Forest Management

The Forest Service released “Growing and Nurturing Resilient Forests: A Reforestation Strategy for the National Forest System” with the intent to then develop national and regional 10-year implementation plans focused on reforesting needs on the NFS. The strategy and plans will include the challenges, vision and steps the agency will take to successfully increase the pace and scale of reforestation, address existing needs, and anticipate future events. The work also will help the agency meet provisions of the Repairing Existing Public Land by Adding Necessary Trees Act, also called the REPLANT Act. That act provides the Forest Service with funding to address the backlog of needed reforestation on NFS acres.

Silviculture is the art and science of controlling the establishment, growth, composition, health, and quality of forests and woodlands to meet the diverse needs and values of landowners and society such as wildlife habitat, timber, water resources, restoration, and recreation on a sustainable basis. This is accomplished by applying different types of silvicultural treatments such as thinning, harvesting, planting, pruning, prescribed burning and site preparation. Intermediate treatments (thinning) are designed to enhance growth, quality, vigor, and composition of the stand after establishment or regeneration and prior to final harvest. Regeneration treatments (harvesting) are applied to mature stands in order to establish a new age class of trees. Regeneration methods are grouped into four categories: coppice, even-aged, two-aged, and uneven-aged.