# U .S. Forest Resource Facts and Historical Trends

**h t**  **t p**  **: /**  **/ fi**  **a .**  **f s**  **. f**  **e d** 

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## Authors

W. Brad Smith Assoc. National Program Mgr. Forest Inventory and Analysis USDA Forest Service National Offi ce Arlington, VA

David Darr Staff Assistant Resource Valuation and Use USDA Forest Service National Offi ce Arlington, VA



## Acknowledgments

The authors gratefully acknowledge the following people for their review of and contributions to this brochure:

Susan Alexander Jerry Beatty Brett Butler Ken Cordell Paul Dunn Curt Flather Andy Gillespie Bill Lange Linda Langner Alan Lucier Pat Miles Nadine Pollock Ken Skog Jim Strittholt Borys Tkacz Jo hn Vissage

## Introduction

The 2005 update of the 2000 RPA Assessment is being prepared i n response to the mandate in the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act of 1974, P.L. 93-378, 88Stat. 475, as amended (RPA). The update 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, wilderness, timber, fi sh and wildlife, water, range, and minerals. This brochure reports selected highlights of the fi ndings of the update. Much of the data for this brochure is reported regionally as North, South, and West.



## Need More Depth?

The National Report on Sustainable Forests – 2003 provides the most comprehensive account of available data on the current condition of the Nation’s forest resources. The report is based on 67 indicators for the conservation and sustainable management of forests. The indicators were endorsed by the United States and 11 other countries that house 90 percent of the world’s temperate and boreal forests and 60 percent of all forests. This report may be found on the Web at http://www.fs.fed.us/research/sustain /

.

U.S. Forest Resource Facts and Historical Trends 1 

### Major reporting regions of the United States for this brochure.

**W**

**e s**  **t**

**S o**  **u t**  **h N**  **o r**  **t h** 

## Forest Inventory Data

Various attributes of the forest resource are inventoried by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) Program and reported in the RPA Assessment and various supporting documents. FIA has been conducting fi eld inventories for more than 70 years using state-of-the art technology to provide estimates of the status, condition, and trends of the Nation’s forests. These estimates are critical to the development and implementation of policies and practices that support sustainable forestry in the United States. Eight national reports based on FIA data have been produced since 1953.

Extensive fi eld measurement from FIA inventories includes over 4.5 million remote sensing plots interpreted for land use, over 125,000 permanent fi eld plots systematically locatedacross all forest lands in the United States, over 100 characteristics measured at each plot location, and over 1.5 million trees measured to evaluate volume, condition, and vigor.



## Other Data

Data for forest ownership and products is from periodic FIAforest ownership and forest products studies. Data for wildlife, recreation, health, timber trade, and non wood productswas derived from USDA Forest Service scientists’ contributions to the National Report on Sustainable Forests – 2003

. Web sources for this and other related data are found at the end of this brochure.



## The United States in a Global Context

Global forestry issues are of considerable signifi cance to the United States, which has 5 percent of the world population and consumes 27 percent of the world’s industrial wood products. Although domestic timber inventory is only 8 percent of the world total, 76 percent of U.S. consumption of industrial wood comes from domestic supplies. Other competing demands for forest uses are also of interest, such as areas protected for biodiversity and relative contributions of U.S. forests to carbon pools.

2

## Land and Forest Area

It is estimated that in 1630 the area of forest land in the United States was just over 1 billion 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 2002, forest land comprised 749 million acres, or 33 percent of the total land area of the United States. Since 1630, there has been a net loss of297 million acres of forest land, predominantly due to agricultural conversions. Nearly two-thirds of the net conversion to other uses occurred in the last half of the 19th century when an average of 13 square miles of forest was cleared every day for 50 years.

U.S. Forest Resource Facts and Historical Trends 3 

### United States as a percent of world totals for selected measures

**Timber used for industrial products 27**  **% Timber inventory**  **8 %**  **Woody biomass 6**  **%**

**Protected forest** ***** **9 %** 

**Forest land 8**  **%**

**Land area 7**  **% Population**  **5 %** 

* Based on data from the Conservation Biology Institute. **0 5**  **1 0**  **1 5**  **2 0**  **25 3**  **0 P**  **ercent**



### Forest land trends in the United States, 1850-2002

**450**

**400**

**350**

**300**

**250**

**200**

**1 50** 

**1 00**  **1 850**  **1 870**  **1 890**  **1 907**  **1 938**  **1 963**  **1 987**  **2002 Million acres**  

### West

**South**

**North**

### Stable forest area, however, does not mean that there has been no change in the character of the forest. There have been shifts from agriculture to forests and vice versa. Some forestland has been converted to more intensive uses, such as urban. Even where land has remained in forest use, there havebeen changes as forests respond to human manipulation, aging, and other natural processes. The effects of these changes are refl ected in the information presented in this brochure.

4 1 In addition to 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 represent forest area for 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).

2 Does not include some protected areas. Wildlife management areas in IUCN Category IV and VI are most frequently not identifi ed as “reserved” in FIA statistics and total approximately 29 million acres. Currently these lands are reported in timber land and other forest land in FIA reports. New inventories will provide more accurate data to place these lands in their proper IUCN classifi cation. 

### Land and forest area trends in the United States **1**



### Region 

### Category Year U.S. North South **West** Million acres

**Land** 2002 2,263 413 535 1,315

Of which: Of which:

**Forest** 2002 749 170 215 364 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: Of which:

**Timber land** 2002 504 159 203 142 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** 2002 77 8 5 64 **forest 2**  1997 52 8 4 40 1987 48 8 3 37 1977 35 6 2 27 1963 27 4 1 22 1953 26 4 1 21

**Other** 2002 168 3 7 158 **forest** 1997 191 3 9 179 1987 205 3 11 191 1977 216 5 15 196 1963 220 5 18 196 1953 221 3 20 198

## Reserved Forest (FIA classifi cation)

Reserved forest land has tripled since 1953 and now stands at 10 percent of all forest land in the United States. Thisreserved forest area includes State and Federal parks and wilderness areas but does not include conservation easements, areas protected by nongovernmental organizations, many wildlife management areas, and most urban and community parks and reserves. Signifi cant additions to Federal forest reserves occurred after the passage of the Wilderness Act in 1964. See the discussion of protected forest by IUCN [The World Conservation Union (formerly International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources)] categories in this brochure for more information.



## Timber Land and Other Forest Land

Timber land is fairly evenly distributed among the three major regions of the United States. Other forest land — suchas slow-growing forests of spruce in interior Alaska and pinyon-juniper in the interior West — dominates many western landscapes and comprises more than one-fourth of all U.S. forest land. Reserved forest is most common in the West, comprising 11 percent of all forests in that region, while only 3 percent of eastern forests are in legally set-aside reserves such as parks and wilderness.

