Forests in the U.S. are managed for different purposes, including conservation, recreation, and the harvesting of forest products. Most private forest owners sustainably manage their working forests using scientifically rigorous standards, systems, policies, and procedures that are incorporated into forest management plans that address environmental, social, and economic considerations. Generally, the trees in our forests [...]

Sustainable forest management practices followed by TIR and other forest owners include a comprehensive program of state-approved water quality best management practices (BMPs) for forestry that are designed to protect water quality and habitat for aquatic organisms. One such BMP is to establish streamside management zones (SMZs) around streams, rivers, and waterways, where harvests are [...]

Clearcutting is a harvesting practice that removes most of the standing trees in a selected area at the same time. Under sustainable forest management, which TIR follows, only smaller areas within forests called stands are harvested. Trees harvested today are typically trees that were specifically planted decades ago to be harvested. In modern forestry, an [...]

Deforestation occurs when forests are converted permanently or semi-permanently to another land use, such as real estate development or agriculture. Sustainable forestry operations, as practiced in the U.S., are not deforestation. When most people think of deforestation, they often picture the Amazon rainforest or palm oil plantations. In many parts of the world, most notably [...]

No. U.S. private working forest owners do not harvest old growth or other sensitive sites as part of their standard operations. Most of our nation’s old growth forests were harvested for settlement and industrialization long before any of us were alive. Old growth forests still exist, but nearly all are publicly owned. Private working forests [...]