The Hill News

Private forests are essential to the environment, culture and economy of our country. While traditionally valued primarily for wood products â€" lumber and paper â€" these forests also provide numerous public benefits referred to as ecosystem services, such as clean water, carbon sequestration, and wildlife habitat.

More than 420 million acres â€" about 56 percent of our nation’s forests â€" are privately owned by nearly 11 million landowners. About three-quarters of these private forests are in the Eastern United States.

In many parts of our country today, the value of private forests for development has increased significantly, especially around urban areas and near forested waterways or mountains. The result has been that many private forest landowners are finding it more and more tempting to sell their land for development.

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