Approximately 94 percent of all timber produced in the US is grown on non-federal lands. This is a resource we must manage sustainably. Currently, only about 10 percent of non-industrial private landowners have written management plans for their land. Even worse, the majority of timber sales on private lands go forward without the benefit of professional forestry advice. While this may seem like merely a problem of poor business practices, we in the forestry profession view it as a serious threat to the long-term sustainability of the nation's forest resources.
Private land has public value.
That is why we actively support programs that increase the amount of forestry advice available to non-industrial private forest landowners. In addition to private sector consulting and industry efforts, the Forest Stewardship Program provides technical advice to landowners. The Forest Legacy program keeps forest lands forested. Pressure to develop forests is ever increasing, and the Legacy program assists willing landowners in keeping their forests undeveloped. The program has been extremely successful, the only major barrier being adequate funding.