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

METRIC UNITS
Note on Terminology 

There are some general differences in terminology that

are important to note before using the information in this

report for international comparative purposes.

U.S. Term International Term Comparison

Forest = Forest = U.S. data includes

Timber land Available forest international other wooded

+ reserved + unavailable forest land as part of this category.

forest (reserved) (see Other forest land below)

+ other forest

Timber land Available forest land Same

Reserved Unavailable forest Same

forest land (reserved)

Other forest Other wooded land U.S. data includes this

land category as a subdivision of

forest land on the basis of

productivity of less than

1.4 m3/ha/yr (20cf/ac/yr).

Growing stock = Growing stock = U.S. data includes:

1) Volume in live sound

Volume of all Volume of all sound trees of good form larger

sound trees of live trees from 0.3 m than 12.7 cm (5 in) dbh to 

good form larger stump to tip of the a 10-cm (4-in) top 

than 12.7 cm central stem. diameter outside bark.

dbh from 0.3 m U.S. data does not include:

stump to top at 1) Volume of live sound

10 cm diameter trees of poor form (these

outside bark. cull trees account for

about 6% of the current

total live tree volume.)

2) Volume above 10-cm (4-in)

bole top to stem tip for all

live trees, or volume of live

trees less than 12.7 cm

(5 in) dbh.

The data presented in this brochure have been derived

through a “soft” conversion of the information presented

in the English unit version of the brochure (USDA, FS696). This method converts each table cell separately and

provides the most consistent comparsion between the

English and metric versions of reports. The reader is cautioned that although this method allows the value of a

given table cell to round to zero, the actual value of that

cell is still accounted for in the row and column totals.
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 423 million hectares or about 46

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

land had declined to an estimated 307 million hectares or

34 percent of the total land area. Forest area has been relatively stable since 1907. In 1997, 302 million hectares—

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 120 million hectares 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

180

West

Million hectares

160

140

120

100

80

60

40 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 hectares

Land 1997 916 167 216 532 

Of which:

Forest 1997 302 69 87 147 

1987 299 67 85 147 

1977 301 66 88 147 

1963 308 67 92 149 

1953 306 65 91 149 

1938 307 64 90 154 

1907 307 56 95 156 

1630 423 120 143 159 

Of which:

Timber land 1997 204 65 81 58 

1987 197 62 80 54 

1977 199 62 81 56 

1963 208 63 84 61 

1953 206 62 83 61 

Reserved 1997 21 3 2 16 

forest 1987 19 3 1 15 

1977 14 2 1 11 

1963 11 2 1 9 

1953 11 1 1 8 

Other 1997 77 1 4 72 

forest 1987 83 1 4 77 

1977 87 2 6 79 

1963 89 2 7 79 

1953 90 1 8 80 

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

20

West

Million hectares 15

10

5

0

North

1953 1963 1977 1987 1997

South

0 20 40 60 80

Forest land by region and land class, 1997

West

South

North

100

Million hectares

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

Owner class/ Region 

land class U.S. North South West

Million hectares

National forest 59 5 5 50

Timber land 39 4 4 31

Reserved forest 11 1 0 10

Other forest 9 0 0 9

Other public 69 12 5 51

Timber land 20 9 4 7

Reserved forest 9 3 1 6

Other forest 39 0 0 38

Forest industry 27 6 15 6

Timber land 27 6 15 6

Reserved forest 0 0 0 -

Other forest 0000

Other private 147 46 61 39

Timber land 118 45 58 14

Reserved forest 0000

Other forest 29 1 3 25

All owners 302 69 87 147

Timber land 204 65 81 58

Reserved forest 21 3 2 16

Other forest 77 1 4 73

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%

27.1 million

hectares

Private 82.6%

128.7 million

hectares
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 landowners.

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%

45.7 million

hectares

Public 68.9%

101.2 million

hectares

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 10

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

20 30 40 50 60

Million hectares

Oak-hickory

Timber land - 145.9 million hectares total

Reserved - 4.7 million hectares total

Other - 5.0 million hectares 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 10

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

20 30 40

Million hectares

Other softwoods

Timber land - 58.0 million hectares total

Reserved - 16.3 million hectares total

Other - 72.5 million hectares total

Total area of planted and natural forest in the

Eastern United States, 1997

Planted 10.4%

16.2 million

hectares

Natural 89.6%

139.2 million

hectares
Stand Age and Average Annual Harvest Area

After intensive logging in the late 19th century and early

to mid 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%

5.5 million

hectares

Natural 96.4%

141.2 million

hectares

Timber land by region and stand age class, 1997

50

Million hectares

West

40

30

20

10

North

South

10

0

30 50 70 90 125 175 200

and Median age older

Graphic does not include 9 million hectares 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 Million cubic meters

