In just a day’s drive, people who visit or live in the Eastern United States can experience the wonder and awe of some of the most exquisite forests in the nation; a tapestry of natural beauty that is dazzling to the human senses and spirit. This majestic band of forests spans the Appalachian Mountains with its ribbon of high rocky peaks, long green ridges and rich valleys stretching from Alabama to Maine. From the vast wildlands of the Northern Forest, to the unique Pine Barrens of the Mid-Atlantic, and the biologically rich longleaf pine and bottomland hardwood forests of the Southeast, these special forests are critical to open space, biological diversity, recreation, tourism, and human communion with nature.
A cornerstone of our national heritage, the Eastern Forests display the footprints of early American settlers, Native American religious sites and trails, and junctions of the historic Underground Railroad.
These native forests fed and sheltered early Americans and helped shape our nation’s character. Today, these beautiful and rich forests, although much changed, continue to bless the region’s people and communities with a myriad of environmental benefits and economic opportunities.
These forests form the nexus of interdependence between people and nature. They are the forests out America’s backdoor. Whether it is the county park where we picnic with friends, the National Forest that provides our drinking water or our family’s weekend retreat, or private woodlots that provide lumber and wildlife habitat, these forests enrich our health, safety and quality of life by providing us with clean water, fresh air, economic benefits, and quiet relaxing places to enjoy and explore with our families. Well-managed forests and protected wildlands are also havens for balanced ecosystems that harbor a wide variety of plants and wildlife.
Although we sometimes fail to notice them until they disappear, these forests provide a living natural legacy of wildlife, open space, and outdoor opportunities that we can and must conserve and protect for current and future generations. Only 16% of these forests are currently protected within a patchwork of federal National Forests and other public lands, including state forests and parks. The vast majority of Eastern Forests are privately owned. And both private and public forestlands are facing intense pressures and an uncertain future.
