Forests in the United States

The key words in forest management for the 2 I st century are “sustainable management”. In this paper we present an overview of the nature of outdoor recreation demand growth in the United States and its significance in light of the need to sustain the nation’s forests. We show that outdoor recreation demand is growing faster now than at any time in the last five decades. Accelerated management of forest settings to meet the rising demand for recreation will provide substantial benefits for American society.At the same time, unprecedented levels of demand may challenge our abilities as a nation to sustain forest health and productivity into the future, as we have not been challenged before.We identify hot spots in the United States where recreation demands are greatest, and hot spots where future recreation pressures are likely to intensify.These hot spots are the places where serious and prompt attention to planning the future of our forest resources is needed if we are to be successful in sustaining them. Demand growth in other countries raises similar concerns about sustaining forests.