The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Forest Service has recently unveiled the Resources Planning Act Assessment report, providing a comprehensive snapshot of current conditions in U.S. forests and rangelands. The report also offers projections for the next 50 years, utilizing scientific, climate, and economic data to identify key drivers of change, resources, and trends across all land ownerships.

The Resources Planning Act Assessment, published every decade with mid-decade updates, plays a vital role in informing policies, management decisions, and research efforts related to forests, rangelands, urban forests, forest products, carbon, fish and wildlife, biodiversity, outdoor recreation, water, and the effects of socioeconomic and climate change.

 

Forest Service Chief Randy Moore emphasizes the importance of this assessment in understanding the risks facing forests, rangelands, and communities throughout the United States. The report's projections indicate significant shifts, including some forests in the Intermountain West becoming net emitters of carbon due to factors like wildfires and insect infestations.

While the report sheds light on challenges such as extended droughts, natural disasters, and forest fragmentation, it also highlights progress in water conservation. Remarkable declines in household water use are attributed to high-efficiency appliances, low-flow toilets, and outdoor turf programs.

The assessment underscores the Forest Service's crucial role in stewarding the nation's forests and grasslands. Forest conservation is a continuing priority as they cover about one-third of the country, providing water for 83 million people, offsetting a substantial portion of carbon emissions, and supplying essential forest products and benefits.

The report projects that annual carbon sequestration by U.S. forests will decrease, and total above-ground carbon will level off by 2070. To tackle these challenges, the Forest Service emphasizes the need for a national effort to mitigate future issues.

https://www.fs.usda.gov/news/releases/report-highlights-threats-to-forest-rangeland-health-over-next-50-years