Forest Administration in the United States of America

In the United States, forest administration is a constantly changing complex of policies, programs, and management regulations. Forest administration is the product of a brief but tumultuous history during which much of the forests which once covered half the land were coutover for farms, industry, and cities. In the last 15 years, forest administration has been increasingly dominated by concerns for maintaining an ecological balance. Current forest administration is deeply rooted in the American traditions of decentralized federalism and free enterprise, yet combines state socialism and private capitalism. The major elements of U.S. forest administration consist of : 1) programs and policies on taxation, professional education and research, and "cooperative forestry", 2) state controls on forest practices for privately owned lands, and of federal policies and regulations for the management of federal lands. The federal Forest Service has played a lead role in developing and implementing national forest policies and programs. Since the end of World War II, the national forests managed by the Forest Service for multiple use have provided and ever growing fraction of domestic timber needs. In the coming decades, cultural and social trends may force a change in management policy on federal land, reducing the importance of timber harvesting in relation to amenity values.