1998 Explanatory Notes HIGHLIGHTS USDA, Forest Service The Forest Service is a large organization with broad responsibilities. Most of its 37,000 employees believe that what they do for the Forest Service is not "just a job." What they do is important now and to future generations and they care personally how it is done. The Forest Service is steward of 192 million acres of public forests and grasslands. It conducts the largest forest and range research program in the world. It provides essential service to the nation in stewardship and use of the vast state and private land ownership. It represents the nation on many international economic and environmental matters. stewardship and is critical if the Forest Service is to meet its mission as efficiently as possible. The Forest Service must help bring people together and provide the best professional and scientific information on the consequences of policy choices. Competition for resource uses is intense and often contentious because forest and other wildland resources are highly valued by a diverse constituency. The complexity of natural resource management and policy issues is growing, affecting both public and private lands. Organizational effectiveness and accountability are essential to this mission. Guided by the Government Performance and Results Act of 1993 (GPRA) and the Forest and Rangeland Renewable Resources Planning Act (RPA), the Forest Service continues to emphasize accountability by developing quantifiable goals and performance measures. Managers will be judged by the health of the resources entrusted to their management by the public. They will be held accountable for the annual goals established to ensure healthy ecosystems and sustainable levels of products and services. While accomplishing these goals, managers will also be accountable for sound management and effective equal opportunity and civil rights activities and other actions to assure efficiency and effectiveness. For 70 years Forest Service Research scientists have conducted the only continuous forest inventory and analysis program that periodically quantifies timber supply and the status of forest ecosystems across all land ownerships in the U.S. Landfill capacity throughout the U.S. has been expanded because of recycling research in the Forest Products Lab. New uses for previously useless wood scraps are being developed. Whole houses can now be built with re-engineered and recycled wood and plastics. Products produced from these materials using technology developed by the Forest Service are widely available in building supply stores nationwide. On call and available when an international or U.S. disaster strikes, Forest Service employees skilled in emergency management go to countries like Rwanda and Bosnia, coordinated by the International Forestry branch of the Forest Service. Using their experience, they organize and improvise limited resources to respond to natural and human-caused disasters. These skills have also been widely used in the U.S. to respond to recent hurricanes in the southeast, earthquakes in California and floods in the midwest and west. Whether it is an invigorating run down a Rocky Mountain ski slope; a calm and soli reunion at your favorite campground; a scenic drive through unforgettable vistas; or a dig deep into history and prehistory in a PIT (Passport in Time) project -- over 43% of total recreation use on federal lands is on our national forests and grasslands. State and private forests also provide an incredible array of recreational and scenic values--indeed they are a key component of our nation's landscape. Rivers running through the national forests: 200,000 miles of fishable streams and more than 2 million acres of lakes, ponds and reservoirs, are a critical and an immensely valuable resource. In 44 states this resource provides the public with ready access for those who find sport, solace and joy in casting of a fishing line. State and private lands also include extensive water resources, many of which have superlative recreational values. Still, Rangelands contain a wide array of ecological resources and serve many human uses. Almost 100 million acres of rangeland are used for grazing domestic livestock. Wildlife and recreational resources abound. nearly 24 million acres of national forest rangelands are in unsatisfactory condition, and the spread of noxious weeds is an increasing problem. Research scientists are working with managers on solutions to rangeland restoration. • Wood is an important and versatile commodity used extensively by all Americans in making their daily lives more comfortable. The national forests help meet our nation's demands for wood and wood products. An average of 4 billion board feet (.78 billion cubic feet) has been offered for sale from the national forests each of the last 4 years. Of this, 2.4 bbf is structural lumber, enough to build 275,000 average single family homes. All management activities, including the sale of timber, are designed to be sustainable and contribute to maintaining and improving forest health for a wide array of values important to the American public. State and private forests currently provide the bulk of the nation's wood supply and are |