Forest Economics 101

today, forests are far more valuable standing than cut down.

Forests provide trillions of dollars in ecosystem services every year—for free. Without these services, we would be paying a lot more in health care and infrastructure, and our air, water, soils, and health would be a lot worse.

Forests provide clean drinking water. National forests provide clean drinking water to over 66 million Americans, making national forests the largest municipal supplier of water in the country. Over half of the nation’s total water supply originates on forest lands.

Forests provide clean, healthy air. Forests pump out oxygen we need to live and absorb the carbon dioxide we exhale or emit. Forests also improve air quality: they act as natural filters that absorb pollutants and clean the air. Trees absorb a wide range of airborne pollutants, including carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide. In the U.S. alone, forests are estimated to save 850 lives per year and $6.8 billion in total health care costs just by removing pollutants from the air.

Forests heal us. Forests give us many natural medications. About 70% of known plants with cancer-fighting properties occur only in forests. Just walking in the woods can offer health benefits, including stress relief, reduced blood pressure, and a stronger immune system.

Forests feed us. Forests produce fruits, nuts, seeds, mushrooms, sap, and they sustain more life than any other terrestrial ecosystem.

Forests build and protect soil. Forests are natural soil builders; shed leaves and rotting logs build vibrant new soils. A forest's root network also stabilizes soil, reducing erosion by wind or water. Forests also degrade and remove toxins from soils.

Forests refill aquifers. Forests are like giant sponges, soaking up rain and runoff. Water that gets past their roots trickles down into aquifers, replenishing groundwater supplies that are important for drinking, sanitation and irrigation around the world.

Forest recreation provide jobs. National forests and other public lands provide over 7.6 million jobs. National forests and public lands are the backbone of a an outdoor economy that employs more people than the coal, oil, and natural gas industries combined, and it employs eight times more people than the logging and timber products industry.

Forests are a major economic engine. Recreation in national forests and public lands contributed $887 billion annually to the U.S. economy.

Forests do it all for free. Forests provide clean air, clean water, healthy soils, biological diversity, scenic views, and carbon storage without charging us a penny.

LOGGING AND NATIONAL FORESTS

National forest timber sales operate at a net loss, costing taxpayers billions of dollars. The U.S. Forest Service subsidizes the cost of logging for private timber companies at the taxpayers’ expense. These subsidies also hurt rural landowners by undercutting the price of timber on their lands.

Forest Keeper is not anti-logging. We recognize that forests have many uses, and we support a vibrant timber products industry, especially on private lands. However, in the 21st century, forest recreation, tourism, and conservation provide far more economic benefits than commercial logging on our publicly owned national forest lands. All Americans share in the the health and wealth of mature, intact forests.

BY THE NUMBERS

7.6 million

Number of jobs that recreation on national forests and other public lands directly contributed to the U.S. economy.

$887 billion

Amount that recreation in national forests and other public lands contributes each year to the U.S. economy. National forests and public lands are the backbone of a an outdoor economy that employs more people than the coal, oil, and natural gas industries combined, and it employs 38 times more people than the logging industry.

66 million

Number of Americans who receive drinking water from national forests. National forests are the country’s largest supplier of municipal water.

4 million

Number of volunteer hours donated by Americans to build trails, monitor species, and assist with maintenance in national forests.

33%

Percent of fossil fuel emissions offset by forests. Forests act as a carbon sink, absorbing 2.6 billion tons of carbon from the atmosphere. Protecting forests is vital in addressing the climate crisis.

80%

Percent of terrestrial species globally that depend on forests for survival.

$4.7 trillion

Estimated value of ecosystem services like clean water, clean air, and healthy soils that forests provide each year—for free.