Forest Recommendations: Overview
Western forests provide a wide range of ecological goods and services, including watershed protection and carbon sequestration, as well as a potentially sustainable supply of timber and other products. With sound management, they can sustain wildlife populations, moderate wildfires and protect communities, and provide recreational opportunities for a growing population. They serve as invaluable sources for wildlife habitat preservation, countless recreational opportunities, and they may potentially supply a sustainable source of timber.
Current forest management priorities are hotly contested, and management plans are often the subject of appeals and litigation. This gridlock has resulted, in part, from a failure to to strike an appropriate balance between differing public values. The time has come to establish a new set of priorities for federal forest management that explicitly values ecosystem services, guided by a vision of sustainability.
- Recommendation 1: Redefine forest management priorities
- Recommendation 2: Rewrite National Forest Management Act regulations
- Recommendation 3: Provide adequate funding for forest management
- Recommendation 4: Maintain roadless areas and expand wilderness areas
