After flying into Boise Airport, a group of friends rideshare downtown, drop off their things at a bed and breakfast, and venture into the city for something to eat.

Tomorrow they will begin their annual backpacking trip in the Sawtooth Wilderness, but tonight they chow down on burgers made from livestock grazed on Boise National Forest. The cook uses his earnings from a successful season to buy his son a rod from a local outfitter, and they take a fishing trip together on the South Fork of the Boise River. On the way home, their guide stops at a car wash and rinses off the dirt from her adventure with water that has flowed down from the Sawtooth Mountains.

Boise, like so many communities on the doorstep of public lands, depends on the forests that surround it to breathe life into the city.

For neighboring areas, National Forests are more than simply places to play. They are sources of clean air and fresh water. They provide seasonal and year-round jobs in the public sector, as well as accommodation, food services, retail, agriculture, and forestry. They support research, manufacturing, and construction. And they supply a steady stream of forest products, from timber to ore, to local industries.

Unlike National Parks, which are highly vested in preservation, National Forests and Grasslands are managed to sustain forest health and productivity for the benefit of all. Their multiple uses—including recreation, grazing, timber, minerals, wildlife, and more—support economies at every scale, from a small burger joint in Boise to the national timber industry.

Healthy forests are essential for healthy economies, and investing in our forests is a key way to help communities adapt and thrive in a changing economy. Through our program work, the NFF is committed to caring for these incredible places—and the hardworking people that rely on them.

Cover photo of a backpacker in Sawtooth National Forest. The NFF works with local contractors to thin unhealthy stands on the Boise and Sawtooth National Forests. These projects not only keep forests healthy, but support jobs, produce fuelwood, and protect surrounding areas from wildfire. Photo by Spriha Pradhan

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