Welcome to National Forest Week! This week’s celebration, sponsored by the National Forest Foundation, is themed “Find your AWEsome!” As you know, the 193 million acres of national forests and grasslands that we steward are incredible. From the unmatched biodiversity of the Appalachian Mountains to the giant redwoods and sequoias of the Sierras, our country’s natural resources are, indeed, awesome. That’s why our partners at the National Forest Foundation help us celebrate these treasures.

While our national forests and grasslands are home to iconic places, such as Cave Creek Canyon on the Coronado National Forest, more importantly, they are critical to our tribal and forest-adjacent communities that depend on these lands for their heritage, celebrations, food sources, local economies and overall way of life. More than seven in 10 people live within 100 miles of a national forest or grassland. Here, everyone is welcome. And everyone can benefit from time spent outdoors.

Last year more than 156 million visitors enjoyed our camping, fishing, hunting, hiking, skiing, climbing, rafting and other activities. Recreation is the single largest economic output from national forests and grasslands, and we offer more than:

• 4,300 campgrounds 

• 9,100 miles of scenic byways 

• 5,200 miles of wild and scenic rivers  

• 150,000 miles of hiking trails  

These lands are intimately tied to the mental, physical, spiritual and social health of Americans. Eighty percent of our population lives in cities and is losing touch with the contributions of public lands to the basic resources that affect their lives. To help bridge that gap, we established Welcome to the Woods, a partnership consisting of the Forest Service’s Northern Research Station, White Mountain National Forest, Hubbard Brook Research Foundation and Building Community in New Hampshire. The idea for this collaborative effort originated with Amey Bailey, a forest technician at the Northern Research Station’s Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest. Her goal was to connect urban residents with natural areas. Partnering with BCNH, an organization that works closely with immigrants to New Hampshire, seemed like a perfect fit.

After a recent hiking trip with Welcome to the Woods, several individuals said visiting the forest made them feel as though they were back in their own country’s forests.

This is one of the many initiatives created by you, our employees, to welcome visitors to our national forests and grasslands. During National Forest Week, we ask you to continue showcasing the amazing public lands we steward by sharing National Forest Week messaging across social media channels. We look forward to hearing your stories about your work and play on national forests and grasslands and how nature connects us.

While national forests are worthy of celebration all year, we are excited to see you shine a light on these special places during National Forest Week.

Ways to get involved:

• Use the hashtags #NationalForestWeek and #FindYourAWEsome on social media. 

• Submit your photo and help promote the photo contest throughout your network. 

Thank you for all that you do for our public lands today and their future. To learn more, visit nationalforestweek.org.

Editor's Note: Provide feedback about this column, submit questions, or suggest topics for future columns through the FS-Employee Feedback inbox.