Overview of

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Overview of Forest Management in the United
States.
Roger A. Williams, PhD School of Environment and
Natural Resources The Ohio State University
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Current Forest Cover
Ohio State University Columbus, OH
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This map shows the spatial distribution of the
nations forest land as a percentage of county
land area. Nationwide, 37 percent (751 million
acres) of all land is forest land.
Ohio State University Columbus, OH
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This map shows the spatial distribution of the
nations timberland as a percentage of county
land area. Nationwide, 34 percent (514 million
acres) or two-thirds of all forest land is
timberland.
Ohio State University Columbus, OH
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Changes in the amount of forest land in the US
Year
Source US Forest Service, FIA 2008
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Forest Cover Change in the US
1620
1850
1992
1920
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Total Merchantable Volume in the US (million
cubic meters)
US forests contains a total 30.4 billion m3 of
merchantable volume. 60 of this volume occurs
in the eastern US (North South Regions) 26
occurs in the Pacific Coast Region Of the four
regions, the South Region contains the most (32)
Rocky Mt.
North
Pacific Coast
South
Source US Forest Service, FIA 2008
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US Forest Products Trade
Trade deficit
Imports
Exports
Source US International Trade Commission 2008
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US Trade with China Forest Products
Imports
Exports
Since 2003, China has been the second-largest
trading partner in forest products. Its expanding
forest products industry and consequent need for
imported raw materials continued to drive rapid
expansion of U.S. trade with China. Bilateral
trade increased by 1.4 billion, and China
accounted for 13 percent of all U.S. trade in
forest products in 2007.
Source US International Trade Commission 2008
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Paper recycling in the US
The US goal is to recover 60 by the year 2012
Source American Forest and Paper Association 2009
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US Forest Types Different Forest Types Require
Different Management
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US Forest Biomes
Boreal Forest
Rocky Mt. Evergreen Forest
Temperate Rain Forest
Northern Mixed Forest
Eastern Deciduous Forest
Coastal Plain Mixed Evergreen Forest
Great Plains Grasslands
Tropical Savannah
Cool Dessert
Hot Dessert
Californian Chaparral
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EAST- dominated by hardwoods (angiosperms) WEST-
dominated by conifers (gymnosperms)
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US Topographic Relief Map
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US forests have been subject to wildfire, and the
area burned has been increasing.
Source National Interagency Fire Center, Boise
ID.
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The number of fires have been increasing in the
US since 1960.
Source National Interagency Fire Center, Boise
ID.
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Therefore the average size of fires has been
increasing since 1960.
Source National Interagency Fire Center, Boise
ID.
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A variety of aircraft have either been built or
modified for use in fighting forest fires
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Remote Sensing
(satellites)
MODIS
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MODIS image (western US)
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MODIS image
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Fire Weather Predictions and Forecasts
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Forest ownership plays the most important role in
how forests are managed
Most forests in the US are privately owned.
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Forest Ownership in the US
Public Ownership (29)
State County Government
7
Federal Government
22
58
Forest industry
Private landowners
Private Ownership (71)
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Government ownership includes

• Federal Government
• USDA Forest Service
• Bureau of Land Management
• National Park Service
• Bureau of Indian Affairs
• US Fish and Wildlife Service

• State Governments
• Division of Forestry
• Department of Fish Wildlife
• Departments of Pars and Recreation

• County Government
• Municipal Forests
• Municipal Parks

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Federal Government Ownership
Most Federal ownership is in the West
National Forest Lands National
Grasslands National Parks
29
Acres of Non-Federal Forest Land
Most private ownership is in the East
Non-Federal Forest Land Federal Forest Land
30
Forest ownership
Eastern forests are predominantly private and
western forests are predominantly
public. Industrial forests are concentrated in
Maine, the Lake States, the lower South and
Pacific Northwest regions.
Source National Report on Forest Resources
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Forest Ownership by Region in the US
Percent of Forest land Public
69 Private 31
Percent of Forest land Public
24 Private 76
Percent of Forest land Public
11 Private 89
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Over the past 3 decades forests in the US have
been growing more volume than has been removed
through harvests.
This is an indication of sustainable forest
management
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Forest Management on Government Owned Lands
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• Forest Policy on Public Lands (Government owned)
  is dictated by
• Multiple Use and Sustained Yield Act (1964)
• National Environmental Policy Act (1970)
• National Clean Air Act (1970)
• National Clean Water Act (1972)
• Endangered Species Act (1972)
• National Forest Management Act (1976)
• Various other laws at State and Federal level
• Public input

• Forest Policy developed by Congress and public
  input determines management goals on public
  lands
• Ecosystem Restoration
• Forest Conservation and Preservation
• Forest sustainability

• Recreation
• Wildlife habitat
• Ecosystem functions
• Water quality
• Biodiversity
• Successional stages
• Endangered species
• Endangered ecosystems
• Etc..

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Management Goals on Government-Owned Forest Lands
typically include

• maintain evolutionary and ecological processes
  such as ecological functions, disturbance, water
  cycling, energy flow, and nutrient cycling
• manage ecosystems using multiple ecological
  domains and evolutionary time frames
• maintain viable populations of native and
  desired non-native species
• manage ecosystems to encourage social and
  ecological resiliency
• manage ecosystems to maintain the mix of
  ecosystem goods, functions, and conditions that
  society wants.

