962 7.6 0.5 2.8 4.3 

1952 7.8 0.6 3.1 4.0 

Mortality 1996 3.6 0.5 1.0 2.1 

1986 2.8 0.4 0.8 1.6 

1976 2.5 0.3 0.6 1.5 

1962 2.8 0.3 0.4 2.1 

1952 2.7 0.2 0.3 2.1 

11
Growing stock inventory, growth, removals,

and mortality on timber land by region and species 

group in the United States, 1953-1997 (continued)

Volume Region 

category Year U.S. North South West

Hardwoods Billion cubic feet

Inventory 1997 351.8 164.9 151.5 35.4 

1987 314.1 142.4 139.0 32.6 

1977 266.1 119.2 122.2 24.8 

1963 215.8 94.6 99.0 22.2 

1953 184.1 76.7 88.0 19.4 

Growth 1996 10.2 4.3 4.8 1.1 

1986 9.6 4.2 4.5 0.9 

1976 9.4 3.8 5.0 0.6 

1962 7.1 3.2 3.4 0.5 

1952 6.2 2.7 3.0 0.4 

Removals 1996 6.0 2.1 3.7 0.1 

1986 5.0 2.0 2.9 0.1 

1976 4.2 1.8 2.2 0.1 

1962 4.3 1.5 2.7 0.1 

1952 4.1 1.5 2.6 0.0 

Mortality 1996 2.7 1.2 1.2 0.3 

1986 1.9 0.9 0.8 0.2 

1976 1.6 0.8 0.6 0.2 

1962 1.6 0.6 0.8 0.1 

1952 1.2 0.5 0.6 0.1 

Growing Stock Volume

Average growing stock volume per acre on timber land

continues to rise across the United States. The rate of

increase has leveled off, partially due to recent increases

in mortality. 

12

Volume per acre on timber land

3,000

Cubic feet per acre2,500

2,000

1,500

1,000

500

0

North South West

1953 1963 1977 1987 1997
not harvested, these set 

from the timberland ba

trees is due to policy sh

curtailed harvesting of 

Growing stock v

class in 

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

 5-13 

Billion cubic feet

1953 1

Growing stock v

class in 

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

 5-13 

Billion cubic feet

1953 1
Tree Mortality 

Tree mortality relative to standing inventory has fluctuated over the years and is currently at the highest level in

50 years. However, while current rates are high, much of

the increase may be due to local effects. It is difficult to

discern if they are beyond the range of normal variability

from a national perspective.

14

Mortality as percent of inventory

1.0%

Percent of inventory0.8%

0.0% U.S.

1952 1962 1976 1986 1996

North

0.9%

South West

0.7%

0.6%

0.5%

0.4%

0.3%

0.2%

0.1%

Growing Stock Growth and Removals

Over the past 50 years, growth has generally exceeded

removals throughout the United States. While harvest

levels have leveled off in recent years, there has been a

decided shift from public land in the West to private land

in the East. In 1996, softwood removals in the South

exceeded growth for the first time since 1952, when

national inventory data first became available.
15

Softwood growing stock growth and removals

by region (billion cubic feet)

16.0

’52

14.0

12.0

10.0

8.0

6.0

4.0

2.0

0

’62 ’76 ’86 ’96

2.0

’52

1.5

1.0

0.5

0

’62 ’76 ’86 ’96

7.0

’52

6.0

5.0

4.0

3.0

2.0

1.0

0

’62 ’76 ’86 ’96

7.0

’52

6.0

5.0

4.0

3.0

2.0

1.0

0

’62 ’76 ’86 ’96

North South West U.S.

Growth Removal

Hardwood growing stock growth and removals

by region (billion cubic feet)

4.5

’52

0

’62 ’76 ’86 ’96

4.0

3.5

3.0

2.5

2.0

1.5

1.0

.5

6.0

’52

3.0

2.0

1.0

0

’62 ’76 ’86 ’96

5.0

4.0

1.2

’52

0.6

0.4

0.2

0

’62 ’76 ’86 ’96

1.0

0.8

12.0

’52

6.0

4.0

2.0

0

’62 ’76 ’86 ’96

10.0

8.0

North South West U.S.

