Who is Responsible for Promoting Woodland and Forest Conservation in the U.S.?

Trees are vitally important to the quality of life on Planet Earth. Not only do they provide much of the oxygen we breathe every day, they also serve as habitats for millions of species in both the plant and animal kingdoms. Despite these facts, forests and wooded areas are regularly under siege from forces that damage their health.

Fortunately, conservation efforts are growing increasingly common across the U.S. Some of those efforts come from government agencies with formal responsibility for promoting woodland and forest protection. In addition, many private groups dedicate themselves to the same task. Let’s take a look at the public and private organizations that help keep our forests and woodlands healthy and strong.

Federal Conservation Efforts

Two agencies within the U.S. Department of Agriculture run programs dedicated to the conservation of forest land and woodlands. Those agencies are the U.S. Forest Service and the National Resources Conservation Service. Each of these agencies has its own areas of responsibility and emphasis.

U.S. Forest Service

The U.S. Forest Service promotes conservation through a variety of programs. Some of those programs are aimed at protecting the vast tracts of land owned by the federal government. Others are aimed at protecting woodland and forests held by private landowners.

To promote preservation of public forests and woodlands, the Forest Service administers America’s National Forest System. The system contains a total of 155 national forests, distributed throughout the U.S. Altogether, these forests contain a total of more than 188 million acres of forested land.

Within the National Forest System, the Forest Service seeks to balance conservation with other land management priorities. It does much of this work in association with the National Forest Foundation. This organization, created by the U.S. Congress, has several core goals, including:

  • Using public outreach to help promote forest preservation and conservation
  • Collaborating with community organizations to promote sustainable forestry practices
  • Helping to resolve land use disputes within the nation’s public forests
  • Taking steps to restore forested public land as well as other natural systems within National Forest borders

U.S. Forest Service efforts aimed at the conservation of forests on private land include:

  • The Forestry Stewardship Program – This program helps private landowners develop workable plans to preserve forested and wooded areas.
  • Forests on the Edge – Forests on the Edge promotes the preservation of private forests. It also provides landowners with tools that help them gauge the current risks to their forested/wooded property.
  • The Community Forest Program – This program provides resources for the community-wide preservation of woodland and forests. Recipients of their guidance range from non-profits to local and tribal governments.
  • The Forest Legacy Program – The Forest Legacy Program is a partnership between the U.S. Forest Service and state-level conservation agencies. It promotes the use of land purchases and conservation easements for private forest protection.

In partnership with Michigan State University and the University of Massachusetts Amherst, the Forest Service has also created the Family Forest Research Center. This center provides research and assistance to owners of private forestland. In addition to individuals, those owners include families, family partnerships, estates and private trusts.

Ongoing projects at the Family Forest Research Center include:

  • Intergenerational Land Transfer – This project provides assistance to owners wishing to pass their land on to their descendants while avoiding loss of woods and forests. It also provides research aimed at this same goal.
  • The National Woodland Owner Survey – This survey asks several vital questions, including:
    • Who owns private forestland
    • The motivations for private ownership
    • How owners used their forested property in the past
    • How owners intend to use their forested property in the future

National Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)

The NRCS also promotes the conservation of private forests and woodland. Among its many efforts, the agency emphasizes the use of specific conservation techniques. Examples of those techniques include:

  • The strategic planting of new trees
  • Improving the condition of land used for tree planting
  • Controlling undergrowth that can stunt the health of trees
  • Creating fuel breaks designed to prevent the rapid spread of forest fires
  • Managing individual stands of trees to promote healthy growing conditions

The National Resources Conservation Service also oversees the Healthy Forests Reserve Program (HFRP). This program helps private landowners preserve their forested properties in a number of ways. That includes:

  • Supporting conservation through HFRP restoration contracts
  • Supporting conservation through long-term or permanent HFRP property easements
  • Providing financial help for conservation-minded activities
  • Protecting endangered and threatened wildlife species
  • Creating more biologically diverse forest and woodland ecosystems
  • Increasing the carbon storage capacity (i.e., carbon sequestration) of private, forested properties

State Conservation Efforts

Across the country, state governments also take steps to protect and conserve forests and woodland. Those efforts are typically overseen by agencies similar in function to the U.S. Forest Service and the NRCS. Common titles for state-levels agencies with forest conservation oversight include:

  • Department of Conservation
  • Department of Environmental Conservation
  • Forestry Commission
  • Department of Forestry

Check government listings for the name of the responsible agency in your state.

State-level agencies have responsibility for various state parks and forests. They also provide tips and other forms of guidance for private landowners. In addition, state agencies may issue directives for the use of public or private lands. That includes things like local, regional or statewide bans on burning near wooded areas.

Local Government Conservation Efforts

In some states, local, county or municipal governments may also dedicate resources to the conservation of forests and woodland. Many of the available resources are used to protect land owned or managed by local governments. However, some of these resources may also be used to promote private conservation efforts. Check government listings for the names of responsible agencies in your area.

Private Conservation Efforts

A wide range of private organizations make ongoing efforts to provide forest protection and conservation. In addition to the National Forest Foundation, prominent examples of these organizations include:

  • Arbor Day Foundation – This organization maintains a wide assortment of ongoing forest- and tree-related conservation initiatives. These initiatives include:
    • Tree City USA
    • Replanting Our Forests
    • Tree Campus USA
    • Forestry Carbon Credits
    • Corporate Partnerships
  • Save the Redwoods – As its name indicates, this organization focuses on conserving redwood habitat in California.
  • Dogwood Alliance – Among other things, Dogwood Alliance encourages corporations to adopt forest-conserving environmental policies.
  • The Nature Conservancy – This organization promotes a variety of protections for local and regional wildernesses. That includes forest- and woodland-related initiatives.
  • Native Forest Council – The Native Forest Council promotes responsible land practices on public property throughout the nation.
  • American Forests – This organization promotes a science-based approach to conservation efforts such as tree planting and replanting in the wake of natural disasters.

This is just a short list of the organizations currently at work to protect American forests. A brief Internet search will provide you with dozens of additional examples.