U.S. Forest Resource Facts and Historical Trends 5 

### Trends in reserved forest land by region, **1 953-2002** 

**1 00**  **80 6**  **0 40**  **20 Million acres** 

**1 9**  **5 3**  **1 96**  **3 1**  **97 7**  **1 98**  **7 1**  **99 7**  **200 2**  **South North West** 

1 1 2 3 4 5

4 2 1 4 2 2 6 2 7 8 3 7
8 40

8 64



### Forest land by class and region, 2002

**Million acres 1**  **00 2**  **00 3**  **00 4**  **00** 

### West **South**
**North** Timber land Reserved forest Other forest

## Protected Land and Forest **(IUCN Classifi cation)**

The World Conservation Union (http://www.iucn.org), founded in 1948, brings together 78 States, 112 government agencies, 735 nongovernmental organizations, 35 affi liates, and some 10,000 scientists and experts from 181 countries and is the world’s oldest and largest global conservation body. Its mission is to infl uence, encourage, and assist societies throughout the world to conserve the integrity and diversity of nature and to ensure that any use of natural resources is equitable and ecologically sustainable.

The Conservation Biology Institute (http://www.cbi.org) has compiled a spatial database of protected areas in the United States, placing total protected land at 154 million acres and protected forest at 106 million acres. This compares with the 77 million acres of forest that FIA data lists as “reserved.” Wildlife management areas in IUCN Category IV and VI are most frequently not identifi ed as “reserved” in FIA statistics and total approximately 29 million acres. Currently, these lands are reported in timber land or other forest land in FIA reports. New inventories will provide more accurate data to place these lands in their proper IUCN classifi cation.

While the IUCN system is more robust than the FIA “reserved” classifi cation, one additional diffi culty with IUCN is that each block of land is listed within one category. Thus, an area of land that contains a scenic river within a wilderness area in a national park could fall into categories I, II, and V. Future accounting will likely establish a clear hierarchy based on themost dominant management regime for the land (i.e., wilderness management objectives would likely have both legal and practical precedence over general park land management).



## Forest Ownership

Forest ownership patterns in the United States are quite diverse, with public forests dominant in the West and private forests dominant in the East. Private industrial forest ownership is concentrated in the South, Pacifi c Northwest, upper Lake States, and northern New England.

6Alaska (not pictured) has 127 million acres of forest that is 72 percent public ownersh ip and Alaska (not pictured) has 127 million acres of forest that is 72 percent public ownersh Hawaii (not pictured) has 1.7 million acres of forest that is 34 percent public ownership.


### Forest land by owner class in the United States, 2002

Public Forests Public forests are predominantly owned by the Federal Government in the West and State and county governments in the East. Seventy-six percent of all public forest acres are in the West. Most protected forests are in public ownership, while most production forests are in private ownership.

U.S. Forest Resource Facts and Historical Trends 7 Public Private



### Forest ownership in the Western United States

**Public 6**  **9 %**  

### Private **31 %**  

## Pattern of Forest Ownership in the United States

**Owner class/ Region**  **land class U.S. North South West** 
Million acres **National forest** 148 12 12 123 Timber land 97 10 11 76 Reserved forest 29 1 1 26 Other forest 23 0 0 23 **Other public** 170 30 13 127 Timber land 23 10 18 51 23 10 18 **Other public**
Reserved forest 47 6 3 38 Other forest 72 1 0 71 **Forest industry** 66 15 37 16 Timber land 15 36 15 66 15 36 15 **Forest industry**
Reserved forest - - - - Other forest 1 0 - 1 **Other private** 363 114 152 97 Timber land 291 112 146 34 291 112 146 34 **Other private**
Reserved forest 1 0 0 0 Other forest 72 2 7 63 **All owners** 749 171 214 363 Timber land 504 159 203 142 Reserved forest 77 8 4 65 Other forest 168 3 7 158

### Private Forests Fifty-seven percent of forest land is in private ownership.Forty-four percent is owned by 9.6 million private forest landowners (excluding private corporations), representing a diverse group of people with many reasons for owning their forest land. Most of this forest is owned as part of a family legacy, for the aesthetics that forests provide, and/or for the income that can be generated from the sale of the land or forest products. The remaining 13 percent of U.S. forests in private ownership are held predominantly by partnerships and corporations.

Management and Harvest There has been a decided shift in timber removals in recent years from public lands in the West to private lands in the East. As the emphasis on timber production shifts from public to private lands, there is an increasing need to have information on the management objectives and behaviors of the private forest land owners. This information is critical to policies promoting sustainable forestry in the United States.Recent studies show that only 6 percent of families and individuals that own forest land in the United States have a written management plan. However, these plans cover 16 percent of the forest owned by this group of owners.

8 

### Management of private forest land in the United States

I ndividual and family forest land with a written management plan

**0 5**  **1 0**  **1 5**  **2 0**  I ndividual and family forest land owners with a written management plan 

### 6 **%**



### 1 **6 %** 

**P ercent**  

### Forest ownership in the Eastern United States

**Public 1**  **7 %** 



### Private **83 %** 

### Nonindustrial private forests, those held by individuals and families, provided 60 percent of the Nation’s timber harvest in 2001. A recent survey indicated that two out of three private owners have harvested trees from their land. Many of these harvests, however, are haphazard and are the consequence of a family’s fi nancial needs or trees perceived as being “mature.” Fifty percent of landowners hold fewer than 10 acres of forest land and collectively control 7 percent of the family forest land base. The majority of private forest land is held by owners with 100 acres or more of forest land.

Parcelization The area of forest land in smaller landholdings is increasing,resulting in forest parcelization. Changes in the characteristics of family forests, including forest parcelization, often occur when land is either sold or inherited.

Currently, 19 percent of the family forest land is owned by people who are 75 years or older, and an additional 26 percent is owned by people between the ages of 65 and 75. This relatively advanced age portends the transfer of a substantial amount of forest land in the near future.

Industrial Forests Forest land owned by corporations with wood processing facilities has traditionally been a major source of timber production in the United States. In 2002, the forest industry owned 66 million acres or 13 percent of the Nation’s 504 million acres of timber land but supplied 29 percent of wood production.

U.S. Forest Resource Facts and Historical Trends 9 

### Trends in private forest area by size of landholding **in the coterminous United States Million acres**  **20 0** 

**1 5**  **0**

**1 00** 

**50**

**0 1**  **-49 5**  **0-499 5**  **0 0**  **+ Parcel size (acres)**  **1 9**  **78 1**  **993 2002** 

### In recent years, however, changes in corporate strategies have clouded the traditional way of viewing industrial forests. Many forest industry companies have divested some or all of their forest land holdings in the last 20 years. Some of these lands have been acquired by timber investment organizations and others have been purchased by family and individual ownerships.



