What Are
Working Forests?
WORKING FORESTS IN THE U.S. SUPPORT
2.5 Million
Jobs
$288 Billion
SALES AND MANUFACTURING
$109 Billion
PAYROLL
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Private Working Forests in your State
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Click on a State to Learn More About the Impact of Private Forests Including:
- Economic impact, by state and district
- Forest products manufacturing facilities
- Acres, by ownership
Privately Owned Timberland Acres in Millions, by State
0-3M
3-6M
6-9M
9-12M
12M +
Privately Owned Timberland Acres by District
0-50K
50-200K
200-700K
700k-2M
2M +
Public and private acreage data comes the U.S. Forest Service’s most recent Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA). Jobs, payroll and sales refer to the direct, indirect and induced impacts. For more information refer to The Economic Impact of Privately-Owned Forests in the United States. Please note, not all data reflects recent changes due to redistricting.
Working Forests and Innovative Products
Revolutionary wood products like mass timber are helping architects, builders, and communities reduce their environmental footprint while supporting rural economies.
Working Forests and Clean Air
Working forests reduce carbon in the atmosphere, keeping our air clean.
Strong markets mitigate forest loss
Demand for wood products keeps markets strong, which protects working forests from conversion to other land uses like development.
Latest News & Statements
Bipartisan Support for the Timber Innovation for Building Rural Communities Act
Friday, September 15, 2023
Timber Innovation for Building Rural Communities Act: Statement from NAFO
Friday, July 28, 2023
NAFO Applauds USDA for Its Commitment to Improving Carbon Data Quality and Accessibility
Thursday, July 13, 2023
About Nafo
The National Alliance of Forest Owners (NAFO) is a national advocacy organization committed to advancing federal policies that ensure our working forests provide clean air, clean water, wildlife habitat and jobs through sustainable practices and strong markets.
LEARN MORE
FOCUSING ON CARBON BENEFITS
POLICY POSITION:
To optimize forest carbon benefits, policy should focus on carbon impacts and avoid requirements that impose new regulations on the co-benefits forests provide.
WHY WE SUPPORT THIS POLICY POSITION:
Working forests are geographically diverse and provide a wide range of valuable co-benefits like clean air and water, wildlife habitat, and jobs. Nationwide one-size-fits-all approaches that place requirements on these co-benefits are ineffective and should not interfere with the ultimate goal of climate change legislation: reducing atmospheric carbon.
MONITORING AND MEASURING
POLICY POSITION:
NAFO supports fully funding programs that advance the contributions of forests and forest products in climate policy like the USDA Forest Inventory & Analysis (FIA) Program. The technical information provided from these programs is critical to sound climate policy and legislation.
WHY WE SUPPORT THIS POSITION:
On-the-ground measurements are more accurate and effective than imagery or modeling. Using the FIA program eliminates any bias and offers the most robust nationwide solution to accurately measure carbon in forests and forest products.
ENCOURAGING FULL PARTICIPATION
POLICY POSITION:
To optimize forest carbon benefits, policy should focus on carbon impacts and avoid requirements that impose new regulations on the co-benefits forests provide.
WHY WE SUPPORT THIS POLICY POSITION:
Working forests are geographically diverse and provide a wide range of valuable co-benefits like clean air and water, wildlife habitat, and jobs. Nationwide one-size-fits-all approaches that place requirements on these co-benefits are ineffective and should not interfere with the ultimate goal of climate change legislation: reducing atmospheric carbon.
SUPPORTING RESILIENT FORESTS
POLICY POSITION:
NAFO supports policies that promote healthy and resilient forests. Healthy forests are less susceptible to threats such as pests and wildfire, and they can better adapt to a changing climate.
WHY WE SUPPORT THIS POSITION:
Climate change is already impacting our forests regardless of property lines and ownership classes. When public or private forest are unhealthy, they affect their neighbors. Active management at a landscape scale improves resilience as our climate changes and introduces new stresses on our forestland.