Timber Harvesting on State, Federal, and Other Public Forest Lands
Purpose
Responsible timber harvesting serves a critical role in achieving social,
environmental, and economic values on publicly owned forested lands.
Scope
This position statement applies to the majority of public forestlands (federal,
state, county, and municipal lands) that include a broad array of ecosystems and
landscape types, successional stages (age classes), ownership structures, management
objectives, and historic origins or legal mandates in the public domain.
Position
The Society of American Foresters (SAF) supports sustainable commercial and
non-commercial timber harvesting as the primary means for maintaining and restoring
resilient and sustainable forests and for providing financial returns from managed public
lands. Timber harvests should be conducted in the most efficient and economically viable
manner possible while taking into consideration biological diversity, forest health, and social
factors. SAF believes that the use of renewable, recyclable, and biodegradable forest
products from public lands is necessary to sustain functional ecosystems, meet societal
material needs, and achieve public revenue objectives.
Approved: November 2024