## Forest Age and Composition

Following intensive logging and regeneration in the late 19th century and again in the mid 20th century, 55 percent of the Nation’s timber land is less than 50 years old. Six percent is more than 175 years old.

The forests of the United States are very diverse in their composition and distribution–from the oak-hickory andmaple-beech-birch forests that dominate the northern portions of the East to the expansive pine forests of the southern regions of the East to the majestic Douglas-fi r and ponderosa pine forests of the West. In the last 25 years, as the Nation’s forests age, there has been a shift away from early seral types like aspen and spruce-fi r to mid and late seral types like oak-hickory and maple-beech-birch in the East. In the West, decades of fi re suppression are reducing areas of ponderosa and lodgepole pine.

1 0 

### Timber land in the United States by stand age and region, 2002

**1 2**  **0**

**10 0** 

**8 0** 

**6 0** 

**4 0** 

**2 0** 

**0 Million acres** 

**Stand age (years)**

**1 0 30 50**  **70 90 1**  **25 1**  **75 200 and older**  North South West

### U.S. Forest Resource Facts and Historical Trends 11 

### Forest type **White-red-jack pine 1**  **2.5 1**  **2.8 Spruce-fi r**  **21.1 1**  **7.1 Longleaf-slash pine**  **1 7.1**  **15.8 Loblolly-shortleaf pine**  **50.3 51.8**  **Oak-pine 35.1**  **33.7 Oak-hickory, North**  **50.2 51.9**  **Oak-hickory, South 73.8**  **80.3 Oak-gum-cypress**  **29.2 30.4** 
**Elm-ash-cottonwood 22.1**  **1 3.6**  **Maple-beech-birch 38.7**  **54.9 Aspen-birch**  **20.3 1**  **7.8 20**  **0 2**  **1 9**  **77**

**0 3**  **0 6**  **0 9**  **0 Million acres**  

### Forest type trends in the East, 1977 and 2002

**Forest type trends in the West, 1**  **977 and 2002**

**Forest type Douglas-fi r**  **38.4 39.6**  **Ponderosa pine 33.4**  **31.5 Fir-spruce**  **29.9 27.1**  **Hemlock-Sitka spruce 6.8**  **8.9 Lodgepole pine**  **2 1.1**  **18.4 Pinyon-juniper**  **47.4 5**  **1.7 Hardwoods/Chaparral**  **35.8 40.5**  **Other types 23.0**  **20.0 20**  **0 2**  **1 9**  **77**

**0 3**  **0 6**  **0 9**  **0 Million acres** 

### 1 2 

### Forest Origin Forests in the United States 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. In the West, planting is generally used to augment natural regeneration.

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 the 1950s as result of the Soil Bank Program and in the 1980s as a result of the Conservation Reserve Program, which saw planting of nearly 3 million acres of non forest land in the South. Western planting has subsided in recent years mirroring reduced harvesting in that region. **Origin of forest stands in the United States**

**0 P**  **ercent 20**  **4 0**  **6 0**  **8 0**  **1 0**  **0 West** 

**East 96**  **% 4**  **%**

**89 %**  **1 1**  **% Natural Planted** 

**3.0 2.5**  **2. 0**  **1. 5**  **1.0 0.5** 

**0 1**  **9 52**  **1 9**  **56 1**  **9 60**  **1 9**  **64 1**  **9 68**  **1 9**  **72 1**  **9 76**  **1 9**  **80 1**  **9 8**  **4 1**  **9 8**  **8 1**  **9 92**  **1 9**  **96 M** **illion acres** 

**West North**  **South** 

### Forest planting in the United States, **F o**  **r e**  **s t**  **p l**  **a n**  **t i**  **n g**  **i n**  **t h**  **e U**  **n i**  **t e**  **d S**  **t a**  **t e**  **s ,**  **1 952-**  **1 998** 

### U.S. Forest Resource Facts and Historical Trends 1 3 **Volume Region**  **category Year U.S. North South West All species**  Billion cubic feet
**Inventory** 2002 856.1 217.6 268.0 370.5 2 0 0 2 8 5 6

. 1 2 1 7

. 6 2 6 8

. 0 3 7 0

. 5 **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** 2001 23.7 5.4 11.5 6.7 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** 2001 16.0 2.9 10.1 3.0 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** 2001 6.3 1.7 2.1 2.5 2 0 0 1 6

. 3 1

. 7 2

. 1 2

. 5 **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 Softwoods** 
**Inventory** 2002 491.8 49.9 108.0 333.9 2 0 0 2 4 9 1

. 8 4 9

. 9 1 0 8

. 0 3 3 3

. 9 **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** 2001 13.7 1.2 6.5 6.0 1996 13.4 1.2 5.9 6.0 1986 13.0 1.3 5.5 6.3 1976 12.5 1.6 6.3 6.2 1962 9.6 1.2 4.7 4.6 1952 7.7 1.0 3.6 3.7
**Removals** 2001 10.1 0.7 6.5 2.9 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** 2001 3.6 0.5 0.9 2.2 2 0 0 1 3

. 6 0

. 5 0

. 9 2

. 2 **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 

### Growing stock inventory, growth, removals, and mortality on timber

**land by region and species group in the United States,**  **1 952-2002** 

### Growing Stock Volume Average growing stock volume per acre continues to rise across the United States, with the largest gains in the North and South where volumes per acre are nearly double what they were in 1953.

1 4 **1 953**  **1 977**  **2002 3**  **,000 2**  **,500 2**  **,000 1,500**  **1,000**

**500**

**0 Cubic feet per acre** 

**North South**  **West U.S.** 



### Volume per acre on timber land **Volume Region**  **category Year U.S. North South West**

**Hardwoods** Billion cubic feet
**Inventory** 2002 364.3 167.8 159.9 36.6 2 0 0 2 3 6 4

. 3 1 6 7

. 8 1 5 9

. 9 3 6

. 6 **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** 2001 10.0 4.2 5.1 0.7 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** 2001 5.9 2.2 3.6 0.1 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** 2001 2.7 1.2 1.2 0.3 2 0 0 1 2

. 7 1

. 2 1

. 2 0

. 3 **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 inventory, growth, removals, and mortality on timber

**land by region and species group in the United States,**  **1 952-2002**  (continued)

### Net Growth, Removals, and Mortality Rates for Growing Stock Over the past 50 years, net growth has consistently exceeded removals in the United States. Removals remain at about 2percent of inventory, while net growth is near 3 percent. Currently, the volume of annual net growth is 32 percent higherthan the volume of annual removals. Mortality rates have remained well below 1 percent of inventory for at least 50 years.



## Timber Product Consumption and Sources

Solidwood and paper products consumed in the United States require roundwood harvest in the United States and other countries plus recycled paper and solidwood products. Domestic roundwood harvest increased from 1950 through the mid 1980s and has remained steady to declining since then.

