Forests are the headwaters of the nation.
Without planning, cooperation, and forethought, wars in the 21st century may be fought over water and other resources. Increasing competition for limited water supplies is common to most municipalities in this the fastest growing part of the country. In the next several years, hard decisions will have to be made about water and its allocation to agricultural production, urban development, and environmental protection. Many scientists note corollaries in climate change and increased severity and frequency of floods and length of drought over the last 25 years. In fact, our concept of what constitutes a 100-year flood is questionable given that such large events today seem to occur at five and ten year intervals.