time. The average individual today has about 50 percent more leisure 

 time than in 1920. By the end of the century an individual may 

 have a third more leisure time than he has today. 



The impact of this national growth upon the National Forest Sys- 

 tem already has been tremendous, as evidenced by recent trends in 

 use. The impact will be even greater in the future. No longer are 

 the National Forests the inaccessible and distant hinterlands they 

 were when the system was first established. No longer can the Forest 

 Service be primarily a custodian whose principal function is protec- 

 tion of National Forests from fire. Barriers of time, distance, and 

 inaccessibility have been fast fading, especially in the last two decades. 

 The people have found the National Forests, and the Forests' vast 

 resources are in great demand. 



The role of the National Forests and Grasslands in the national 

 economy cannot be discounted. Nearly half of all softwood sawtim- 

 ber in the Nation and more than half the commercial forest land in 

 the West is found in the National Forests. About one- fourth of the 

 timber cut in the West comes from the National Forests. 



National Forests include many of the most important watersheds 

 in the Nation. Nearly one-fifth of the 11 contiguous Western States 

 is National Forest land, and these lands, because of their mountain- 

 ous character and generally high elevation, receive one-third of the 

 precipitation and furnish over half the streamflow. Eastern Na- 

 tional Forests provide high-quality water supplies to many communi- 

 ties and help reduce flood potentials. National Forests are major 

 sources of water for 1,800 towns and cities, including such major 

 metropolitan areas as Salt Lake City, Seattle, Portland, San Fran- 

 cisco, Los Angeles, and Phoenix. Over 600 hydroelectrical develop- 

 ments depend on the National Forests for water. 



National Forests furnish over half the West's water. 