U.S. Forest Resource Facts and Historical Trends 1 5 **Growth Removals Mortality 3.**  **5 3.0**  **2.5 2.**  **0 1** 

**. 5**  **1. 0**  **0.5 0.0** **Percent of inventory**

**1 95**  **2 1**  **96 2**  **1 97**  **6 1**  **98 6**  **1 99**  **6 200**  **1** 

### Net growth, removals, and mortality of growing stock **as a percent of inventory**

**Total and per capita roundwood consumption**

**25 2**  **0**
**1 5** 
**1 0** 
**5 0**  **1 950**  **1 96**  **0 1**  **970 1**  **98 0**  **1 99**  **0 2000** **Billion cubic feet** 

**Harvest for domestic use Imports**  **Exports C** **ubic feet per capita 1**  **1 0**  **9 0**  **7 0**  **5 0**  **3 0**  **1 0** 

**- 1**  **0 P**  **er Capita e**  **r C**  **a p**  **i t**  **a Consumption**  **er Capita C**  **o n**  **s u**  **m p**  **t i**  **o n**  **er Capita**

### Total domestic roundwood harvest has been stable to declining due to increasing imports and an increase in use of recycled paper. With these increases, total consumption of solidwood and paper products has also increased steadily since 1950.

Drivers of Timber Demand Demands for the products and services of forests are driven largely by population and disposable income. Per capita disposable income (constant $1996) more than doubled between 1960 and 2000. Total U.S. population increased by 56 percent during this time.

1 6 

### Per capita disposable income and population

**$ 30**  **25 2**  **0 1**  **5 1**  **0 5**  **0 1**  **96 0**  **1 965**  **1 9**  **7 0**  **1 975**  **1 98**  **0 1**  **9 85**  **1 9**  **9 0**  **1 9**  **9 5**  **2 000** **Disposable income in thousand dollars P**  **opulation in millions 300** 

**250**

**200**

**1 50**  **Population Income**  

### Solidwood and paper products consumption and material

**sources with regions of roundwood harvest** 

**4 00**  **3 5**  **0 30**  **0 2**  **5 0**  **2 0**  **0**
**1 5**  **0**
**1 0**  **0**
**5 0**  **0 1**  **977 1**  **9 82**  **1 987**  **1 9**  **92 1**  **99 7**  **2000 Million dry tons**  **South**

**North West**  **R ecycled Fiber**  **Imports Non-wood**  **materials**

### Imports and Exports Especially in the 1990s, imports accounted for an increasing share of the Nation’s timber supply—reaching 27 percent in 2002. While most of the imports originated in Canada, there were increased shipments from Chile, New Zealand, Finland, and other countries during this time. Exports as a percent ofproduction peaked at 16 percent in 1991 and generally declined after that point, refl ecting a strong dollar and decreased demands in key markets such as Japan. Because of their effects on U.S. harvest, both imports and exports affect the condition of the domestic forest resource.

Shifting Timber Sources Recent changes in public land policy have had signifi cant impacts on private forests. As harvesting declined on public lands in the West, harvesting increased on private lands in theEast, particularly in the South. Overall, domestic harvesting has remained steady to declining for the past decade and increased demand has been supported by increased imports and paper recycling.

U.S. Forest Resource Facts and Historical Trends 1 7



### Growing stock removals in the United States by owner group

**2 0** 
**1 5** 
**1 0** 
**5 0**  **1952 1962 1976**  **1986 1996**  **2001 Billio** **n cubic feet Private** 

**Public** 

### Imports as a percent of consumption and exports as a **percent of industrial wood production**

**Imports**

**Exports 30**  **25 2**  **0 1**  **5 1**  **0 5**  **0 1**  **965 1**  **9 7**  **0 1**  **975 1**  **98 0**  **1 9**  **85 1**  **9 9**  **0 1**  **9 9**  **5 2**  **000 Percent** 

### Harvest Methods and Effi ciency Selective harvesting is prevalent on 62 percent of harvested acres in the United States annually. Clearcutting, used on the remaining 38 percent of harvested forest, is most prevalent in areas of managed plantations in the South and areas in the North where pioneer species such as aspen, jack pine, and spruce-fi r–which need open sunlight to regenerate–are being managed for timber production. In the West, clear cutting is generally followed by planting to augment natural regeneration.

Logging residues are the portions of harvested trees that are not utilized and left in the woods after harvest operations. The proportion of this material left in the woods declined from 18 percent of harvested material in 1952 to 10 percent in 2001.
During this same period, the volume of lower quality, nongrowing stock trees, previously left behind, being harvested and utilized for products increased. These two improvements in utilization together increased the average volume removed from logging sites for products by more than 30 percent, thus reducing the total harvest acres needed to produce the same amount of products.

1 8 **Partial Cut Clearcut 10**  **8**
**6**
**4 2**  **0 North**  **South West U.S. Million acres**  

### Average annual harvest area by method

**1**

**. 7**  **0.5 3** 

**. 3**  **2**

**. 7**  **1**

**. 1**  **0**

**. 6**  **6**

**. 1** 
**3**

**. 7** 

**2 5**  **2 0** 
**1 5** 
**1 0** 
**5 0**  **North South West U.S.** **P ercent**  **1 952**  **20 0**  **1** 

### Logging residues as a percent of harvest

**2 1**  **%**

**13 %**  **2 1**  **%**

**1 0**  **% 1**  **2 %**  **7 %**  **1 8**  **%**

**1 0**  **%**

## Forest Health

Mortality rates relative to inventory, although currently at thehighest level in 50 years, remain less than 1 percent of inventory. However, much of the recent increase may be attributed to a confl uence of local cyclic effects of forest stressors. It is diffi cult to discern if current rates are beyond the range of normal variability from a regional or national perspective.

General Health Risk Areas potentially at risk of 25 percent or higher mortality due to insects and disease over the next 15 years are depicted in the following graphic.

U.S. Forest Resource Facts and Historical Trends 1 9 Signifi cant risk to insects and disease mortality Low risk to insects and disease mortality **1 9**  **5 2**  **1 962**  **1 9**  **7 6**  **6 1**  **986 20 0**  **1 Percent of inventory**  **0. 9**  **0. 8**  **0. 7**  **0. 6**  **0. 5**  **0. 4**  **0. 3**  **0. 2**  **0.1**

**0 North**  **South West U.S.** 

### Mortality as a percent of inventory

### Major Forest Insects Aerial detection surveys provideinformation on the extent of damage caused by major forest pests. Some of these pests include–

Southern pine beetle. Activity wasat historically high levels throughout the last 20 years, refl ecting the widespread availability of its preferred host, loblolly pine.

Mountain pine beetle. Activity gradually declined throughout the period. Massive killing of host trees, especially lodgepole pine, greatly depleted the availability of suitable host trees.

