About Us

The overriding objective of the Forest Service's forest management program is to ensure that the National Forests are managed in an ecologically sustainable manner. The National Forests were originally envisioned as working forests with multiple objectives: to improve and protect the forest, to secure favorable watershed conditions, and to furnish a continuous supply of timber for the use of citizens of the United States. Forest management objectives have since expanded and evolved to include ecological restoration and protection, research and product development, fire hazard reduction, and the maintenance of healthy forests. Guided by law, regulation, and agency policy, Forest Service forest managers use timber sales, as well as other vegetation management techniques such as prescibed fire, to achieve these objectives. These activities have captured substantial public attention, and in some cases, become hotly debated issues.

• A Historical Perspective
  A historical perspective of Forest Service forest management.
• Today
  Forest management in the latter part of the 20th Century.
• An Ecological Perspective
  Forest management's role in managing vegetation, restoring ecosystems, reducing hazards, and maintaining forest health.
• Planning for Future
  Forest planning guides forest management.
• Laws & Regulations
  Information about laws, regulations and policies directing Forest Service forest management.

Forest Management Service Center

The Forest Management Service Center (FMSC), located in Fort Collins, Colorado, is a sub-staff of the USDA Forest Service National Forest System Forest Management Staff, Washington Office. The FMSC is staffed with biometric and mensuration specialists possessing skills not available at most regional and forest level offices and is considered an extension of each region’s technical staff. The Service Center provides mensuration, statistical, modeling, biometric, sampling, and analysis skills to the Forest Service and also cooperates and works in partnership with other government agencies (federal, tribal, and state), research, colleges and universities, forest industry, consultants, and individuals in the United States and other countries.

Location: http://www.fs.fed.us/forestmanagement/aboutus/index.shtml
Last modified: Monday, 14-Mar-2011 12:36:01 EDT