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Wildfires are recognized as part of the forest
process and are managed when they occur, until it
endangers life, property, or sensitive ecosystems
(plants and animals)
37
Sometimes fire is set intentionally for the
purpose of management, and is referred to as a
controlled burn. This recognizes the effects
of fire as a natural disturbance process.
38
Species such as lodgepole pine, longleaf pine,
shortleaf pine, and aspen are regenerated with
the use of fire.
39
Endangered Species Act (1972) requires both
Government owned and privately owned forests to
manage for endangered and threatened species if
they occur in the forest. Forests owned by the
Federal Government have to manage for endangered
species even if they dont exist in the forest
by providing the necessary habitat to encourage
new populations.
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Forest Management in Privately-Owned Forests
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Management goals in privately-owned forests are
highly variable. The goals are as variable as
the people who own the forest. They may range
from preservation management to maximizing timber
production. Management of private forests is not
subject to public policy
42

• There are Federal laws that private landowners
  are still subject to, and include
• National Clean Water Act (1972)
• Endangered Species Act (1972)

There are also State-level laws that apply only
to the forests that occur within that state, and
it varies from state to state.
Federal programs exist for private forest owners
when an endangered species occurs on private
property. These programs help land owners
reduce financial burdens and encourage activities
to promote endangered species.
One such program is the Safe Harbor program
that partners private forest owners with the
Nature Conservancy and the US Fish and Wildlife
Service.
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• Most of the forest harvests in the US occur on
  private forests. Landowners can perform
• No cutting
• Partial cutting
• Clear cutting

How they choose to cut the forests depends on
their goals, and the cutting restrictions are
very few compared to what we have on Federal
forests.
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The majority (92) of the wood volume harvested
in the US during 2006 occurred on privately-owned
forests.
45
Over 80 of the volume from these harvests came
from the Pacific Coast Region (50) and the South
Region (33)
North
Rocky Mt.
Pacific Coast
South
Private forests
Federal forests
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Timber harvest by county
Timber harvests are concentrated in Maine, the
Lake States, the lower South and Pacific
Northwest regions. The South is the largest
timber producing region in the country accounting
for nearly 62 of all U.S. timber harvest.
Source National Report on Forest Resources
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Number of hectares planted in the US and the
South, 1928 - 2002
Total US
South Region
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Private forests account for most of the planted
forests in the US. The South Region by far
plants the largest areas. This is because the
forest industries perform intensive management of
pine plantations in the South
Area Planted in Forests in the US, 2007
Government forestland
Private forestland
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Seedlings are grown in private nurseries. Forest
industries operate many nurseries, and conduct
research to produce genetically-improved
seedlings. Genetics research is performed to
produce fast-growing trees, and trees more
resistant to insect and diseases.
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These planted forests are often managed
intensively.

• Intensive management can include
• Fertilization
• Use of herbicides
• Pruning
• Thinnings
• Clearcut the final harvest

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An example of an intensive management strategy
for loblolly pine in the west Gulf Coast might
look like this
Final harvest
(sawtimber and veneer)
1st thinning
2nd thinning
(pulpwood)
(pulpwood and small sawtimber)
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• Many private forest owners use prescribed fire to
  manage their forests for
• Wildlife habitat
• Forest reproduction
• Ecosystem restoration
• Improve forest health

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Various methods are used to ignite the fires.
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Managing Forests for Carbon
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Managing forests for carbon storage and
sequestration is becoming more important for
conservation purposes and development of carbon
offsets and credits.
Estimated aboveground carbon (tones/hectare)
Source Carbon On-Line Estimator v.2.0
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Estimated aboveground carbon (tones/hectare)
With improved forest inventory data and created
sampling methods, we can manage the forest carbon
more directly and with better estimations.
Source Carbon On-Line Estimator v.2.0
Relationship of total forest carbon with forest
density in Ohios oak-hickory forests.
Source Williams, Roger A., and Yuhua Tao. 2009.
Unpublished data
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Carbon Models Oak-Hickory Forests (southern Ohio)
How carbon storage changes through time in these
forests
Source Williams, Roger A., and Yuhua Tao. 2009.
Unpublished data
-1
(5.7036 34.6619(Age ))
CT e
R2 0.9665
-1
(5.3878 45.7089(Age ))
CA e
R2 0.9422
-1
(4.4476 14.9850(Age ))
CB e
R2 0.9846
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Carbon Dynamics of Merchantable Trees,
Oak-Hickory Forests (southern Ohio)
Source Williams, Roger A., and Yuhua Tao. 2009.
Unpublished data
-1
(5.3785 52.8956(Age ))
CM e
-1
(5.3785 52.8956(Age ))
)( 52.8956(Age)-2)
CMr ((e
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The models give us better insight as to how to
maximize carbon capture
Over a 100-year period
One rotation yields 128 tC/ha 1.3 t/ha/yr
Two rotations yield 151 tC/ha 1.5 t/ha/yr
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OHIO DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES DIVISION OF
FORESTRY
Total Carbon (t/acre)
60 65 70 75 80 85 90 95
5
4
1
2
3
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Forest Certification in the US

• Forest certification demonstrates that forests
• Are well managed,
• Support healthy wildlife populations,
• Offer recreation opportunities, and
• Can supply raw materials to support regional,
  national, and international economies now and for
  the future.

APPROVED
GRADE A FORESTS
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• Forest certification usually comprises at least
  four elements
• Forest management standards documents which set
  out the requirements which must be met by the
  forest manager and against which certification
  assessments are made.
• Certification - a process to establish whether or
  not the standard has been met.
• Accreditation a mechanism to ensure that the
  organizations which undertake certification are
  independent and professionally competent
  (sometimes referred to as "certifying the
  certifiers").
• A mechanism to control claims - including
  procedures to enforce a set of rules for
  organizations making claims relating to the
  quality of forest management.

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Forest Stewardship Council
Certifies 12,833,832 hectares in the US, or 4.2
of all forestland
Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI)
Certifies 24,218,962 hectares in the US, or 8.0
of all forestland
American Tree Farm System
Certifies 9,716,600 hectares in the US, or 3.2
of all forestland
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Questions?