Spruce budworm. Activity has been declining the past 20 years, with outbreaks restricted to the Lake States. Spruce budworm outbreaksare cyclic, with epidemics occurring at 30- to 50-year intervals as a new forest grows up from the old one killed by the budworm.

Western spruce budworm. Defoliation peaked from 1983 to 1992. Many trees weakened by budworm defoliation were subsequently killed by bark beetle attacks.

Gypsy moth. Gypsy moths defoliated almost 13 million acres of hardwoods in 1980. Defoliationhas averaged 2.8 million acres annually the past 20 years. Activity reached unprecedented levels as it spread south and west into better habitat; the great reduction in recent years appears to refl ect the effect of Entomophaga maimaiga (a fungal pathogen of the Gypsy moth).

2 0 **Southern Pine Beetle** 

30
24 18
12
6 0**Million acres**

1 979 1 9 86 1 9 93 2000

**Western Spruce Budworm**

30
24 18
12
6 0**Million acres**

1 979 1 9 86 1 9 93 2000 **Mountain Pine Beetle**

30
24 18
12
6 0**Million acres**

1 979 1 9 86 1 9 93 2000

**Gypsy Moth**

30
24 18
12
6 0**Million acres**

1 979 1 9 86 1 9 93 2000 **Spruce Budworm**

30
24 18
12
6 0**Million acres**

1 979 1 9 86 1 9 93 2000

### Major Forest Diseases Dozens of diseases affect U.S. forests each year. The following is a list of the ten most commonly found tree diseases in the United States:

**Disease Primary species affected**  Beech bark disease beech Dutch elm disease American elm Dogwood anthracnose dogwood Dwarf mistletoes conifers Fusiform rust southern pines Oak wilt eastern oaks Port-Orford cedar root dis. Port-Orford cedar Root rots many conifers and hardwoods Sudden oak death California oaks, tanoak White pine blister rust 5-needle pines



### Air Pollution Ozone has been shown to alter forest ecosystems in areas of high deposition. At high ozone levels, sensitive trees show ozone-related injury; while lower ozone levels have been shown to reduce photosynthesis of trees — affecting tree health. The ozone bioindicator uses a biosite index based on the number of species evaluated, the number of plants of each species evaluated, the proportion of injured leaves on eachplant, and the average severity of injury of each plant. Ozoneinduced foliar injury to bioindicator plants occurred more frequently in the Eastern United States from 1997 through 2001.

Oak-hickory forests in the southern Midwest showed the highest risk (ozone biosite index of 25 or greater), indicating visible injury leading to changes in structure and function of the ecosystem. Forests of the mid-Atlantic coastal plain and northern Allegheny plateau showed moderate risk (biositeindex of 15.0 to < 25.0), indicating visible injury to moderately sensitive species. These forests are in areas determined

U.S. Forest Resource Facts and Historical Trends 21

### to have sensitive tree species and relatively high incidence ofozone-induced foliar injury. Forests of the southern California mountains and valleys and Sierra Nevada foothills showed low risk (biosite index of 5-15), indicating visible injury to highly sensitive species. Most forests in the North Central and Western United States had an average biosite index of lessthan 5, indicating visible injury to isolated genotypes of sensitive species such as common milkweed and black cherry.



## Invasive Species

Expanding global trade and travel have increased the risk of introducing new, exotic organisms. When brought into new ecosystems, exotic (invasive) species have no natural enemies and, therefore, can cause extensive damage. The biological invasion of the continental United States by invasive species began with European settlement almost 500 years ago and isone of the most important issues in natural resource management. Invasive plant species are defi ned as species being moved beyond their natural range or natural zone of potential dispersal, including all domesticated species and hybrids. The consequences of the introduction of invasive species have major ecological and economic implications and may directlyaffect human health. One of the major effects of invasive species on biodiversity may be the outright loss of native species. There are an estimated 3,723 plants with species of origin outside the United States. Areas with the highest rates ofintroduction tend to be along the coasts or major inland waterways. In general, human disruptions of natural communities, such as by soil alterations, removal of vegetative cover, or suppression of natural disturbance regimes, seem to promote opportunities for invasive species.

2 2 

### Invasive species in the United States

**40 00** 

**30 00** 

**20 00** 

**1 0**  **00**

**0 Number of species** 

**Plants Plant pathogens**  **Insects and arachnids Fish, mollusks, vertabrates**  **3,723**

**200 2,000** 

**300**

### U.S. Forest Resource Facts and Historical Trends 2 3 

### Net forest carbon stock change during 2001

**- 4**  **00**

**- 3**  **00**

**- 2**  **00 -**  **1 00**  **0 0**  **1 00**  **North South**  Soil and forest fl oor Down dead wood Trees and understory Wood products Landfi lled wood **West**

Million metric tons CO2 eq./yr Note: negative value corresponds to storage by forests. N o t e : n e g a t i v e v a l u e c o r r e s p o n d s t o s t o r a g e b y f o r e s t s

. Million metric tons CO2 eq./yr 

## Forest Carbon **F o**  **r e**  **s t**  **C a**  **r b**  **o n**  **orest Carbon**

Concern over consequences of increasing greenhouse gas C o n c e r n o v e r c o n s e q u e n c e s o f i n c r e a s i n g g r e e n h o u s e g a s oncern over consequences of increasing greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere has led the United States to develop an annual inventory of greenhouse gas sources and sinks since 1990. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency prepares the offi cial inventory for all sources to comply with commitments under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. USDA agencies, including the Forest Service, provide the inventory for the agriculture and forestrysectors. In 2001, gross greenhouse gas emissions in the United States were equivalent to 6,936 million metric tons (15.3 trillion pounds) of carbon dioxide equivalents (CO 2 

### eq. ).

Forests take in CO 2 

### and water, store carbon in wood, and release oxygen. The carbon stored in forests is released back into the atmosphere when trees are burned such as in forest fi res or when dead trees and leaves decay. Forest management can affect greatly the amount of carbon stored; vigorously growing forests store more carbon than slow-growing ones. When trees are made into lumber or paper, some CO 2 

### is released, but much continues to be stored in the products or eventually in landfi lls. Substituting wood for nonrenewable materials can also reduce CO 2 

### in the atmosphere by reducing fossil fuel energy use. **Invasive insects and pathogens threaten many forests throughout the United States** 

### In 2001, a net 759 million metric tons (1.7 trillion pounds) of CO2 eq. were removed from the atmosphere and stored in forests and forest products in the 48 conterminous States. This offsets about 11 percent of gross U.S. CO2 emissions from all sources. An additional 185 million metric tons (407 million pounds) of CO2 eq. were stored by forests and then harvested from forests and burned for energy as a substitute for burning fossil fuels, resulting in a net change of zero to the atmosphere.



