Today about 1/3 of the Nation’s total land area is forested. Forest owners, managers, and citizens in general care about, and care for, the Nation’s forests in many ways. The owners/managers include a variety of private individuals and businesses, non-governmental organizations, and government agencies – the majority of which are owned and managed by family and other non-industrial private forest landowners. Their collective efforts to improve conditions and foster more integrated environmental, social, and economic benefits fit within the broader sustainable development quest of the United States.

USDA agencies manage Federal forest land on behalf of all the citizens of the United States, assist farmers and other private forest landowners, work with communities in both rural and urban areas, collect information and report on forests, and conduct assessments and research aimed at improving conditions and options for present and future generations. USDA’s partners include a variety of government agencies, colleges and universities, and other organizations at the local, regional, national, and international levels responsible for and/or concerned about the sustainable management of forests.