Growth Removal

Timber removals in the United States by owner group

14.0

Billion cubic feet

Public

Private 12.0

10.0

8.0

6.0

4.0

2.0

0 1952 1962 1976 1986 1996

Year
16

According to recent FIA State Reports, harvesting in the

United States is approximately 62 percent selective felling

and 38 percent clearfelling.

Tree Planting

Forest planting in the United States currently averages

about 2.4 million acres per year. The most dominant

planting is pine species in the South. Spikes in planting

occurred in the South in the1950’s, due to the Soil Bank

Program, and in the 1980’s, as a result of the

Conservation Reserve Program, which saw planting of

nearly 3 million acres of nonforest land. Western planting

has subsided in recent years, mirroring reduced harvesting in that region.

North South West

Average annual harvest area by method of harvest

12.0

Million acres

0

10.0

8.0

6.0

4.0

2.0

Total

Partial Cut Clearcut

1952 1957 1962 1967 1972 1977 1982 1987 1992

Tree planting in the United States

3,000

West

Thousand acres

0

South

North

2,500

2,000

1,500

1,000

500
17

Timber Products

While most timber products harvested from U.S. forests have 

been increasing since 1976, the greatest gains have been in 

fiber for pulp and composite products. Much of this increase 

has been in hardwoods as new technologies improve 

utilization of these species.

Growing stock harvested for timber products 

in the United States, 1952-1996

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

1952 1962 1976 1986 1996

Billion cubic feet

Sawlogs

Veneer

Pulpwood*

Other products

 * Includes composite products

Urban Influence on U.S. Forests

Urban influences include –

1. 28 percent of the Nation's forests are located in counties 

with urban centers of greater than 20,000 persons.

2. Urban areas (cities, towns, or villages with at least 

2,500 people) occupy 3.5 percent of the total land area 

in the United States.

3. Urban areas have an average tree cover of 27.1 percent.

4. As landscapes become fragmented and more urbanized, 

more forests will be managed by urban residents and 

institutions
Conclusion

This brochure presents some trends and highlights

regarding the forest resource of the United States. The

supporting document for this brochure, “Forest Statistics

of the United States, 1997,” is available at

http://fia.fs.fed.us.

Terms

Forest land—Land that is at least 10 percent stocked by

forest trees of any size, including land that formerly had

tree cover and that will be naturally or artificially regenerated. The minimum area for classification of forest land is

1 acre. 

Growing stock volume—Live trees of commercial

species meeting specified standards of quality and vigor.

Cull trees are excluded. Includes only trees 5 inches in

diameter or larger at 4.5 feet above ground. 

Growth (Net Annual)—The net increase in the volume

of growing stock trees during a specified year.

Components include the increment in net volume of trees

at the beginning of the specific year that survive to the

end of the year, plus the net volume of trees reaching the

minimum size class during the year, minus the volume of

trees that died during the year, and minus the net volume

of trees that became cull trees during the year. 

Hardwood—A dicotyledonous tree, usually broad-leaved

and deciduous. 

Logging residues—The unused portions of growingstock trees cut or killed by logging and left in the woods. 

18

Forest land by region and urban influence, 1997

300.0

Million acres

250.0

200.0

150.0

100.0

50.0

0

East West U.S.

Forest land in counties with urban centers over 20,000 persons

Forest land in counties with urban centers of 2,500 to 20,000 persons

Forest land in counties with no urban center greater than 2,500 persons
Mortality—The volume of sound wood in growing stock

trees that died from natural causes during a specified

year.

National forest—An ownership class of Federal lands,

designated by Executive Order or statute as a national

forest or purchase unit, under the administration of the

Forest Service.

