**GAO-07-764**                      Published: Jun 27, 2007. Publicly Released: Jul 27, 2007.                  

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## Highlights

For years, GAO has raised concerns about the ability of the Department of Agriculture's Forest Service (Service) to track the amounts it obligates for and spends on timber sales and to use this information in managing the sales. Timber sales are generally carried out by ranger districts (the lowest level of the Service's decentralized organizational structure), which are overseen by national forest offices. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) within the Department of the Interior also conducts timber sales. This report examines the extent to which (1) the Forest Service tracks timber sales-related obligations and expenditures, including the extent to which the Service uses this information in making management decisions; (2) BLM tracks timber sales-related obligations and expenditures; and (3) both agencies track their timber sales-related revenue.

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## Topics

Natural Resources and Environment

Budget obligationsData collectionForest managementFunds managementLand managementManagement information systemsNational forestsRecordsSalesTimber sales