Run Forest Run
Gertrud Inabinet
Just as we depend on forests, forests depend on us. At the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) we unite individuals, businesses, governments, and NGOs under a common goal: protecting healthy, resilient forests for all, forever.
As of July 2022:
36.4 million acres Certified forest area, US
160.3 million acres certified in the US and Canada
3,222 companies certified in the US
"I learned about the program from my sister, Shelby, back home in Detroit. She served in AmeriCorps NCCC on a forest team and told me all about it. I joined, and now I am an AmeriCorps NCCC member serving on a forest team. My service with AmeriCorps will help e achieve my goal of becoming a firefighter." - Kam
AmeriCorps member, AmeriCorps NCCC, U.S. Forest Service Team
Together with partners around the world, Forest Trends pioneers innovative finance for conservation, promoting healthy forests, sustainable agriculture, clean water, robust climate action, biodiverse landscapes, and strong communities.
The Emergency Forest Restoration Program (EFRP) helps the owners of non-industrial private forests restore forest health damaged by natural disasters. The EFRP does this by authorizing payments to owners of private forests to restore disaster damaged forests.
Forests provide shelter for wildlife, help provide nutrients for soil, and help protect water supplies. By restoring forests and forest health the EFRP works to protect natural resources and wildlife habitats.
The FSA County Committee inspects the damage to determine if forest land is eligible for EFRP. For land to qualify for EFRP funds, the damage from the natural disaster must create new conservation problems that if not dealt with would:
The Forest Carbon Partnership Facility (FCPF) is a global partnership of governments, businesses, civil society, and Indigenous Peoples focused on reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation, forest carbon stock conservation, the sustainable management of forests, and the enhancement of forest carbon stocks in developing countries, activities commonly referred to as REDD+.
Healthy, climate-resilient old-growth forests store large amounts of carbon, increase biodiversity, reduce wildfire risks, enable subsistence and cultural uses, provide outdoor recreational opportunities and promote sustainable local economic development. Land management plans provide direction for how national forests and grasslands are managed for their many uses, including conservation. The proposed amendment will use the best available science, including Indigenous Knowledge, to provide consistent direction related to old-growth forest conditions across national forests and grasslands.
These actions include defining and conducting the first-ever nationwide inventory of old-growth and mature forests across national forests and grasslands. Launched on Earth Day 2023, this initial inventory report shows that the Forest Service manages nearly 25 million acres of old growth and more than 68 million acres of mature forests on national forests and grasslands. The proposal USDA is putting forward today relates only to lands managed by USDA Forest Service.
The consistent management direction contained in the proposed nationwide forest plan amendment would direct place-based strategies for old-growth forest conservation and management, developed in partnership with Tribal communities and in collaboration with local stakeholders. These strategies will be adaptive and factor in the unique opportunities and challenges of a particular area, which will allow for more flexibility in responding to rapid changes in wildfire behavior, drought, insects and disease. The amendment would prohibit vegetation management within old-growth forest conditions when the primary purpose is to grow, tend, harvest, or regenerate trees for economic reasons.
During the amendment process, proposed management actions in old-growth forests will be governed by an interim policy, outlined in more detail in a letter from the deputy chief of the National Forest System to regional foresters.
The Forest Crop Law (FCL) is a landowner incentive program that encourages long-term, sustainable management of private woodlands. In exchange for following an FCL management schedule outlining forest practices, the landowner pays reduced property taxes.
Since 2015, DEC's Young Forest Initiative has been increasing young forest habitat on Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) across the state. Now we're also improving habitat of all ages classes of forests on WMAs. A forested landscape with a better balance of young, intermediate, and mature forest will provide habitat for a diversity of wildlife and help many species that are declining.
Young forest refers to an early stage of forest with tree seedlings, saplings, woody vines, shrubs, grasses, and flowering plants growing together. Young forests are approximately 0-20 years old. Historically, young forests were created by disturbances (fire, flooding, insect outbreaks, or changes in human land use), but today active habitat management is required to keep young forest on the landscape.
