U.S. soybean farmers are committed to continuously improving the health and quality of crops grown and fields tended. But they also work hard to protect and sustain U.S. forests.
With about 300 million hectares of forests, the United States is home to the world’s largest forest coverage, with approximately one-third owned and managed by national, state and local governments. The remaining two-thirds are owned by private interests, and half of those are owned by families.
Since the early 1900s the total land area of forests in the United States has slightly increased, from 305 million hectares in 1910 to 310 million hectares of forest land in 2012. This includes the increase of about 1.45 million hectares of forest between 1980 and 2011.
Forest lands cover approximately 33 percent of total land area in the United States. Private forest lands are regulated by laws such as the National Environmental Policy Act, the Clean Water Act and the Endangered Species Act.
Forests provide a habitat for important species. They also contribute to the fresh air we all breathe. U.S. farmers are therefore stewards not only of the land they tend, but also of the nation’s forests.