## Wildland Fire

Fire Condition Classes Condition classes are a function of the degree of departure from historical fi re regimes resulting in alterations of key ecosystem components such as species composition, structural stage, stand age, and canopy closure. Some of the activitiesthat may cause this departure: fi re exclusion, timber harvesting, grazing, introduction, and establishment of exotic plant species, insects, and disease (introduced or native), or other past management activities. Three general condition classes areidentifi ed based on fi re regimes relative to historic range, ecosystem stability relative to intact functioning components, fi re frequency relative to historic range, and vegetation attributes (species composition and structure) relative to historic range.

**Current fi re regime condition classes**

2 4 **Condition class** 



## 3 **2 1**  **Fire regime**  **Ecosystem stability**  **s t**  **a b**  **i l**  **i t**  **y Ecosystem**  **Historic fi re frequency**  **Vegetation attributes**  **a t**  **t r**  **i b**  **u t**  **e s**  **Vegetation**

Near normal High Within one interval Within historic range

Moderately altered Moderate Departure of more than one interval Moderately altered from historic range f r o m h i s t o r i c r a n g e Moderately altered

Signifi cantly altered a l t e r e d Signifi cantly Low Departure of multiple intervals Signifi cantly altered from a l t e r e d f r o m Signifi cantly historic range

### Fuel Reduction Years of fi re suppression and other management practices have resulted in increased undergrowth and tree density (both live and dead), creating high fuel levels that have in turn brought high-intensity fi res that threatened property, natural resources, and the public. In response to the risks posed by heavy fuel loads, the National Fire Plan (NFP) was established to provide a long-term program of hazardous fuelsreduction on Federal and adjacent lands. The NFP emphasizes cooperation and collaboration among Federal agencies; State, local, and tribal governments; and other stakeholders to achieve the fuels reduction goals and objectives. Theseobjectives are outlined in a 10-Year Comprehensive Strategy (http://www.fi replan.gov/content/overview). Reducinghazardous fuels lessens the risk to humans, important landscapes, and municipal watersheds, as well as improving forest and rangeland health.

Fire at the Wildland-Urban Interface Wildland urban-interface communities exist wherever homes and businesses are built among trees, brush, and other fl ammable vegetation. Historically, aggressive and effective wildfi re suppression has resulted in increased undergrowth and density of trees, creating high levels of fuels. In these conditions, fi res can move rapidly into the interface areas. A key element in reducing threats to thesewildland-urban interface areas and restoring fi re to its natural role in the environment is community education andinvolvement. The USDA Forest Service and the Department of the Interior agencies, in partnership with the State foresters, administer a variety of programs that address living with fi re in the wildland-urban interface.

U.S. Forest Resource Facts and Historical Trends 2 5 **1 2**  **1 0**  **8 6**  **4 2**  **0**

**Year Million acres** 

**1 96**  **0 1**  **965 1**  **9 7**  **0 1**  **975 1**  **98 0**  **1 9**  **85 1**  **9 9**  **0 1**  **9 9**  **5 2**  **00 2**  

### A **nnual area of wildland fi re in the United States, 1**  **960-2002**

## Water Supplies

In the conterminous 48 States, about 18 percent of the Nation’s water supply originates on forests managed by the USDA Forest Service. About 51 percent of water supplies originates on forested land, 14 percent on range lands, and 24 percent on agricultural lands. The remaining 11 percent is split between water/wetland and other. Lands managed by the USDA Forest Service account for 27 percent of the water originating on forest land and 19 percent of the water originating on range land.

Water Uses Estimates of water use in the United States indicate that about 408 billion gallons per day were withdrawn for all uses during 2000. This total has varied less than 3 percent since 1985 as withdrawals have stabilized for the two largest uses — thermoelectric power and irrigation. About 48 percent of all withdrawals in 2000 were used for thermoelectric power and 34 percent for irrigation. **Water supplies by point of origin**

**1 00**  **0**

**8 00** 

**6 00** 

**4 00** 

**2 00** 

**0 Billion cubic feet** 

National Forest lands Other lands**Forest 712** **/260 Rangeland** **211 /50** **Agriculture 450** **/6 Water/Wetland** **123 /10** **Other 82** **/16 All**  **1,578 /342** 



### Water withdrawals for off-stream use by type of use**Billion cubic feet 500** 

**450 4**  **0 0**  **35 0**  **3 0**  **0 2**  **5 0**  **20 0**  **1 5**  **0 1**  **00 5**  **0 0**  1 9 50 1 9 5 5 1 9 60 1 9 6 5 1 9 70 1 9 7 5 1 9 8 0 1 9 8 5 1 9 90 1 9 9 5 2 000 Irriga tion Thermoel ectric Other industrial Rural domestic and livestock Domestic and public


### 2 6

### Watershed Management Water quality is becoming an increasingly serious concern in the United States, as well as globally. High-quality watersheds trap sediments; slow runoff; and provide cooling shade andexcellent habitat for wildlife, fi sh, and plants. Potential watershed management issues include habitat loss and fragmentation, hydrologic alterations, nutrient enrichment of surface waters, and pathogens and toxins. Forests offer signifi cant mitigation opportunities for water management.

Effective watershed management must be based on a planning process that integrates both scientifi c analysis and public participation. To explore current efforts in watershed management, visit http://www.partnershipresourcecenter. org/watersheds/index.php.

DroughtAnother aspect of water is the lack of it. Many forests have recently experienced fi res of unprecedented intensity and extent, and this is partially the result of forest management practices that have allowed decades of dead wood (fuels) to accumulate. This has been exacerbated by climate variability in the form of prolonged periods of drought that have left forests in tinder dry conditions, and thus more susceptible to intense fi res. Public resource agencies are shifting their fi re policies from complete suppression to recognition that fi re is an integralcomponent of the landscape. Presuppression forests experienced fi res more frequently, but these fi res were less destructive. These less intense fi res served as a means of keeping fuels from accumulating on the forest fl oor and maintaining low stand density. As shown in the composite Palmer Drought Index, much of the West is in a medium to high drought stage, and patchy areas of the East are also at heightened risk.

**Palmer Drought Severity Index 19 85**  **-1995**

U.S. Forest Resource Facts and Historical Trends 2 7

## Forest Wildlife **Geographic variation in the number of forest-associated species occurring within ecoregions for all taxa** 

Species Richness A count of species is a basic and easily understood measure of biological diversity. The species richness graphic above shows where diversity is relatively high or relatively low based on the geographic range of species and their intersection withecoregional boundaries. In this regard, it should be considered a baseline condition or expectation of the number and composition of species within each ecoregion. Long-term monitoring data are required if trends in species richness are to be estimated. The South has the majority of high-richness areas. The only taxonomic groups with high-richness areas in all regions are mammals and birds.

