National Forest Foundation
Caring for our National Forests and Grasslands
America’s National Forests are your National Forests. They need the support of “Friends" like you to ensure that they will provide, for years to come, the incredible experiences and resources that they offer to us today. These vast and beautiful forests help to clean the air and purify the water, while providing us with solitude and unforgettable recreational opportunities.
Caring for 193 Million Acres
The National Forest Foundation (NFF), a Congressionally-designated nonprofit, is dedicated to protecting our 193 million acres of National Forests and Grasslands.
Caring for 193 million acres of diverse forest types, wildlife and aquatic habitat, and watersheds takes the effort and expertise of many individuals and community organizations, in addition to the commitment of the U.S. Forest Service.
Acre by acre, the National Forest Foundation works with community partners across the country to conduct on-the-ground conservation projects to care for our magnificent National Forests and Grasslands. Maximizing the beautiful features and rich benefits of our National Forests depends on a host of conservation practices that create jobs and engage volunteers.
Conservation – Clean Water, Healthier Forests, Improved Recreation
Watershed restoration is an essential objective of the National Forest Foundation. By replanting willows, restoring creek banks and adjoining riparian habitat, and adding logs and natural debris to streams, we enhance our nation’s drinking water sources and fish habitat in critical watersheds.
Restoring our water resources is also beneficial for the precious wildlife that inhabit our National Forests, as do most other forest improvement projects. Planting trees and shrubs, clearing the over-accumulation of forest fuels to reduce catastrophic wildfires, and removing noxious weeds are a sampling of the many ways we support healthier conditions in our forest ecosystems for wildlife habitat.
Recreation-related enhancements are also important in the portfolio of National Forest Foundation projects. Visitors benefit from activities to improve or maintain trails, remove unauthorized routes, and restore lands damaged by recreation overuse or misuse. During the past six years, the cumulative efforts of our partners have resulted in 2,600 miles of trail work – nearly the distance from Washington, D.C. to Los Angeles, California!
Addressing Climate Change – One Tree at a Time
Our National Forests are facing one of the greatest threats in modern history – climate change. Increases in temperature are already bringing changes in precipitation, snowpack, streamflow, tree-destroying insects, wildfire severity, and adaptations in plant and animal species. And yet, our National Forests are a critical resource in slowing climate change. Trees absorb, or sequester carbon and help compensate for increased carbon emissions.
In 2007, the National Forest Foundation initiated the Carbon Capital Fund to raise money for tree-planting projects on our National Forests that otherwise would not take place, with the specific purpose of providing additional carbon benefits. The reforestation projects provide substantial advantages beyond the carbon benefit, such as improved wildlife habitat and water quality, and enrichment of the overall ecological conditions of the National Forest. Learn more.
Developing Lasting Solutions
Communities that adjoin National Forest lands benefit from the natural resources, recreation, tourism, and livelihoods that go along with being situated near these bountiful public lands. Local residents develop deep relationships with, and feel responsible for, their neighboring National Forests, but often have conflicting views of the best way to manage the natural resources or recreation activities.
The National Forest Foundation helps community members come together to resolve their conflicts to create solutions that benefit their National Forest and community. Our national presence and expertise in this arena allows us to further the knowledge and practice of collaboration throughout the country.
If you want to learn more about the specific programs of the National Forest Foundation, click here
Forest Issues
Learn more about the challenges that face our National Forests.
Community-based Forestry - Many of our forests are overgrown and unhealthy. Under drought conditions, these forests become susceptible to catastrophic fire. The NFF is working with local communities and community groups to restore resilient ecosystems on lands at risk from fire, extraction and development in ways that also benefit our surrounding communities.
Recreation - A growing number of visitors to the National Forests is having a severe impact on our natural resources. We are working with our partners to restore trails and develop collaborative solutions to recreation management.
Watershed Restoration - The water flowing from our National Forests is valued conservatively at $3.7 billion per year and supplies 3,400 public water systems, providing fresh water to 60 million Americans. We are working to improve aquatic species habitat as well as the delivery of clean water.
Wildlife Habitat - Fragmented areas may become too small and too degraded to support populations of certain species. We are working with communities and landowners to restore National Forest and adjacent lands, and to protect important wildlife habitat.
Invasive Species - Non-native plants, animals or insects that displace or destroy native species are on the increase. These non-native species have severe impacts on watershed health and wildlife habitat. We are working to prevent the release of non-native species and contain or eradicate invasive species.
Fires and Fuels - Wildland fires are burning hotter and bigger than ever around the country. These large-scale, high-intensity fires can have negative effects on forest ecosystems and local communities. We are working with our partners to reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfires, improve the safety of the wildland-urban interface and improve the health of our forests.