Mature forests are approximately 50-140 years old with large trees. Much of the forest in New York State today is mature forest. Currently, there is very little late successional forest (>140 years old) on WMAs.
Species that live in mature forests also benefit from young forest and use it for food and cover, including black bears, bobcats, deer, moose, and many forest interior songbirds. Pollinators also benefit from the flowering plants in forest openings.
The first five years of the Young Forest Initiative focused on adding young forest to the WMA system using methods based on our target species' habitat needs. We used forestry practices that removed most trees (clearcutting) in patches, left a few trees for shade (shelterwood cut), or left a seed source (seed tree cut) to create space for young forest to grow. We planted seedlings, removed invasive plants, conducted prescribed burns, and felled old plantations to allow natural forest to regrow. Now, we also include methods such as thinning that improve all types and ages of forest.
All forest management on WMAs follows responsible management techniques, protects soil and water resources, and avoids areas currently used by at-risk species. In order to design and carry out projects that create high-quality wildlife habitat on public lands, we:
The Interpretive Center is named after Catherine T. Montgomery, a teacher, backpacker, and conservationist credited with having the initial concept for the Pacific Crest Trail. Step inside to learn about the Muckleshoot Tribe who are native to this area, and the Washington State Chapter of the General Federation of Women's Clubs, an organization of women's service clubs. In 1926, the group began a campaign to save some of our state's rapidly disappearing old-growth forests, leading to the establishment of Federation Forest. A native plant garden surrounds the interpretive center.
North Carolina's forestland is one of the greatest influences on the state, providing economic value and adding immeasurably to the quality of life for its residents. The forest products industry is the largest manufacturing business sector in the state, contributing approximately $34.9 billion annually to the state's economy and providing around 148,000 jobs for North Carolinians. The NC Forest Service's primary purpose is to ensure adequate and quality forest resources for the state to meet its present and future needs.
Up until now, family forest owners had almost entirely been excluded from carbon markets due to complexity and high upfront costs. And because they own the largest portion of forestland in the United States, leaving them out was essentially shorting the potential of our forests to address climate change, withholding economic opportunities from rural Americans and limiting the carbon credit supply for companies.
Taking a step forward for transparency and credibility, the Family Forest Carbon Program has developed a new forest carbon accounting methodology to measure and verify the carbon sequestered and stored by the landowners enrolled.
The Family Forest Carbon Program pays small forest holders upfront to implement climate-smart forestry practices that go above and beyond what is otherwise common practice. The program also provides landowners with professional expertise and guidance to help them transition to sustainable management long term.
The Family Forest Carbon Program is currently enrolling eligible landowners in Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Pennsylvania, Vermont, West Virginia and Wisconsin. If you are a family forest owner and are interested in participating, please visit the Family Forest Carbon Program website to see if your property is eligible.
Private woodland owners hold over half of Wisconsin's forested land. Properly managed forests provide important social and economic benefits like clean water, wildlife habitat, aesthetics and recreation. Find resources to manage your land today and into the future.
Wisconsin's 17 million acres of forestlands and millions of urban trees significantly enhance the quality of life in our state. The Wisconsin DNR dedicates itself to the sustainable management and protection of this precious resource so that it continues to provide a host of ecological, economic and social benefits for years to come.
Hakalau Forest (NWR) is currently closed to self-guided activities because of concerns about a disease called Rapid ʻŌhiʻa Death, which has killed thousands of acres of mature ʻōhiʻa trees in forests and residential areas in Puna and Hilo Districts of Hawaiʻi Island. The disease can be transported on contaminated soil found on vehicles, tools, shoes and clothing. Protocols are being developed to ensure that visitors to the Refuge will not spread the disease. For more information and updates on Rapid ʻŌhiʻa Death research please visit: www.ohiawilt.org
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