How We Work on National Forests
National Forests
Our national forests provide a haven for wildlife and recreationists alike, but they are under constant pressure from threats like logging, mining and road building.
The Wilderness Society is working to keep our forests wild and protected from industrial and other harmful development.
We work with other groups who care about our national forests to protect nearly 59 million acres of America’s forests.
This is important because forests provide us with:
- Clean drinking water
- Healthy air
- Endless recreation opportunities
We focus on two major areas to keep national forests healthy and intact:
- Protecting the last remaining forests from development
- Restoring damaged forests to a more natural and wilder condition.
How we work on national forests
Through our National Forest Action Center, The Wilderness Society’s staff works with people on the ground and in local and federal government to keep our forests natural and untouched by modern development.
Our work at the National Forest Action Center is supported by communities and businesses that depend on forests for their livelihoods.
Forest planning
Even protected forests need nurturing. Like tending a garden, we need to make sure forests are healthy. The Wilderness Society has worked on many of the laws and regulations that help us manage our forests, like the “National Forest Management Act” and the “National Forest Planning Rule.”
Forest protection
We use a variety of tools to protect America’s national forests including:
- Advocating for constructive legislation in Congress.
- Working with local communities located in and around national forests.
- Conserving our last remaining roadless areas. The “Roadless Rule” is one of the most successful and important conservation victories of our time.
Forest restoration
Restoring America’s national forests not only creates healthy forests, it also creates long-lasting sustainable jobs. Through our forest restoration program, The Wilderness Society focuses on restoring:
- Watersheds, which protects our water sources from pollution and contamination.
- Forests that have been damaged by previous industrial activity or other types of human activity, such as wildfire suppression.
Forest funding
While our national forests provide us with clean drinking water, healthy air and endless recreation opportunities for free, we need to make sure that they are well managed and facilities are maintained. And this costs money. Learn how The Wilderness Society works with people on the ground and government agencies to secure funding for America’s forests.
Forest FAQs
Check out our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about national forests.
Notes from the Hill
Stay current on legislation moving in Congress, issues affecting wilderness and wilderness designation campaigns with our Notes from the Hill.
Take Action
Add your voice to important wilderness causes and take action to stop threats to our wildlands by joining our community of wilderness activists.
Policy and Science Library
Find fact sheets, reports and other resources related to wilderness policy and conservation.
Friday, May 24, 2013The U.S. Coast Guard began multi-day investigatory hearings on May 20 into Royal Dutch Shell's drilling rig the Kulluk, which went aground near Kodiak Island, Alaska, last New Year’s Eve.
Thursday, May 23, 2013Which is why this week legislation that would protect these lands was introduced yet again, granting these lands another opportunity for well-deserved recognition and conservation.
Wednesday, May 15, 2013Yet, here we are, with people and the government unable to stop furloughs, job losses, and lower revenue to keep the government functioning. Our public lands have certainly not been spared from this indiscriminate budget ax.
Tuesday, April 2, 2013But Alaska’s Sen. Lisa Murkowski refused to accept that decision. She and residents of the tiny community of King Cove are fighting to have the decision overturned.
Tuesday, March 19, 2013Birdwatchers travel from far and wide to northwest Colorado to see male sage-grouse strut their stuff in hopes of attracting a mate. Early spring is prime season to catch these timid grouse dancing on the lek and shaking their tail feathers through organized tours.
Members of the Western Clean Energy Advocates (WCEA), signed a letter encouraging Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper to to sign SB 252, to increase the renewable energy portfolio standard for rural electric providers
. WCEA is a diverse and growing coalition working to transform the way we produce, use, and distribute energy across the West. WCEA aims to create jobs, protect the West’s water, wildlife, and ecosystems, address climate change, and enhance energy security.
Smart Steps to Establish a Responsible Program for Renewable Energy on Public Lands
Since its first day in office, the Obama Administration has made rapid and responsible expansion of renewable energy a top priority. The public lands have played a major role in achieving early goals, but only because of focused effort to correct decades of inattention and inactivity toward developing renewable energy as a major component of the nation’s energy mix.
Expanding energy development to meet the growing needs of America must be balanced with protecting vital wild places.
The Wilderness Society has launched a new quarterly report "By The Numbers" to track how many acres of American land have been protected by Congress and the Executive branch, and how many acres have been leased out to energy development.
Wednesday, May 22, 2013Witness testimony today by Noble’s Offshore Installation Manager Todd Case as he was questioned by the National Transportation Safety Board revealed that the Kulluk drill rig -- which Shell attempted to tow across the Gulf of Alaska with a single tow vessel before it broke loose and ran aground last New Year’s Eve -- should have had multiple tow vessels for safe transport.
Case was aboard the Kulluk when it went adrift and ran aground on a small island south of Kodiak.
Tuesday, May 21, 2013U.S. Representatives Don Young and Doc Hastings have introduced H.R. 1964 in an effort to scrap the Department of the Interior’s recently finalized, comprehensive plan for the western Arctic’s National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska, the nation’s largest tract of public land. The bill is scheduled for a hearing tomorrow on Capitol Hill.
Monday, May 20, 2013Identifying smart steps the Obama Administration, including the Department of the Interior and Bureau of Land Management, can take to continue building a responsible program for renewable energy are part of a “blueprint for action” released by The Wilderness Society today.