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Agency Focus


Our Vision … “Renewing Body and Spirit, Inspiring Passion for the Land” 

  • A photo of a father and daughter walking along cascade creek trail.
    Cascade creek trail. (USDA Forest Service image)

    Provide a diverse range of quality natural and cultural resource-based recreation opportunities in partnership with people and communities.

  • Protect the natural, cultural, and scenic environment for present and future generations to enjoy.

  • Partner with public and private recreation benefit providers that together we meet public needs and expectations.

  • Perform and plan by implementing systems and processes to ensure: effective decisions, sound investments, and accountability; collaborative approaches to integrated solutions across the landscape; and enhanced professionalism of our workforce.

Our focus:

Implement ‘green’ operations

  • The recreation and tourism program will reduce its environmental footprint and serve as a model for our visitors and other providers by incorporating sustainable travel industry best practices; “green technology” for facility and trail construction; and environmental management systems in all aspects of our operations.

  • We will interpret the connection between our agency mission and our green operations, as well as citizens’ roles in sustainability.

  • We will share knowledge, skills, and best management practices among a broad network of practitioners, educators, and partners.

Enhance communities

  • Together with our communities and stakeholders, we will develop a common vision and define potential roles to sustain the economic and quality of life benefits of recreation and tourism assets within these destinations.

  • Included will be shared infrastructure development, delivery of information, and provision of recreation services that addresses connections of urban areas and rural communities to the scenic attractions, historic places, and recreation opportunities of the National Forests and Grasslands.

  • Community and state parks, other federal and tribal lands, and local open space lands will be evaluated for connections with national forests and grasslands as well as for their own contributions, existing and potential, for meeting the outdoor recreation and tourism demands for the area.

Along with the communities and stakeholders, we will jointly identify economic development and investment options to carry out the common vision.

Restore, adapt recreation settings

  • Through integrated research, analysis, planning, and quality design, we will restore the condition and function of our recreation facilities and settings, expanding and adapting them to reflect the diversity of cultures, abilities, family structure, and activities in our ever-changing society.

  • Recreation settings that have been impacted by declining ecosystem health, wildfire, and inappropriate use will be restored to improve the quality of outdoor experiences. Unmanaged recreation will be resolved through a planned and properly designed network of roads, trails, and facilities, combined with educated citizen stewardship and partnerships, as well as field presence to provide quality recreation experiences while reducing the impacts of visitor use on the landscape.

  • Focused acquisition of rights-of-way and conservation easements will enhance access to recreation settings while protecting the scenery and sense of place that make each recreation setting special.

How you can help

https://www.fs.usda.gov/es/managing-land/national-forests-grasslands/agency-focus