Forest Service: Emerging Issues Highlight the Need to Address Persistent Management Challenges

Download or read book Forest Service: Emerging Issues Highlight the Need to Address Persistent Management Challenges written by Robin M. Nazzaro and published by DIANE Publishing. This book was released on 2009-09 with total page 22 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Forest Service, within the U.S. Dept. of Ag., manages over 190 million acres of forest and grassland. The agency is responsible for managing its lands for various purposes -- including recreation, grazing, timber harvesting, and others -- while ensuring that such activities do not impair the lands' long-term productivity. Carrying out these often competing responsibilities has been made more difficult by the increasing cost of wildland fires and the budgetary constraints necessitated by our nation's long-term fiscal outlook. This testimony highlights some of the major management challenges the Forest Service faces in carrying out its responsibilities. It is based on numerous reports issued on a wide variety of the agency's activities.