Sally Collins: We lost about a third of it in the 19th century. You see it as you’re flying across the Midwest, because that’s where most of it was converted to agricultural land.
Sally Collins is associate chief of the U.S. Forest Service.
Sally Collins: But the rest of the forest has pretty much stayed the same, even when there’s been a lot of development and a lot of urban growth, and that’s because some of the agricultural land has gone back into forest.
Counting Alaska, there are about 750 million forested acres across the United States today.
Sally Collins: If you were to fly over the United States, you would really see a lot of forested land. And what’s really unique about the United States is that we have about two-thirds of the our original forested land base we had from the original settlement times.
Collins said we know a lot more now about how forests need to be managed.
Sally Collins: The era of thinking that forests are static, or you can just leave them alone and they’ll take care of themselves for a long period of time – it’s just gone.
Collins also spoke of “ecosystem services” from forests. For example, about a third of our drinking water here in the U.S. comes from forested land.
Our thanks today to the American Forest Foundation, leading the way in conservation and education.
Our thanks to:
Sally Collins
Associate Chief, U.S. Forest Service
Washington, D.C.
Sally Collins;
It is nice to know we have been able to keep the approximate 2/3 of the forests.Here in the Ocala National forest it is very enjoyable, most of the Forest camp hosts and rangers are good to meet and shoot the breeze with.I live on the outskirts and go deeper into the forest for camping.
Your work is appreciated and in my view they seem to be doing a pretty good job. I am a bit upset that every year the camping rates go up. As a tent/primitive camper $10.00 a night is really a bit expensive. It has gone from 5 to 6 to 8 to 10 in a span of three years I believe.
That is, three hundred dollars a month to pitch a tent,same for a motorhome in a primitive site,this is unfair and makes no sense.I also use solar power it is quiet,zero noise. The best way to ruin my enjoyment of the forest is to have a motorhome come to a primitive site with the generator stuck right up my tent running day and night,when there is plenty of motorhome sites in that RV part of a campground.
Like looking at the heavens,you want to do it in quiet, peaceful, serenity,listening to nature not with a jackhammer running beside you and the cash machine churning $10.00 a nite.
Just a bit of input, that is really my only complaint.
As stated i do appreciate all that the forestry department does to help keep america beautiful and as pristine as possible along with keeping the water recharging under control.We know the job is not always easy.
Would like to thank all the Volunteers, that help the forestry dept keep the Forest in shape also.
Good day and a good future to all.
I lately came across your blog and have been reading along. I imagine I would leave my first note.
I agree with the statement that forest can manage itself, but only if they truly are left alone. Considering the massive cutting of trees for lumber or paper, or just merely to clear the forest to accommodate farming. Man’s significant intervention to the natural cycle is so massive that it should also take man’s intervention for the forest to recuperate.