Many of you have asked me what I think the role of the Forest Service is in meeting the nation's wood supply needs. This is a legitimate question, particularly as timber demand continues to increase at a rate of about one-percent annually. Before I speak to that issue, however, I'd like to talk about the changing role of federal lands, and then ask you a question. Public lands today serve as a refuge of last resort for many species of fish, plants, and wildlife. They are critically important sources of drinking water for communities.
Public forests provide a place for families to recreate and reconnect with each other.
And yes, public lands continue to help to meet the nation's wood supply demands in an environmentally sensitive manner. All across the land people are demanding that we do more to sustain and restore the fabric of the whole landscape. If this sounds like a conservation agenda that's because it is. The Forest Service natural resource agenda is a conservation agenda. The American people demand and the science compels such an agenda.