Wildlife Trends Favorable indicators of wildlife habitat include relativelystable forest land area and enrollment of land in the Conservation Reserve Program, increases in both population andharvests of many big game species, and increases in populations of 75 percent of all breeding birds monitored.

Unfavorable indicators of wildlife habitat include some forest type conversions, conversion of wetlands in the South, and declines in small game populations and harvests for species associated with grassland and early successional habitats.

Additionally, the rate at which species have been listed asthreatened and endangered has increased with concentrations of these species along coastal areas, the arid Southwest, and the northern Appalachians.

2 8

## Forest Recreation

Nationally, of the total 749 million acres of forest land, nearly 640 million acres (85 percent) is available for outdoor recreation to the entire public or persons selected by private owners. However, free access to private lands has been declining in recent years. As the population and their demand for natural resources continues to grow, this trend may become a more serious concern.

Participation in many recreation activities increased faster thanpopulation, with many of the largest percentage changes being for land-resource-based activities. Ninety-four percent of individuals aged 16 or older participated in outdoor recreation activities between 1980 and 2002. During this same period, the population aged 16 and older increased by 12 percent.

U.S. Forest Resource Facts and Historical Trends 2 9 **1 0**  **0**

**8 0** 

**6 0** 

**4 0** 

**2 0** 

**0**

Public Private **North South West U.S.** **P ercent**  

### Availability of forest land for recreation activities

**75 %**  **81 %**  **99 %** 

**68 %**  **99 %** 

**80 %**  **99 %**  **99 %** 



### Growth in U.S. population and outdoor recreation activities, **1982-2002**

**0 5**  **1 0**  **1 5**  **2 0**  **2 5**  **3 0**  Population aged 1 6 and over Participation in outdoor sports and spectator activities Participation in snow- and ice-based activitie s Participation in water-based activities
Participation in land-based activit ies

**P ercent**  **1 2**  **%**

**2 7**  **%**

**2 4**  **%**

**1 8**  **%**

**1 2**  **%**

### 30 

### Outdoor recreation is a fast-growing use of forests in theUnited States, continuing a steady trend since the 1950s. Currently, over 90 percent of Americans participate in at least one outdoor recreation activity. Growth in many of these activities points to a rapid increase in trail, motorized, camping, and skiing forest uses. Rising demand and declining per capita area of forest available for recreation is expected to increase confl icts between different user interests.

Urban Infl uence on Forests Today there are an estimated 3.8 billion trees in urban areas, which have an average tree cover of 27 percent. Urban forests are signifi cant and diverse, and as landscapes becomefragmented and more urbanized, more forests will be managed by urban residents and institutions. Urban areas (cities, towns, or villages with at least 2,500 people) currently occupy 3.5 percent of the total land area in the United States, double the area found in 1969. As people seek more opportunities for forest recreation closer to home, the pressures and use confl icts of forests near urban areas are expected to increase. **Trends in popular outdoor recreation opportunities in the United States** 

**20 0**  **0 1**  **9 80**  **Snowmobiling 5.3**  **/ 7.1 Backpacking**  **8.8 /**  **1 5.2**  **Downhill skiing 1**  **0.6 /**  **1 6.8**  **Off-road driving 1**  **9.4 / 27.9**  **Primitive camping 1**  **7.7 / 28.0**  **Developed area camping 30.0**  **/ 41.5 Hiking**  **24.7 / 47.8**  **Bird watching 2**  **1.2 / 54.1**  **Swimming 56.5**  **/ 78.1 Picnicking**  **84.8 / 98.3**  **Sightseeing 8**  **1.3 /**  **1 1**  **3.4**

**Walking 93.6**  **/ 1**  **33.7**

**Participation (millions) 0**  **50 1**  **0 0**  **1 5**  **0**

### U.S. Forest Resource Facts and Historical Trends 3 1 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 **250**

**200**

**1 50** 

**1 00** 

**50**

**0 East West** **Million acres** 

### Forest land in the United States by urban population infl uence

**80.1 1**  **28.4**
**80.9 1**  **73.9**

**79.4 202.3** 



## Nontimber Forest Products

Gathering nontimber forest products is a signifi cant use of the Nation’s forests that affects forest ecosystems. These products include medicinals, food and forage species, fl oral and horticultural species, resins and oils, art and craft species, game animals, and fur bearers. Harvest of these products from forest ecosystems is a signifi cant and very important activity for many Americans, for recreational, commercial, subsistence, and cultural uses.

Medicinals — The use of medicinal plants has experienced T h e u s e o f m e d i c i n a l p l a n t s h a s e x p e r i e n c e d Medicinals — an expansion in the past 20 years, exceeding that of any other nontimber native fl ora. Medicinal herbal products and plants are a big business in the United States, with demand prompting protective measures for some species.
Food and forage species — Foods from native species provide a very small share of the food species consumed by Americans, but are often culturally signifi cant. Forage grass species are particularly important to Federal and private land management.

Floral and horticultural species — Native plants used for decorating homes and workplaces are as diverse as the decorative forms invented, and harvests have a strongly regional character.

### 3 2 

### Resins and oils — Products derived from native plant species fall into several broad categories. Industrial chemists use aromatic plant compounds in air fresheners, bath products, diffusers, hair- and skin-care products, inhalants, massage oils, perfumes, and food fl avoring. A few native species have a long tradition of commercial uses as fragrances and have international markets.

Arts and crafts — Arts and crafts are an integral part of A r t s a n d c r a f t s a r e a n i n t e g r a l p a r t o f Arts and crafts — innumerable traditions from Native American use of bark, willow, and branches in baskets, masks, and traditional andceremonial dress; to doll-making and baskets in the Appalachians; to furniture, birdhouses, bowls, and other well-known and admired Shaker products.

Game animals and fur bearers — This category includes big game (primarily large mammal species), small game (rabbits, squirrels, etc.), migratory game birds (ducks, geese, etc.), and furbearers (fox, raccoon, beaver, etc.). Trends indicate a likely increase in species that tolerate intensive land use activities, such as those associated with agricultural habitats and decreases in species associated with grasslands and early successional stages of forest habitats; and general declines in species dependent on wetlands. Generally, big game hunting is increasing, small game hunting is declining, migratory bird hunting may be increasing after 20 years of decline, and fur harvests declined sharply from 1980 to 1990.

In general, harvest of nontimber forest products is largely undocumented, particularly on private forest lands. It is understood, however, that any harvesting of these products may impact forest ecosystems.

