The Forest's Bounty
FACT
Carbon dioxide uptake by forests in the contiguous United States offsets 11 percent of total carbon dioxide emissions.
Services and Products
National Forests provide these benefits to the American people:
- Delivery of clean water
- Fish, wildlife and plant habitat
- Mitigate droughts and floods
- Wood products, biomass energy
- Sustainable green economic activity
- Scientific research
- Rural economic health
- Biodiversity
- Carbon sequestration
- Air quality
- Cultural and spiritual
- inspiration, healing, and restoration
- Outdoor recreation
- Scenic beauty
By the Numbers
- 50% of California's water comes from National Forest lands.
- 20% of California is National Forest lands.
- $37 BILLION in food and commodities produced in California's agriculture economy is supported by water that flows from National Forest lands.
- 16 BILLION kilowatt hours of the state's electricity—valued at $1.6 billion—are produced by forest water for hydroelectric power and manufacturing.
- $9.5 BILLION the value of water from National Forest lands.
- 38 THOUSAND jobs in the outdoor recreation industry are produced by California's National Forests.