Other Federal—An ownership class of Federal lands

other than those administered by the Forest Service.

Primarily lands owned by the Bureau of Land

Management, National Park Service, U.S. Fish and

Wildlife Service, and the Departments of Energy and

Defense. 

Other forest land—Forest land other than timber land

and productive reserved forest land. It includes available

and reserved forest land, which is incapable of annually

producing 20 cubic feet per acre of industrial wood

under natural conditions because of adverse site conditions, such as sterile soils, dry climate, poor drainage,

high elevation, steepness, or rockiness. 

Other removals—Unutilized wood volume from cut or

otherwise killed growing stock, from cultural operations

such as precommercial thinnings, or from timber land

clearing. 

Removals—The net volume of growing stock trees

removed from the inventory during a specified year by

harvesting; cultural operations, such as timber stand

improvement; or land clearing.

Reserved forest land—Forest land withdrawn from timber utilization through statute, administrative regulation,

or designation. 

Roundwood products—Logs, bolts, and other round

timber generated from harvesting trees for industrial or

consumer use. 

Softwood—A coniferous tree, usually evergreen, having

needles or scale-like leaves. 

Timber land—Forest land that is capable of producing

crops of industrial wood and not withdrawn from timber

utilization by statute or administrative regulation. (Note:

Areas qualifying as timber land are capable of producing

in excess of 20 cubic feet per acre per year of industrial

wood in natural stands.) 

19
References

Birch, Thomas W., Lewis, D.G., and Kaiser, H. 1982. The private forest-land owners of the United States. Resource Bulletin.

WO-1. Washington, DC: USDA Forest Service. 64 p.

Brooks, Davis J. 1993. U.S. forest in a global context. Gen.

Tech. Rep. RM-228. Fort Collins, CO: USDA Forest Service,

Rocky Mountain Forest and Range Experiment Station. 24 p.

Dwyer, John F., et al. 2000. Assessing our Nation’s urban forests:

Connecting people with ecosystems in the 21st century. Draft

report to be published as a General Technical Report. Portland,

OR: USDA Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Experiment

Station.

Kellogg, R.S. 1909. The timber supply of the United States.

Forest Resource Circular No. 166. Washington, DC: USDA

Forest Service. 24p.

Smith, W. Brad; Vissage, John; Sheffield, Raymond; Darr, David.

2001. Forest Statistics of the United States, 1997. General

Technical Report in prep. St. Paul, MN: USDA Forest Service

North Central Forest Experiment Station.

U.S. Bureau of the Census. 1991. Statistical Abstract of the

United States (11th edition). Washington, DC: U.S. Department

of Commerce.

U.S. Congress. 1941. Forest Lands of the United States, Report

of the Joint Committee on Forestry (Clapp Report). 77th

Congress, 1st Session, Document No. 32, March 1941. 

USDA Forest Service. 1958. Timber resource for America's

future. Forest Resource Report No. 14. Washington, DC: USDA

Forest Service. 713p.

USDA Forest Service. 1965. Timber trends in the United States.

Forest Resource Report No. 17. Washington, DC: USDA Forest

Service. 235p.

USDA Forest Service. 1982. Analysis of the timber situation in

the United States, 1952-2030. Forest Resources Report No. 23.

Washington, DC: USDA Forest Service. 499 p.

Waddell, Karen L.; Oswald, Daniel D.; Powell, Douglas S. 1989.

Forest statistics of the United States, 1987. Resource Bulletin.

PNW-RB-168. Portland, OR: USDA Forest Service Pacific

Northwest Research Station. 106 p.

20
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and

activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, political beliefs,

sexual orientation, and marital or family status. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.)

Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-

2600 (voice and TDD).

To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, Room 326-W,

Whitten Building, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (202)

720-5964 (voice and TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

FOREST SERVICE

FS-696

MARCH 2001