Through a coordinated effort in management, protection and better use, the programs of State and Private Forestry help facilitate sound stewardship across ownerships on a landscape scale, while maintaining the flexibility for individual forest landowners to pursue their objectives. Assistance to communities is a keystone of the cooperative work. State and Private Forestry programs emphasize Lands Legacy to protect America's resources. About 70 percent of America's forests are in state and private ownership and represent 80 percent of the country's wood fiber potential. These lands are also critical to watershed conditions, fish and wildlife habitat, and the aesthetic quality of the Nation's landscape.
Private forests offer an ideal opportunity for carbon sequestration.
Since these nonfederal forests represent most of the forests in our country, keeping these lands collectively healthy, productive, and sustainable is especially important to the Nation. With increasing fragmentation and development pressure, the unique Federal role in maintaining the value and functions of these lands, across ownerships from remote wilderness to urban green space, has never been more critical. Urban natural resources ranging from individual trees to expansive urban greenways offer significant opportunities to improve the quality of life for the nearly 80 percent of America's population who live in cities and towns. Sound stewardship of urban and community forests help mitigate sprawl and declining health of trees in distressed urban neighborhoods. Sustainable supplies of wood and other forest resources are dependent on the adequate stewardship of nonfederal forest lands.