Inventory 1997 23,650 6,063 7,255 10,331 

1987 22,121 5,378 6,923 9,819 

1977 20,745 4,613 6,321 9,811

1963 18,836 3,631 4,926 10,280 

1953 17,430 2,936 4,202 10,292 

Growth 1996 666 153 303 210 

1986 641 156 283 202 

1976 621 151 320 149 

1962 473 125 229 119 

1952 394 105 189 99 

Removals 1996 453 78 288 87 

1986 452 77 232 143 

1976 402 71 189 142 

1962 338 59 156 123 

1952 336 60 161 115 

Mortality 1996 179 46 63 70 

1986 131 35 47 49 

1976 116 33 36 47 

1962 123 27 33 63 

1952 111 20 28 63 

Softwoods

Inventory 1997 13,693 1,397 2,967 9,329 

1987 13,232 1,348 2,989 8,896 

1977 13,215 1,241 2,864 9,110 

1963 12,728 953 2,125 9,651 

1953 12,220 766 1,711 9,743 

Growth 1996 379 33 167 179 

1986 368 36 156 176 

1976 354 44 179 131 

1962 272 34 133 105 

1952 219 28 103 88 

Removals 1996 285 19 183 83 

1986 310 21 150 139 

1976 283 20 126 138 

1962 216 15 80 121 

1952 220 18 88 114 

Mortality 1996 103 13 29 60 

1986 79 10 24 45 

1976 70 9 18 43 

1962 78 8 11 59 

1952 75 6 9 60 

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 Million cubic meters

Inventory 1997 9,956 4,666 4,288 1,003 

1987 8,888 4,030 3,934 924 

1977 7,531 3,372 3,457 701 

1963 6,108 2,678 2,801 629 

1953 5,210 2,170 2,491 549 

Growth 1996 287 120 136 31 

1986 272 120 127 26 

1976 267 107 142 18 

1962 201 91 96 14 

1952 175 78 86 11 

Removals 1996 169 60 105 4 

1986 142 56 82 4 

1976 119 51 63 4 

1962 123 44 77 2 

1952 116 42 73 1 

Mortality 1996 76 33 34 9 

1986 53 25 24 4 

1976 46 23 18 4 

1962 44 18 22 4 

1952 35 13 18 4 

Growing Stock Volume

Average growing stock volume per hectare 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 hectare on timber land

80

Cubic meters per hectare

60

40

20

0

North South West

1953 1963 1977 1987 1997
The average volume, and thus number of trees, on timber

land in the United States continues to increase in most

diameter classes. A slight decline in the 12.7- to 33-centimeter class in the East is expected to stabilize as trees

planted on millions of Conservation Reserve Program

hectares in the South reach this size. The decline in the

73+ centimeter class on timber land in the West is, in

part, due to setting aside timber land into legal reserves

in the 1970’s. Although they are not harvested, these setasides “remove” the trees from the timber land base.

Recent increases in larger trees are due to policy shifts in

the West that have curtailed harvesting of stands with

larger trees.

13

Growing stock volume on timber land by diameter

class in the Eastern United States

8

Billion cubic meters

6

4

0

13-33

1953 1963 1977 1987 1997

34-53 54-72 73+

Dbh class in centimeters

2

1

3

5

7

Growing stock volume on timber land by diameter

class in the Western United States

8

Billion cubic meters

6

4

2

0

13-33

1953 1963 1977 1987 1997

34-53 54-72 73+

Dbh class in centimeters

7

5

3

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 removal

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 data

were first reported.
15

Softwood growing stock growth and removals

by region (million cubic meters)

400

’52

350

300

250

200

150

100

50

0 ’52 ’62 ’76 ’86 ’96 0 ’62 ’76 ’86 ’96

200

’52

175

150

100

75

50

25

0 ’62 ’76 ’86 ’96 ’52 0 ’62 ’76 ’86 ’96

North South West U.S.

Growth Removal

125

200

175

150

100

75

50

25

125

200

175

150

100

75

50

25

0

125

Hardwood growing stock growth and removals

by region (million cubic meters)

’52 0 ’62 ’76 ’86 ’96

150

’52

75

50

25

0 ’62 ’76 ’86 ’96

125

100

’52 0 ’62 ’76 ’86 ’96

300

’52

150

100

50

0 ’62 ’76 ’86 ’96

250

200

North South West U.S.

Growth Removal

150

75

50

25

125

100

150

75

50

25

125

100

Timber removals in the United States by owner group

400

Million cubic meters

Public

Private 300

250

200

150

100

50

0

1952 1962 1976 1986 1996

Year

350
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 1 million hectares 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 1.2 million hectares 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

5.0

Million hectares

0

4.0

3.0

2.0

1.0

Total

Partial Cut Clearcut

1952 1957 1962 1967 1972 1977 1982 1987 1992

Tree planting in the United States

1,250

West

Thousand hectares

0

South

North

1,000

750

500

250
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.

Urban Influence on U.S. Forests

Urban influences include—

1.Twenty-eight 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.

17

Growing stock harvested for timber products

in the United States, 1952-1996

400

Million cubic meters

Sawlogs

0

1952 1962 1976 1986 1996

350

300

250

200

150

100

50

Veneer logs

Pulpwood*

Other products

*Includes composite products
Further Information

This brochure presents only some of the information

available for the forest resource situation in the United

States. For more information go to http://fia.fs.fed.us. and

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

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

0.5 hectare. 

Growing stock volume—Live trees of commercial

species meeting specified standards of quality and vigor.

Cull trees are excluded. Includes only trees 12.7 centimeters in diameter or larger at 1.37 meters 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

120

Million hectares

100

80

60

40

20

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 1.4 cubic meters per hectare 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 1.4 cubic meters per hectare 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, David 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.

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.

USDA Forest Service. 2001. U.S. Forest Facts and Historical

Trends. FS-696. Washington, DC: USDA Forest Service. 18 p.

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. 

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
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U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

FOREST SERVICE

FS-696-M

SEPTEMBER 2001