### U.S. Forest Resource Facts and Historical Trends 3 3 

## Web Resources

USDA Forest Service http://www.fs.fed.us Forest Inventory and Analysis http://fi a.fs.fed.us Forest Health http://www.fs.fed.us/foresthealth/ http://www.na.fs.fed.us/spfo/fhm/index.htm Fire http://www.nfi c.gov http://www.fuelman.gov Forest Ownership http://www.fs.fed.us /ne/studies/NWOS/main.html Forest Products http://www.fpl.fs.fed.us Forest Wildlife http://www.fws.gov Global Forest Information http://www.fao.org/forestry National Assessments of Forests http://www.fs.fed.us/pl/rpa/list.htm National Report on Sustainable Forests http://www.fs.fed.us/research/sustain Nontimber Forest Products http://www.sfp.forprod.vt.edu http://www.fao.org/forestry/site/6367/en http://ifcae.org/ntfp Protected Areas http://www.IUCN.org http://www.cbi.org Recreation/Wilderness http://www.srs.fs.usda.gov/trends http;//www.fs.fed.us/recreation Water Resources http://water.usgs.gov/watuse http://www.partnershipresourcecenter.org/watersheds/index.php http://drought.unl.edu

### 3 4 

## Terms

Forest land — Land at least 10 percent stocked by forest trees of any size, including land that formerly had such tree cover and that will be naturally or artifi cially regenerated. The minimum area for classifi cation of forest land is 1 acre.

Growing stock volume — Live trees on timber land of commercial species meeting specifi ed 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 specifi ed year. Components include the increment in net volume of trees at the beginning of the specifi c year surviving to its end, 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.

IUCN Protection Categories — The World Conservation Union protected area classifi cations are: Category I is defi ned as (a) an area of land and/or sea possessing some outstanding or representative ecosystems, geological or physiological features and/orspecies, or available primarily for scientifi c research and or environmental monitoring, or (b) a large area of unmodifi ed or slightly modifi ed land and/or sea, retaining its natural character and infl uence, without permanent or signifi cant habitation, that is protected and managed so as to preserve its natural condition. 

### Category II land is a natural area of land and/or sea designated to (a) protect the ecological integrity of one or more ecosystems for present and future generations, (b) exclude exploitation or occupation inimical to the purposes of designation of the area, and (c) provide a foundation for spiritual, educational, recreational, and visitor opportunities, all of which must be environmentally and culturally comparable. 

### Category III land is an area containing one, or more, specifi c natural or natural/cultural feature that is of outstanding or unique value because of its inherent rarity, representative or aesthetic qualities, or cultural signifi cance. Category IV is an area of land and/or sea subject to active intervention for i s a

n a r e a o f l a n d a n d

/ o r s e a s u b j e c t t o a c t i v e i

n t e r v e n t

i o n f o r Category IV management purposes so as to ensure the maintenance of habitats and/or to meet the requirements of specifi c species. 

### Category V is area of land with coast and sea as appropriate, where the interaction of people and nature over time has produced an area of distinct character with signifi cant aesthetic, ecological, and/or cultural value, and often with high biological diversity. Safeguarding the integrity of this traditional interac tion is vital to the protection, maintenance, and evolution of such an area. 

### Category VI is an area containing predominantly unmodifi ed natural systems, managed to ensure long- term protection and maintenance of biological diversity, while providing at the same time a sustainable fl ow of natural products and services to meet community needs.

### U.S. Forest Resource Facts and Historical Trends 3 5 

### Logging residues — The unused portions of growing-stock

t rees cut or killed by logging and left in the woods.

Mortality — The volume of sound wood in growing stock trees that died from natural causes during a specifi ed year.

National forest — An ownership class of Federal lands, designated by Executive order or statute as national forests or purchase units, and other lands under the administration of the USDA 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, NationalPark Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Departments of Energy and Defense.

Other forest land — Forest land other than timber land andreserved forest land. It includes available land that is incapable of producing annually at least 20 cubic feet per acre of industrial wood under natural conditions because of adversesite conditions such as sterile soils, dry climate, poor drainage, high elevation, steepness, or rockiness.

Removals — The net volume of growing stock trees removed from the inventory during a specifi ed 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. Does not include all land in IUCN protection categories.

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 F o r e s t l a n d t h a t i s c a p a b l e o f p r o d u c i n g c r o p s Timber land — 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.)

### 3 6 

## References

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

Brown, Thomas C. 1999. Past and future freshwater use in the United States: A technical document supporting the 2000USDA Forest Service RPA assessment. Gen. Tech. Rep. RMRSGTR-39. Fort Collins, CO: USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station. 47 p.

Cordell, H. Ken. Principal Investigator. 1999. Outdoor recreation in American life: A national assessment of demand and supply trends. Sagamore Publishing, Champaign, IL. 449 p.

Coulston, J.W.; Ambrose, M.J.; Riitters, K.H.; Conkling, B.L.; Smith, W.D. In Review. 2003 Forest Health Monitoring national technical report. Gen Tech. Rep. Asheville, NC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Southern Research Station.

Dwyer, John F.; Nowak, David J.; Noble, Mary H.; Sisinni, Susan M. 2000. Connecting people with ecosystems in the 21st century: an assessment of our nation’s urban forests. Gen. Tech. Rep. PNW-GTR-490. Portland, OR: USDA Forest Service, Pacifi c Northwest Research Station. 483p.

Flather, Curtis H.; Brady, Stephen J.; Knowles, Michael S. 1999.Wildlife resource trends in the United States: A technical document supporting the 2000 USDA Forest service RPA Assessment. Gen. Tech. Rep. RMRS-GTR-33. Fort Collins, CO: USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station. 79 p.

Smith, W. Brad; Vissage, John; Sheffi eld, Raymond; Darr, David. 2001. Forest Resources of the United States, 1997. Gen. Tech. Rep. NC-219. St. Paul, MN: USDA Forest Service North Central Forest Experiment Station. 190pThe 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, or 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 fi le a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Offi ce 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. 

### Smith, W. Brad; Miles, Patrick D.; Vissage, John S.; Pugh, Scott A. 2004. Forest Resources of the United States, 2002. Gen. Tech. Rep. NC-241. St. Paul, MN: USDA North Central Forest Experiment Station. 118p.

U.S. Bureau of the Census. 1991. Statistical Abstract of the United States (11th edition). Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Commerce.

U.S. Department of Agriculture. 2004. In press. U.S. agriculture and forestry greenhouse gas inventory. Technical Bulletin No. 1907. Washington, DC: Global Change Program Offi ce, Offi ce of the Chief Economist.

USDA Forest Service. 1958. Timber resources 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. An 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. 2003. Forest insect and disease conditions in the United States, 2002. Forest Health Protection Report. Washington, DC: USDA Forest Service. 124 p.

Waddell, Karen L.; Oswald, Daniel D.; Powell, Douglas S. 1989. Forest statistics of the United States, 1987. Resour. Bull. PNW-RB-168. Portland, OR: USDA Forest Service Pacifi c Northwest Research Station. 106 p.

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## U.S. D EPARTMENT OF 

## A GRICULTURE



## F OREST 

## S ERVICE



## FS-801 September 2004 This publication supersedes FS-696, U.S. Forest Facts and Historical Trends.