Parcelization, Fragmentation, and the Loss of Private Forestland in the United States
Purpose
To promote management and raise awareness of policy tools available to mitigate loss of private
forestland.
Scope
Policies and programs that contribute to or detract from sustaining private forestland. Loss of private
forestland caused by natural catastrophes (fire, hurricanes, drought, tornadoes, insect/disease) is beyond
the scope of this position statement. Land use change following a natural catastrophe is driven by
contributing factors (see SAF position statement on climate change) that accelerate the loss of private
forestland, and this may be addressed under a separate position statement in the future.
Position
The Society of American Foresters (SAF) supports land use management policies that strive to
minimize forest loss and recognize the ecological, economic, and social importance of private forest
ownership. The type of forestland lost and the drivers of change vary geographically. Generally, it
involves urban or low-density (suburban, acreage) development, conversion to agricultural production
and, increasingly, development for energy infrastructure. This problem is exacerbated as the nation’s
urban population growth outpaces the country’s overall growth rate, putting significant pressure on
nearby working forestlands. SAF therefore encourages development of incentives to conserve private
forestland, including the following broad categories further described in the background section:
economic incentives for ecosystem services, and for both existing and new forest products markets;
changes to tax and land use policies; federal funding for land retention and management in the private
sector; technical assistance to landowners; and innovative private investment vehicles. Because owning
forestland is a long-term proposition, landowners need policy assurances that mitigate risk and
incentivize sound forest management.
Approved: October 2025