Natural Resources

A critical part of the Forest Service mission is protecting and managing the national forests and grasslands so they best demonstrate the sustainable multiple-use management concept. The Forest Service is charged with managing natural resources in a way that best serves the multiple needs of a growing and changing nation. The agency was initially established to ensure a renewable supply of timber and a steady source of clean water and minerals. 

The Intermountain Region includes all of Nevada and Utah, southern Idaho, western Wyoming and much smaller proportions of California and Colorado. This area is very complex and has great variability in topography, climate, and geology. Natural resources include a wide variety of flora and fauna, as well as anything that exists without the assistance of mankind. 

Most National Forests within the Region are on mountains and plateaus that stand well above the surrounding lowlands, valleys and plains. These are sometimes referred to as “mountain islands”. Because of this, and differences in geology, soils, climate and geography, the plants on one mountain area may be very different from those found on another nearby mountain. Program areas within the Land and Resource Management scope include Botany, Hydrology, Lands, Wildlife, Fisheries, Range, Timber and Burned Area Emergency Response.