Better Management Can Conserve and Restore National Forests and Grasslands Now and for the Future

Collected resources on conservation and restoration of federally managed forests and grasslands

Updated:   July 10, 2024 Read time:
Projects: U.S. Conservation

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Better Management Can Conserve and Restore National Forests and Grasslands Now and for the Future
Morning fog rises from the valleys of densely forested mountains.
The Monongahela National Forest, located in the Allegheny Mountains of eastern West Virginia, is one of 155 national forests spread across 44 states. More than seven in ten Americans live within 100 miles of a national forest.
Malachi Jacobs Shutterstock

The National Forest System (NFS) includes 193 million acres of national forests and grasslands that provide habitat for more than 3,000 species of fish and wildlife and clean water for 60 million people across 33 states. The U.S. Forest Service (USFS) manages these lands under a multiple use-sustained yield mandate. Under this obligation, the agency must ensure that NFS lands are healthy and sufficiently resilient to disturbances to continue providing their full breadth of essential services and resources.

Although USFS has generally improved its management of NFS lands since the system was created in the late 1800s, more action is needed to account for today’s challenges and opportunities. By deploying a management approach that is balanced, based on science, and has an eye toward the future, the USFS can meet the needs of communities and nature, now and over the long term.

The resources collected here reflect The Pew Charitable Trusts’ efforts to protect and restore NFS lands.

A hiker in a bright red shirt looks small in the grand setting of the mountains in springtime. The hiker is standing on a rock against a cloudy sky.
A hiker in a bright red shirt looks small in the grand setting of the mountains in springtime. The hiker is standing on a rock against a cloudy sky.
Article April 12, 2023

Colorado National Forests Provide Vital Ecosystem Services

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A hiker in a bright red shirt looks small in the grand setting of the mountains in springtime. The hiker is standing on a rock against a cloudy sky.
Article April 12, 2023

Colorado’s snow-capped peaks, alpine forests, mountain valleys, and rivers and streams are, like similar landscapes, invaluable. But that doesn’t mean one cannot assign a dollar value to the benefits that public lands provide to nature and people.

cliff dwelling in Manti-La Sal National Forest
cliff dwelling in Manti-La Sal National Forest
Article May 7, 2021

4 Reasons to Value U.S. National Forests

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cliff dwelling in Manti-La Sal National Forest
Article May 7, 2021

From Maine to California and Florida to Alaska, America’s national forests encompass more than 188 million acres of woodlands, meadows, mountains, and rivers. Managed by the U.S. Forest Service, these lands are a national treasure, rich with ecological, social, cultural, and economic value that merits federal protection for generations to come.

Updated:   July 10, 2024
Projects: U.S. Conservation
Topics: Land Conservation
Autumn colors reflect off Sherando Lake in the George Washington National Forest
Autumn colors reflect off Sherando Lake in the George Washington National Forest
Article July 12, 2021

Forest Service Should Update Old Management Plans

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Autumn colors reflect off Sherando Lake in the George Washington National Forest
Article July 12, 2021

The 193 million acres of public lands that make up the National Forest System (NFS) provide critical fish and wildlife habitat, recreation opportunities, and many other values. But the U.S. Forest Service still manages many units in the NFS using outdated science and antiquated practices, an approach that could have negative consequences for these ecosystems—and the people and wildlife that depend on them—far into the future.

In the foreground, green cone-shaped trees blanket a hillside, leading down to a meadow with a meandering stream. In the background, mountains with some remaining snow stand against a dark blue sky with spots of calm clouds.
In the foreground, green cone-shaped trees blanket a hillside, leading down to a meadow with a meandering stream. In the background, mountains with some remaining snow stand against a dark blue sky with spots of calm clouds.
Article July 10, 2023

New Research Can Help Support Health of National Forests

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In the foreground, green cone-shaped trees blanket a hillside, leading down to a meadow with a meandering stream. In the background, mountains with some remaining snow stand against a dark blue sky with spots of calm clouds.
Article July 10, 2023

Americans cherish the 193 million acres of public lands in the National Forest System (NFS) for the many resources, values, and opportunities they support. In 44 states from coast to coast, our forests support biodiversity, connect people to the land, promote sustainable recreation economies, and provide ecosystem services.

A person with dark hair and wearing a red life jacket is viewed from behind, paddling a yellow kayak on a narrow river running through a heavily forested landscape.
A person with dark hair and wearing a red life jacket is viewed from behind, paddling a yellow kayak on a narrow river running through a heavily forested landscape.
Article March 12, 2024

5 Ways Pew’s Work Helps Nature and People on a Changing Planet

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A person with dark hair and wearing a red life jacket is viewed from behind, paddling a yellow kayak on a narrow river running through a heavily forested landscape.
Article March 12, 2024

The United States is one of 17 nations worldwide that scientists have defined as megadiverse—an area that harbors the majority of Earth’s species and also contains high numbers of species found only in that place.

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