The mission of the USDA Forest Service is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the Nation’s forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations.

The Forest Service motto, “Caring for the Land and Serving People,” captures the spirit of our mission, which we accomplish through five main activities:

Protection and management of natural resources on National Forest System lands.

Research on all aspects of forestry, rangeland management, and forest resource utilization.

Community assistance and cooperation with State and local governments, forest industries, and private landowners to help protect and manage non-Federal forest and associated range and watershed lands to improve conditions in rural areas.

Achieving and supporting an effective workforce that reflects the full range of diversity of the American people.

International assistance in formulating policy and coordinating U.S. support for the protection and sound management of the world’s forest resources.

Description
The National Forest Foundation, chartered by Congress, engages Americans in community-based and national programs that promote the health and public enjoyment of the 193-million-acre National Forest System, administers private gifts of funds and land for the benefit of the National Forests. http://www.nationalforests.org/

The Forest Service manages a system of 155 national forests, 20 national grasslands, and 222 research and experimental forests, as well as other special areas, covering more than 192 million acres of public land. The Forest Service has evolved into a 30,000 employee agency that manages the national forests for a number of multiple uses, including recreation, timber, wilderness, minerals, water, grazing, fish, and wildlife.