A total of 818,814,000 acres in the United States is covered by forest. That’s 36.21% of the total land mass. United States forests are a mix of many different types as the United States spans a large land area and is composed of Arctic to tropical zones. The United States mostly has deciduous and coniferous forests, with some rainforests. The carbon sequestered by United States forests equals 5-10% of the nation’s yearly emissions. The United States has lost over 10% of its tree cover since 2010. About 7.78 Mha were destroyed by wildfires between 2010 and 2023.
According to ArcGIS, the growth-to-removal ratio is 1.92, meaning we grow nearly twice the volume we remove as timber. Invasive species, unmanaged recreational use, deforestation, urban development, and forest fires all play a role in the loss of forests in the United States. Many forests are currently protected through public national conservation efforts and are managed by the US Forest Service. This accounts for about 20% of the US forests. The largest national forests are called these units in the Western United States. However, most of the United States forest cover is located in the eastern half of the United States and is privately owned and managed—at 56%. Approximately 89% of wood that is harvested is from privately owned forests. While deforestation and urban development clear away the presence of forests and wildfires, it is important to note that overall, the US is planting twice as many trees lost due to removal, as noted in the growth-to-removal ratio.
This Post was submitted by Climate Scorecard US Country Manager Abby Carlson.
Email to a Key Forest Influencer
To Chad Douglas:
Acting Director of Communications for the US Forest Service
Dear Mr. Douglas,
My name is Abby Carlson. I am the United States Country Manager for Climate Scorecard, a non-profit organization that seeks to support the Paris Climate Agreement and monitor the emissions policies of leading greenhouse gas-emitting countries, including the United States.
We believe the U.S. should strengthen its emissions reduction pledge to the Paris Agreement. One of the ways we could do this is by adding a carbon sequestration component to our pledge.
The United States did not include much information on sequestration, destruction, and development in its Paris Agreement emissions reduction pledge (NDC). When a search is conducted, there is little to no mention of any of these types of focus areas in the NDC. Public policy can work to preserve more forests and protect them from development. Further public policy could be explored to conserve the lands that we have so that we can mitigate the effects of climate change in our countries. The United States must prioritize forest-friendly policies to adapt its agenda better and be more proactive in preservation and conservation.
I look forward to hearing back from you regarding this suggestion.
Sincerely,
Abby Carlson
U.S. Country Manager
Climate Scorecard