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Forests and Grasslands

Two uniformed Forest Service employees reviewing a log deck on a logging operation.
Forest Products Modernization

Our forest products delivery systems and processes have served us well in the past, but they need to continue to evolve to keep up with the best available science, changes in authorities, technology, markets, and stewardship ideals.
 


Forests

The Forest Service stewards an impressive portfolio of landscapes across 193 million acres of National Forests and Grasslands in the public trust. The agency’s top priority is to maintain and improve the health, diversity, and productivity of the nation’s forests and grasslands to meet the needs of current and future generations.

Lands and Realty Management

Managing lands and realty on the National Forest System helps the USDA Forest Service enhance natural resource stewardship, provide visitor experiences, and improve access. Lands and realty programs authorize a variety of uses on those lands to meet the needs of the American people.

Minerals and Geology

The Forest Service manages its mineral and energy program to provide commodities for current and future generations commensurate with the need to sustain the long-term health and biological diversity of ecosystems.

Plants

Native plants are valued for their economic, ecological, genetic, and aesthetic benefits. Using native plant material in vegetation projects maintains and restores native plant gene pools, communities, and ecosystems, and can help reverse the trend of species loss in North America.

Rangelands

Rangelands in the United States are diverse lands. They are the wet grasslands of Florida to the desert shrub ecosystems of Wyoming. They include the high mountain meadows of Utah to the desert floor of California.

Recreation

Providing the greatest diversity of outdoor recreation opportunities in the world means working to balance the desires of recreationists with ensuring future generations have the same access.

Restoration

Restoration is helping nature recover from degradation, damage and destruction. The goal is to re-establish a balance of nature needed for air, water, plants and animals to thrive.

Water

Water is one of the most important water resources flowing from national forests and grasslands, providing drinking water to more than 180 million people.

Wildlife and Fish

Our work includes restoring aquatic organism passage, stream habitat, and floodplains; enhancing lake productivity; restoring habitat for a vast array of wildlife species from hummingbirds to bighorn sheep and spotted frogs to black bears and connecting people to the outdoors.

https://www.fs.usda.gov/managing-land/national-forests-grasslands