Endowment Launches Website Detailing the State of America’s Forests

Endowment Launches Website Detailing the State of America’s Forests
–USAForests.org goes live-

Greenville, S.C. – The U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities (Endowment) today announced the launch of an interactive website that tells the story of America’s forests. The website—State of America’s Forests—will house a number of tools that serve as a portal to a spectrum of users. Visitors can gain a basic understanding about the state of America’s forests, or take a deep dive into the data to gain comprehensive insights. The website represents an updated medium for the historically published State of America’s Forests report.

The multimedia guide will help users explore the many benefits forests provide, understand challenges facing this renewable resource, and learn about forest management and conservation. Based on peer-reviewed studies and verified data, the first two modules on the website explore the story of fire in our forests and the role forests play in providing clean water. In the coming months, the site will release additional modules that explore other forest values.

“State of America’s Forests takes information historically found only in scientific literature and turns it into a compelling and engaging way to gain a deeper understanding of the myriad values, uses, and threats to our nation’s forests,” said Carlton Owen, President and CEO of the Endowment.

State of America’s Forests provides a balanced look at the historical events that shaped our forests and their use, ownership, and conservation; trends in forest health, threats, and productivity; and the effect of cultural, institutional, and economic changes. It includes current information on forest certification, new ownership patterns, and shifts in demand for wood and paper products.

“Those steeped in forestry have always had access to information about the importance of our nation’s forests. State of America’s Forests puts that same information in the hands of the public in ways never before accessible. It is a great leap forward in helping the American public comprehend the nearly unfathomable value of a resource that blankets fully one-third of our landscape,” said Robert Bonnie, former USDA Under Secretary of Natural Resources and Environment and a Rubenstein Fellow at Duke University.

“In developing State of America’s Forests we used the latest information from a wide range of trusted sources to explain the value of America’s forests, their contribution to the quality of American life, and the status of efforts to sustainably manage this vital resource,” said Dr. Mila Alvarez, of Solutions for Nature and the project’s leader. “In addition to the best existing data, we’ve used the latest software and other tools to present a forest assessment in an innovative, easy-to-explore format.”

Visit State of America’s Forests at www.usaforests.org

For more information contact:
Carlton N. Owen, President & CEO, 864-233-7646, carlton@runslikeclock.work
The U.S. Endowment for Forestry and Communities (the Endowment) is a not-for-profit public charity working collaboratively with partners in the public and private sectors to advance systemic, transformative, and sustainable change for the health and vitality of the nation’s working forests and forest-reliant communities – www.usendowment.org