Why Family Forest Owners Matter

Did You Know?

Whether you have “just trees” that shelter native plants and animals, a bit of “woods” behind your house where the kids play and you cut firewood, or a “tree farm” that earns your family income…if you have ten acres or more of land with trees, you have a forest. If you own that forest as an individual, a couple, a family partnership, or some other grouping of unincorporated individuals, you are a family forest owner.

More than half the woods and forest in the United States (441 million acres) - mostly located in the east - is owned and managed by some 11 million private ownerships.  Of those, 95 percent are classified as "Family and Individual" ownerhships, 4 percent are classified as "Corporate" ownerships, and 1 percent is classified as "Other Private" ownerships.

A mature tree removes almost 70 times more pollution than a newly planted tree

A single tree can absorb 10 pounds of CO2 per year.

2/3rds of the nation’s drinking water comes from forests.

92% of the wood harvested in the U.S. comes from private forests.

Annually, over 14 million people hunt and 44 million fish, including on private forestland.

Annually, 66 million people enjoy watching wildlife across the country, including on private forestland.

Over half of endangered species rely on private lands for most of their habitat.

Global forests removed about one-third of fossil fuel emissions annually from 1990 to 2007.

One large tree can provide a day’s supply of oxygen for up to four people. 

Forested watersheds provide quality drinking water to more than 180 million Americans. 

Evaporation of water from trees has a cooling influence. 

Trees and forests provide important species range. Many animals have a range of hundreds of square miles. The mountain lion of North America, for instance, has a range of nearly 400 square miles. 

Visit these sites for more interesting facts, videos, photos, and more:

http://www.familyforestresearchcenter.org/faq.html

http://www.americanforests.org/discover-forests/tree-facts/

Some photos and information courtesy of the above sources.