Preface 
The Forest and Rangeland 
Renewable Resources 
Planning Act of 1974 (RPA), 
P.L. 93-378, 88 Stat. 475, as 
amended, directed the 
Secretary of Agriculture to 
prepare a Renewable 
Resources Assessment by 
December 31, 1975, with an 
update in 1979 and each 10th 
year thereafter. This 
Assessment is to include “an 
analysis of present and 
anticipated uses, demand for, 
and supply of the renewable 
resources of forest, range, 
and other associated lands 
with consideration of the 
international resource 
situation, and an emphasis of 
pertinent supply, demand and 
price relationship trends” (sec. 
3.(a)). 
The 1989 RPA Assessment is 
the third prepared in response 
to the RPA legislation. It is 
composed of 12 documents. 
This one—the summary 
Assessment document— 
presents an overview of 
analyses of the present 
situation and the outlook for 
the land base, outdoor 
recreation and wilderness, 
wildlife and fish, forest-range 
grazing, minerals, timber, and 
water. Complete analyses for 
each of these resources are 
contained in seven supporting 
technical documents. There 
are also technical documents 
presenting information on 
interactions among the 
various resources, the basic 
assumptions for the 
Assessment, a description of 
Forest Service programs, and 
the evolving use and 
management of the Nation’s 
forests, grasslands, croplands, 
and related resources. 
The Forest Service has been 
carrying out resource analyses 
in the United States for over a 
century. Congressional 
interest was first expressed in 
the Appropriations Act of 
August 15, 1876, which 
provided $2,000 for the 
employment of an expert to 
study and report on forest 
conditions. Between that time 
and 1974, Forest Service 
analysts prepared a number of 
assessments of the timber 
resource situation 
intermittently in response to 
emerging issues and 
perceived needs for better 
resource information. The 
1974 RPA legislation 
established a periodic 
reporting requirement and 
broadened the resource 
coverage from timber alone to 
all renewable resources from 
forest and range lands. 
