American forest management is vital work. It preserves the country’s natural health and beauty while providing jobs and livelihoods.<\/span><\/p>\n Today, forests cover approximately one-third of the US’s land area. These forests have to be maintained for ecological and commercia<\/span>l reasons.<\/span>1<\/sup><\/a><\/span> The vast majority of this forest land (58 per<\/span> cent) is owned by private landowners. They either maintain it as it is, or they use the forests for commercial reasons, such as for logging or wood products.<\/span><\/span>2<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/span> One third of this forest land is owned by the US federal government. The Forest Service manages most of it.<\/span><\/p>\n The US Forest Service looks after many landscapes across 193 million acres in the public trust. It is a federal government agency whose aim is to improve the health and productivity of the nation\u2019s forests. It focuses on managing vegetation, restoring ecosystems, reducing hazards and maintaining forest health.<\/span>3<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n The US Forest Service looks after around 176 landscapes across the country, comprising rainforests, deserts, wilderness and more urb<\/span>an settings. Millions of people use and value these landscapes for a range of benefits, such as hiking and tourism.<\/span>4<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n The aim of forest management is to manage the country\u2019s natural landscapes for the public to enjoy. More importantly, it’s vital to preserve them for future generations.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Historically, the agency focused on controlling the production of wood. But now, it is more concerned about protecting and restoring forested landscapes.<\/span><\/p>\n As timber and wood production in the US has declined, there is growing awareness around the need to protect forests and natural landscapes. Accordingly, the purpose of most forest management in America is to preserve forests for future generations<\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n An estimated 160 million hectares of forest land in the US are at high to moderate risk of fires. These could threaten human safety and ecosystem integrity. That\u2019s almost one-third of the US’s forested lands<\/a>. <\/span>5<\/sup><\/a><\/span><\/span><\/p>\nHow does forest management work?<\/h2>\n
What is the purpose of forest management?<\/h2>\n