But management is every bit as important where the forests are fragmented or where trees help build stronger communities within cities. There are 10 million individual owners of forests, and they own 58 percent of the U.S. forest land. University scientists developed small-scale management practices to insure the trees would be of timber quality. They also developed management guidelines for low impact forest management on sites where clearcutting is either not feasible or not desirable. The guidelines are a boon to the owners of more than 12 million acres of rain forests in the United States.
Management saves trees.
After 10 years, California's Integrated Hardwood Range Management Program has helped reduce by 50 percent the annual acreage of oak clearing for range improvement and firewood harvest. Urban forests build communities . Illinois scientists conclude that forested areas around public housing help build stronger communities and contribute to lower levels of violence. In that case, they reason, urban forests are not mere amenities, but a basic part of city infrastructure, as necessary as streets, sewers and electricity. In Penn State's Urban and Community Forestry Program, extension foresters help communities get started with their tree programs.