forest situation suggests a continued capability to meet those demands. 



— Following two centuries of decline, the area of forest land has stabilized. Today, 

 the United States has about the same forest area as in 1920. 



— The area consumed by wildfire each year has fallen 90 percent; it was between 

 20 and 50 million acres in the early 1900's and is between 2 and 5 million acres 

 today (fig. 11). 



— Nationally, the average volume of standing timber per acre in U.S. forests is 30 

 percent greater today than in 1952. 



Figure 11— The ability of forest and rangeland systems to maintain a balance of successional stages 

 through natural disturbances has been severely reduced by human development; the area consumed by 

 wildfire each year has fallen 90 percent since the early 1900's. 



— Tree planting on all forest land rose dramatically after World War II, reaching 

 record levels in the 1980's. Many private forest lands are now actively managed 

 for tree growing: 70,000 certified tree farms encompass 95 million acres of 

 privately owned lands. 



— The tens of millions of acres of cutovers or "stumplands" that existed in 1900 

 have long since been reforested. Many of these areas are mature forests today. 

 Others have been harvested a second time, starting the cycle of regeneration to 

 young forests. 



— Eastern forests have staged a major comeback. 



— Recreational use on national forests and other public and private forest lands 

 has increased manyfold. 



15 



