About one-third of the Nation's forest land is in Federal ownership. These lands are 

 concentrated in the Rocky Mountains and Pacific Coast States. Some of these lands 

 are high-elevation forests that have great scenic beauty and are important recreation 

 sites. Most of these areas have not been harvested for timber and contain a large 

 part of the Nation's softwood timber inventory. 



About three-fourths of the Nation's non-Federal forest land is in the eastern part of 

 the country. Much of this area has good soils, rainfall, and other conditions favorable 

 for growing trees. These private forests are close to the largest markets for timber 

 products. They are also closest to the most highly populated areas of the country, 

 providing opportunities for many kinds of outdoor recreation. 



The Nation's forest ecosystems contain over 52 billion metric tons of carbon (fig. 8). 



Figure 8 — Forest ecosystems sequester over 52,000 teragrams of carbon. 



Water. About 7 percent, or 161 million acres, of the United States is covered by 

 water. Ownership of inland water is difficult to define because the concept of owner- 

 ship and access to water can vary by State (fig. 9). Water resource laws can originate 

 from several sources. Acts of Congress and State legislatures are interpreted by the 

 courts and then issued by various Federal and State agencies in the form of adminis- 

 trative laws. 



In the United States, there are two general doctrines in water law — ^the appropriation 

 and the riparian. The law of appropriation, which is generally associated with the 

 West, has two basic tenets: (1) a water right can be acquired by the party diverting 

 the water from the water course and applying it to a beneficial use; and (2) in accor- 

 dance with the date of acquisition, an earlier acquired water right will have priority 

 over other, later acquired water rights. 



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