|
Public forest
land management, to provide information on the percentage of public
forest land devoted to various uses. (Figs. 1, 2,
3)
Reasons for
owning private forest land, because the objectives of owners greatly
influence how land is managed. (Fig. 4)
Conservation
efforts on private land, as a measure of private landowners' commitment
to specific conservation practices. (Fig. 5)
About 15 percent
of public forest land is in areas with "strict protection," primarily
national parks and wilderness areas. About 11 million acres are in the
eastern United States (roughly 3 percent of eastern forests) and 36
million acres in the West, including Alaska (roughly 10 percent of western
forests).
The remaining 267
million acres of public forest lands are managed for various other uses,
including recreation, timber production, watershed protection, grazing,
wildlife habitat, and mining. Uses and management objectives vary greatly
among regions and agencies, but information is not available to support
a consistent measure of public forest use and management.
Timber production
and / or land investment are primary reasons for ownership of 39 percent
of private forest land. About 18 percent of private forest acreage is
owned because it is part of a residence or farm, and about 17 percent
for recreation and enjoyment.
| Management
of Federal forest lands (1) Technical
Note |
Strict
protection/No-harvest areas, Western U.S. & Alaska, 1992 (2)
Technical
Note |
 |
 |
| Source:
General Accounting Office |
| Source:
USDA Forest Service, Forest Inventory & Monitoring |
Strict
protection/No-harvest areas, Eastern U.S., 1992 (3)
Technical
Note |
Reasons
for owning private forests (4)
Technical
Note |
Source: USDA Forest Service, Forest Inventory & Monitoring |
| |
Acres
|
Owners
|
|
Reason
for owning
|
millions
|
percent
|
thousands
|
percent
|
|
Timber
production
|
113
|
28.9
|
272
|
2.7
|
|
Land
investment
|
39
|
10
|
920
|
9.3
|
|
Part
of farm
|
39
|
9.8
|
1190
|
12
|
|
Recreation
|
38
|
9.5
|
875
|
8.8
|
|
Farm
& domestic use
|
36
|
9.1
|
816
|
8.3
|
|
Part
of residence
|
33
|
8.2
|
2642
|
26.7
|
|
Enjoyment
|
29
|
7.3
|
1392
|
14.1
|
|
Other
|
61
|
15.3
|
1441
|
14.5
|
|
No
answer
|
6
|
1.5
|
354
|
3.6
|
|
Total
|
393
|
100
|
9902
|
100
|
Source: USDA
Forest Service |
Voluntary
Forest Conservation Efforts on Private Lands, 1999 (5)
Technical
Note |
| |
Acres |
| Lands
dedicated to habitat protection, recreation, or research |
NA |
| Working
forests with conservation easements that prohibit real estate
development |
NA |
| Forests
managed under voluntary programs that promote sustainability
and stewardship |
>70,000,000 |
| Forests
managed in cooperation with wildlife conservation organizations
|
NA |
|
| Source:
National Council for Air and Stream Improvement, Inc. |
|
STATUS
OF DATA & OTHER NOTES
|
No consistent
or comprehensive information is available on levels of use and
management of public lands outside of strictly protected areas.
Historical
data on strictly protected areas are not available because of
differences in survey and accounting methods. These differences
are to be resolved in the future, allowing for trends to be presented.
Data on private
ownership objectives are from a Forest Service survey, which is
scheduled to be repeated within several years.
No consistent
or comprehensive national information is available on the acreage
enrolled in private voluntary conservation efforts.
"Strict protection"
prohibits timber harvest but does not prevent the introduction
of exotic species or changes due to natural succession, nor does
it ensure an area large enough for a full range of wildlife. In
addition, grazing and mining are allowed in some wilderness areas.
Please see
the Technical
Notes for additional information.
|
|
